Engineering stories behind the Medium Daily Digest Algorithm: Part 1
Medium improved its Daily Digest email recommendations by adjusting filtering rules, resulting in a 7% increase in average reading time and a 10% higher conversion rate to paying members, despite challenges from Apple Mail Privacy Protection.
MAIN POINTS
- Medium's Daily Digest improvements led to a 7% increase in average reading time.
- The digest became 10% more effective at converting users to paying members.
- Filtering rules were adjusted to prevent overly aggressive story disqualification.
- Apple Mail Privacy Protection affected email open tracking accuracy.
TAKEAWAYS
- Adjusting filtering rules improved recommendation quality and user engagement.
- Apple Mail's privacy measures necessitated reevaluation of email tracking methods.
- A/B testing confirmed the success of the new recommendation strategy.
- The Daily Digest is now available in the Medium App for improved tracking.