yux-publish-zhihu

Zhihu Article Publishing

Language

Match user's language: Respond in the same language the user uses.

Script Directory

PLUGIN_DIR is the root of this plugin (two levels above this SKILL.md directory). Resolve: PLUGIN_DIR = ${SKILL_DIR}/../..

Script	Path	Purpose
zhihu-publish.ts	${PLUGIN_DIR}/scripts/zhihu/zhihu-publish.ts	MDX/Markdown → Zhihu HTML conversion + clipboard copy

Prerequisites

• Chrome DevTools MCP: Must be configured. Browser (Arc/Chrome) must have remote debugging port enabled.
• Bun runtime: Scripts run via npx -y bun
• macOS: Clipboard functionality depends on macOS Swift/AppKit

Preferences (EXTEND.md)

Check ${SKILL_DIR}/EXTEND.md or user config path for settings:

# Check project-level first
test -f .yux-publish/yux-publish-zhihu/EXTEND.md && echo "project"

# Then user-level
test -f "$HOME/.yux-publish/yux-publish-zhihu/EXTEND.md" && echo "user"

Supported settings:

Key	Default	Description
default_theme	zhihu	HTML rendering theme
default_tags	empty	Default topic tags (comma-separated)
default_action	draft	Default action: draft or publish

Priority: CLI arguments > Frontmatter > EXTEND.md > Skill defaults

Article Publishing Workflow

Copy this checklist and check off items as you complete them:

Publishing Progress:
- [ ] Step 0: Load preferences (EXTEND.md)
- [ ] Step 1: Convert content → HTML
- [ ] Step 2: Validate metadata
- [ ] Step 3: Dry-run checkpoint
- [ ] Step 4: Ensure browser debug port
- [ ] Step 5: Check Zhihu login status
- [ ] Step 6: Navigate to article editor
- [ ] Step 7: Fill title
- [ ] Step 8: Paste content into editor
- [ ] Step 9: Add topic tags
- [ ] Step 10: Save draft or publish
- [ ] Step 11: Report completion

Step 0: Load Preferences

Read EXTEND.md and parse configuration.

Step 1: Convert Content to HTML

Input type detection:

Input Type	Detection	Action
MDX file	Path ends with .mdx	Run conversion script
Markdown file	Path ends with .md	Run conversion script
HTML file	Path ends with .html	Use directly, skip to Step 2

Execute conversion:

npx -y bun ${PLUGIN_DIR}/scripts/zhihu/zhihu-publish.ts <file> --dry-run

Parse JSON output to get: title, description, tags, htmlPath, htmlContentPath, contentLength, imageCount

Step 2: Validate Metadata

Field	If Missing
Title	Prompt user or auto-extract from content
Description	Auto-extract from first paragraph (truncate to 120 chars)
Tags	Use EXTEND.md defaults, or prompt user

Step 3: Dry-Run Checkpoint

If user specified --dry-run, show metadata summary and stop:

Zhihu Article Preview:
  Title: [title]
  Description: [description]
  Tags: [tag list]
  Content Length: [character count]
  Images: [image count]
  HTML Preview: [htmlPath]

Step 4: Ensure Browser Debug Port

Check if browser debug port is available:

curl -s http://127.0.0.1:9222/json/version

If unavailable:

1. Prompt user to start browser with debug port
2. Arc browser:

   /Applications/Arc.app/Contents/MacOS/Arc --remote-debugging-port=9222
   

3. Chrome:

   /Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome --remote-debugging-port=9222
   

4. Wait for port to be ready

Step 5: Check Zhihu Login Status

1. mcp__chrome-devtools__navigate_page → https://www.zhihu.com
2. mcp__chrome-devtools__take_snapshot → check page content
3. Determine login status:
   • Logged in: Page contains user avatar, profile link
   • Not logged in: Page contains login/register buttons

If not logged in:

Zhihu not logged in. Please log in manually:
1. Open https://www.zhihu.com/signin in the browser
2. Log in via SMS code or QR scan
3. Tell me when done

Use mcp__chrome-devtools__wait_for to detect login completion (user avatar appears).

Step 6: Navigate to Article Editor

mcp__chrome-devtools__navigate_page({ url: "https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/write" })

Wait for editor to load:

• mcp__chrome-devtools__wait_for — wait for title input to appear
• mcp__chrome-devtools__take_snapshot — confirm editor DOM structure

Step 7: Fill Title

1. mcp__chrome-devtools__take_snapshot — find title input area
2. mcp__chrome-devtools__click — click title input
3. mcp__chrome-devtools__fill or mcp__chrome-devtools__type_text — enter title

Zhihu title limit: Max 100 characters. If too long, truncate and prompt user.

Step 8: Paste Content into Editor

Primary method — Clipboard paste:

1. Run script to copy HTML to clipboard:

   npx -y bun ${PLUGIN_DIR}/scripts/zhihu/zhihu-publish.ts <file> --copy-html
   

2. mcp__chrome-devtools__take_snapshot — find content editor area
3. mcp__chrome-devtools__click — click editor area
4. mcp__chrome-devtools__press_key({ key: "Meta+a" }) — select all (clear placeholder)
5. mcp__chrome-devtools__press_key({ key: "Meta+v" }) — paste

Verify paste result:

6. mcp__chrome-devtools__take_snapshot — check editor content is filled
7. If editor is still empty, switch to fallback method

Fallback method — JavaScript ClipboardEvent simulation (recommended):

If clipboard paste fails, read htmlContentPath file content and inject via evaluate_script.

CRITICAL: Zhihu editor is based on Draft.js. Content injection priority:

1. ClipboardEvent simulation (recommended) — Draft.js correctly parses HTML, preserving headings, tables, code blocks
2. execCommand('insertHTML') — Enables publish button but loses all formatting
3. innerHTML — Completely unusable, Draft.js won't recognize it

mcp__chrome-devtools__evaluate_script({
  function: "() => { const editor = document.querySelector('[contenteditable=\"true\"]'); if (!editor) return 'editor_not_found'; editor.focus(); document.execCommand('selectAll'); document.execCommand('delete'); const html = decodeURIComponent('ENCODED_HTML'); const dt = new DataTransfer(); dt.setData('text/html', html); dt.setData('text/plain', ''); const evt = new ClipboardEvent('paste', { clipboardData: dt, bubbles: true, cancelable: true }); editor.dispatchEvent(evt); return 'ok'; }"
})

Note: URL-encode HTML content before passing to decodeURIComponent. dispatchEvent returning false is normal (Draft.js calls preventDefault() to handle paste).

If Chrome DevTools MCP connection times out (common with many tabs), use CDP REST API + WebSocket directly:

# 1. Open new tab
curl --noproxy '*' -s -X PUT 'http://127.0.0.1:9222/json/new?https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/write'

# 2. Use Runtime.evaluate via WebSocket

Step 9: Add Topic Tags

1. mcp__chrome-devtools__take_snapshot — find topic tag area
2. Usually at editor bottom, with "添加话题" button or input
3. For each tag: a. Click topic input area b. mcp__chrome-devtools__type_text — enter tag text c. mcp__chrome-devtools__wait_for — wait for autocomplete dropdown d. mcp__chrome-devtools__take_snapshot — view dropdown options e. mcp__chrome-devtools__click — click matching option f. If no exact match, press Enter for custom tag

Zhihu limit: Max 5 topic tags.

Step 10: Save Draft or Publish

Based on default_action or user instruction:

Save as draft (default):

1. mcp__chrome-devtools__take_snapshot — find "保存草稿" button
2. mcp__chrome-devtools__click — click save
3. mcp__chrome-devtools__wait_for — wait for success message

Publish:

1. mcp__chrome-devtools__take_snapshot — find "发布" button
2. mcp__chrome-devtools__click — click publish
3. May show confirmation dialog, need to confirm again
4. mcp__chrome-devtools__wait_for — wait for publish success

IMPORTANT: Always save as draft by default, unless user explicitly says "发布"/"直接发布"/"publish".

Step 11: Report Completion

Zhihu Publishing Complete!

Input: [file type] - [file path]

Article:
  Title: [title]
  Description: [description]
  Tags: [tag list]
  Images: [N] images
  Content: [character count] characters

Result:
  [Saved as draft / Published]

Next Steps:
  Manage articles: https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/write

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Browser debug port unavailable	Close existing browser process, restart with debug mode
Zhihu login expired	Prompt user to manually re-login in browser
Editor load timeout	Refresh page and retry, check network connection
Clipboard paste loses formatting	Switch to JavaScript injection method
Topic tag no match	Use closest suggestion, or press Enter for custom tag
Title exceeds 100 chars	Truncate and prompt user to confirm
Images fail to load	Zhihu auto-downloads images — takes time, check in editor after saving draft
Content style abnormal	Zhihu editor overrides some styles, check actual result after publishing