Check Your Settings
Writers: Make Sure Your 6 Titles Agree Before Clicking “Publish”
A whole article claimed showing different subtitles for the same article is a bug. It’s not.
There is no ironclad industry standard for displaying a shortcut subtitle to your story.
In his story, Watch Out, Medium Is Screwing Up, RN Manchester claimed that varying subtitles is a bug costing you reads. It’s not a bug. The display differs from app to app and even different programs within the same app, like Medium. It is up to the software designers to determine if such display inconsistencies are from a design flaw.
You, the writer, should check all sources before publishing your story. You can’t depend on the software to do ALL of the work. It just makes its best guess, which may not conform to your wishes.
FOUR primary subtitle display sources
(1) The Display uses the subtitle from the story. That’s what you expect since you see the subtitle under your title while editing your story.
(2) The Display uses the subtitle from your settings. The settings and story do not agree. Click the 3 dots to show settings.
(3) The Display uses the SEO Description from your settings. Search engines, like Google and others, use the “SEO title” and “SEO description” to optimize their searches. They may show the description instead of your subtitle.
Medium usually populates the description from your first paragraph. You should also make sure your SEO title is the same as the exit. Click “More settings” in the Settings list to show SEO options.
(4) The Display uses part of the first paragraph. I’m not sure which engine did this, but it does exist. I’ve started to add a synopsis, or short description, as in the example to help readers and to handle this display option. Unfortunately, there is no way to know how much text will be displayed.
Unexpected subtitle is not a bug, but carelessness
Make sure your 6 titles and subtitles are what you want them to be before clicking “Publish.” Before publication, I go through the checklist listed in References, and this is just one step.
Even after you do this, there is no way to know what a display source will use. There may be other options that we don’t know about. However, fixing all of your settings and writing a good first paragraph will cover most cases.
References
Watch Out, Medium Is Screwing Up - claims that display inconsistencies is from a design flaw
Use This Checklist Before Hitting ‘Publish’ - I print this checklist and cross items off, every time - One time, I forgot a heading picture!
