HuffPost - Breaking News
Our collaboration with HuffPost involved developing scalable, high-load systems, improving user interaction, and optimizing the platform to handle millions of daily visits.
About client
HuffPost News is a pioneering online newspaper founded in 2005. With a presence in 15 countries, HuffPost combines local storytelling with global reach, utilizing diverse formats such as text, video, and audio. The platform's commitment to delivering truthful, engaging, and inclusive stories has earned it a strong reputation. The success of HuffPost is built not only on its content but also on the robust technical infrastructure that supports its extensive user base.
About project
HuffPost sought technical assistance for two crucial initiatives: improving the existing comment system and developing a high-performance banner advertisement platform. As HuffPost grew in popularity, its comment system needed to handle millions of interactions daily, while also integrating intelligent content moderation to ensure a respectful and constructive environment. Additionally, HuffPost required a robust banner ad system capable of serving millions of impressions, targeting specific audiences, and generating detailed performance reports. In 2007, FlexMade was recommended to HuffPost as a trusted vendor with expertise in creating scalable, high-load web systems. After successfully completing a series of trial tasks, we became deeply involved in these projects, assembling multiple teams to address the platform's evolving needs.
Objectives & Challenges
HuffPost faced the challenge of building a platform that could handle massive traffic volumes, particularly during high-demand periods. The system needed to be fast, visually appealing, user-friendly, and optimized for SEO. The comment system had to support millions of interactions, offer intelligent moderation, and scale effectively. Similarly, the new banner ad system required advanced targeting, tracking, and reporting capabilities to meet the needs of prominent brands.
Approach & Methodology
FlexMade adopted a multi-pronged approach to address HuffPost's technical challenges. Our team focused on optimizing the system's performance, enhancing scalability, and minimizing unnecessary database requests. We developed a high-load comment system capable of handling hundreds of thousands of active users and millions of comments, with integrated AI-powered moderation to detect and filter inappropriate content. Additionally, we developed a scalable banner advertisement platform capable of managing millions of ad impressions and providing real-time performance analysis. This system allowed HuffPost to serve targeted ads effectively, monitor budgets, and generate detailed reports, all while ensuring system stability even during peak traffic periods.
News Feed
We implemented a dynamic news feed system to deliver real-time updates, tailored to user preferences. The system ensured seamless integration with editorial workflows, optimized content delivery, and enhanced user engagement through personalized and trending news recommendations.
Comment System
FlexMade developed a robust comment system enabling real-time discussions, user authentication, and moderation tools. The solution featured threaded conversations, spam detection, and customization options, fostering interactive and engaging community discussions while maintaining platform safety and integrity.
Job done
The solution
FlexMade played a critical role in developing the technical infrastructure of HuffPost's news portal. We contributed to several sub-systems, including the comments system, ad engine, real-time reporting, and search engine. Our team focused on optimizing data caching, reducing database load, and ensuring the system could scale to meet HuffPost's growing traffic demands. During the creation of HuffPost's international editions, we ensured the platform was stable and reliable 24/7. In a particularly notable instance, during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, our team successfully managed to redistribute traffic loads to other data centers, minimizing downtime despite power outages at the New York data center.
The result
The Huffington Post became one of the top 10 most visited websites in the USA, consistently handling over 200,000 visitors per hour and millions of visitors per day. In 2012, HuffPost was ranked No. 1 on eBizMBA's list of the 15 Most Popular Political Sites, thanks to its outstanding traffic metrics. The platform's exceptional performance led to HuffPost being acquired by AOL for $315 million in 2011. In the same year, The Huffington Post became the first commercially run digital media enterprise in the U.S. to win a Pulitzer Prize, further cementing its status as a premier news platform.
The technologies
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Client's feedback
John Pavley
It was a pleasure working with you and I will happily recommend your services to my network of business industry contacts!
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