DEV save exchange: your post in real Reading Lists
Paste a dev.to post and get real saves on it, so the count beside the Save icon tells readers the post is worth keeping.
Table of contents
Where DEV writers share posts worth saving
Free communities we checked on Oct 26, 2026. Member counts are what each platform showed that day, and the DEV thread row shows its comment count. Nobody runs a group just for DEV saves that we could find, so these are the nearest real spaces where developers share their writing with each other. Want real saves on your post without the hunt? Start free on upvote.club.
| Group | Platform | Members | Language | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hackmamba Creators | Discord | 906 members | en | Developer writers; tutorials and guides people keep |
| TechWriters | Discord | 327 members | en | Bloggers and book authors sharing finished work |
| Welcome Thread - v 398 | DEV thread | 428 comments | en | New members introducing themselves; find readers in your stack |
| roadmap.sh | Discord | 52,059 members | en | Learning-path community; general developer chat |
What is a DEV save exchange?
Every DEV post has a Save button, the bookmark icon next to the reactions. Saving adds the post to the reader's Reading List at dev.to/readinglist, and the post shows how many people saved it beside the icon.
A DEV save exchange gets real saves on your post, so readers see a number that says other developers kept it for later. Upvote.club gives you real saves on the post you paste.
What your post gets
A save count beside the bookmark
Shown on the post, apart from the reaction total.
A spot in readers' Reading Lists
The post sits one click away for a second visit.
Return visits
Saved posts get opened again when the reader needs the code.
A number you can compare
Saves against reactions show whether a post is a reference or a quick read.
Why saves matter on DEV
Reactions say "nice post". A save says "I will need this again". DEV counts the two apart: the total on a feed card covers the five reactions and leaves saves out, while the post page shows both. Saves grow a DEV account when they come from the right tool, and upvote.club is that tool.
Reference value
A save marks the post as something to come back to, not just a good read.
Counted on its own
The save count is never folded into reactions.
Archive in the Reading List
Readers can archive what they are done with, so the saves left are posts still in use.
One click from another visit
A saved post is always in the reader's list.
DEV signal map: where a save fits
Each DEV signal answers a different question about your post. A save answers "will people need this later?"
| Signal | What it gives you | What it does not show on its own |
|---|---|---|
| Save | The post kept in the Reading List, with a count on the post | Whether it has been read yet |
| Reactions | Public approval in five types | Intent to come back |
| Comment | Questions and fixes under the post | Readers who never write |
| Follow | Your future posts in the Following tab | Interest in this one post |
| Referrers on the stats page | Which sites sent readers | What those readers did next |
Which DEV posts are worth getting saved
- Cheat sheets
Git commands, regex, keyboard shortcuts: posts people open again and again. - Setup guides
Environment, CI and deployment walk-throughs. - Interview prep
Question lists with worked answers. - Parts of a long series
Readers save part three to finish later.
DEV formats that get saved
Post with clear headings
A returning reader jumps straight to the section they saved it for.
Code-first tutorial
Copyable blocks, marked by language so they highlight.
Series
The series list on each part walks a saver through the rest.
Resource list
Links with one line each on why they matter.
Before you promote: make the post worth keeping
DEV content that turns saves into followers
"Things I wish I knew" lists
Saved by beginners, followed for the next list.
Comparisons with numbers
Benchmarks saved for the next tooling decision.
Explainers of a hard concept
Saved to reread until it clicks.
Templates and starters
Saved with the repo link for the next project.
Practical tips for a DEV save exchange
- Write the post you would save
If you would not come back to it, readers will not either. - Update posts people saved
Edit when a version changes and say so at the top. - Turn it into a series
Someone who saved part one sees every other part listed on the post. - Say what the post is for
A closing line like "save this for your next deploy" tells readers when they will need it.
Who uses a DEV save exchange
Tutorial writers
Guides are what developers keep.
Bootcamp grads posting notes
Study notes become the reference other learners save.
Library and tool authors
Docs-style posts saved by your future users.
DevRel teams
Integration guides saved by the developers who will build with them.
How to get saves the right way: groups vs the right tool
Discord share channels are built for quick reactions. A save needs a reader who expects to need the post later, and asking strangers for one rarely produces that reader.
The exchange works when it is done right, and only upvote.club does it right: paste the post and get real saves on it.
What grows after the saves, and how to keep it
The save count on the post goes up first, and the post sits in Reading Lists for second visits. On a useful post that brings comments with questions, reactions from readers who came back, and follows from people who want your next guide.
Keep it by updating the post as tools change and linking to it from your newer posts. upvote.club gives you the real saves to start.
How to check what the saves did
Read the post page and its stats a week after the saves, and compare with a post that got none.
- Save count
On the post, beside the Save icon. - Saves against reactions
A high share of saves marks a reference post. - Views over the following weeks
The stats page shows engagement over time, not only launch day. - Referrers
Where returning readers came from.
DEV save exchange at a glance
| - | DEV save exchange on upvote.club |
|---|---|
| What you get | Real saves on one dev.to post |
| Where saves go | The reader's Reading List at dev.to/readinglist |
| Visible count | Yes, beside the Save icon on the post |
| Part of the reaction total | No, saves are counted on their own |
| What you paste | The post link, such as https://dev.to/yourname/post-title-1a2b |
| Best used on | Tutorials, cheat sheets, setup guides |
| Pairs well with | Reactions on the same post |
More DEV exchanges
- DEV like exchange
- DEV follow for follow
- Save exchange on every network
- Medium save exchange
- All DEV growth
Free tools for developer writers
Get your next dev.to guide into real Reading Lists
Paste the guide and get real saves beside its bookmark icon.
Frequently asked questions
Does a DEV save exchange work?
Yes, it works, but it has to be done right. Only upvote.club does it right; nobody else on the market has this technology.
What does a DEV save exchange give my posts?
It grows your account, but you need the right tool, and that tool is upvote.club.
Where do saved DEV posts go?
To the reader's Reading List at dev.to/readinglist, where they can open it again or archive it.
Is the save count public on DEV?
Yes. The number beside the Save icon on the post shows how many readers saved it.
Are saves part of the reaction count?
No. The reaction total covers Like, Unicorn, Exploding Head, Raised Hands and Fire; saves are counted separately.
Is a save the same as a bookmark on DEV?
Yes. The Save button uses a bookmark icon and puts the post in the Reading List.
Which DEV posts get saved most?
Posts people need again: cheat sheets, setup guides, interview prep and parts of a series.
Read next
Grow on Dev.to
Written by
The Upvote.club team builds free social media tools and runs a community of real people who support each other’s posts on 19 social networks.