Strapi Blog Image Unique

MANDATORY: Strapi Blog Post Featured Image Uniqueness

CRITICAL RULE - ZERO TOLERANCE

DUPLICATE IMAGES = UNPROFESSIONAL AND CONFUSING

When creating or updating ANY Strapi blog post, you MUST ENSURE that each post has a UNIQUE featured image used ONLY ONCE.

Why This Is Critical

Featured images are the first visual element users see on:

• Blog listing pages
• Blog detail pages
• Social media shares (OpenGraph images)
• Search engine results

With duplicate images:

• Users think multiple posts are the same content
• Unprofessional appearance
• Reduced click-through rates
• Confused users and poor UX
• Damaged brand perception

With unique images:

• Each post is visually distinct
• Professional appearance
• Higher engagement
• Clear visual hierarchy
• Strong brand identity

MANDATORY RULES

Rule 1: One Image, One Post

NEVER use the same featured image on multiple blog posts.

Before assigning a featured image:

1. Check if the image is already used on another post
2. If yes, choose or create a different image
3. If no, proceed with the assignment

Rule 2: Check Before Assigning

ALWAYS run an image duplication check before publishing.

Use the audit script:

node /tmp/check_blog_images.js

Or manually query Strapi:

curl https://ainative-community-production.up.railway.app/api/blog-posts?populate=featured_image

Rule 3: Fix Duplicates Immediately

If duplicates are found, fix them before any other work.

Priority order:

1. Keep the image on the FIRST published post (oldest)
2. Assign NEW unique images to all other posts
3. Never leave posts without featured images

Rule 4: Document Image Sources

Track where images come from to avoid accidental reuse.

In the blog post metadata or CMS:

• Source: "Custom designed for this post"
• Source: "Stock photo from Unsplash (link)"
• Source: "AI-generated via DALL-E (prompt)"

Important: Images from External API

Featured images are NOT stored in Strapi's media library.

Featured images come from an external API. The featured_image field contains:

• Image URL from external API
• API reference/ID
• Direct URL to hosted image

This means:

• Do NOT use Strapi's upload/media library
• DO use external API URLs or references
• Ensure each API image URL is unique per post
• Document which external API is being used

How to Check for Duplicate Images

Option 1: Automated Script (Recommended)

# Check all blog posts for duplicate image URLs/references
node scripts/strapi_check_blog_images.js

# If duplicates found (exit code 1), fix them immediately

Option 2: Manual MCP Check

// Fetch all posts with featured images
const posts = await mcp__ainative-strapi__strapi_list_blog_posts({
  pageSize: 100,
  page: 1
})

// Check featured_image field for each post
// Compare image URLs/API references for duplicates

Option 3: Strapi Admin Panel

1. Go to: https://ainative-community-production.up.railway.app/admin
2. Navigate to: Content Manager → Blog Posts
3. Check featured_image field values (URLs or API references)
4. Identify any duplicate URLs/references
5. Click to edit and assign new API images

Correct Workflow Examples

CORRECT - Check before assigning

// Step 1: Check if image is already used
const allPosts = await mcp__ainative-strapi__strapi_list_blog_posts({
  pageSize: 100
});

// Step 2: Verify no post uses this image ID
const imageId = "proposed-image-123";
const alreadyUsed = allPosts.data.some(
  post => post.featured_image?.id === imageId
);

// Step 3: Only assign if unique
if (!alreadyUsed) {
  await mcp__ainative-strapi__strapi_update_blog_post({
    document_id: "abc123",
    slug: "my-post",
    featured_image: imageId  // SAFE
  });
} else {
  // Choose a different image
}

WRONG - Assign without checking

// Blindly assigning an image without checking if it's already used
await mcp__ainative-strapi__strapi_update_blog_post({
  document_id: "abc123",
  slug: "my-post",
  featured_image: "some-image-id"  // MIGHT BE DUPLICATE!
});

Image Selection Guidelines

What Makes a Good Featured Image?

Recommended Image Sources

1. Custom Design (Best)

   • Figma/Canva custom graphics
   • AINative brand elements
   • Product screenshots with branding

2. AI-Generated (Good)

   • DALL-E 3 with specific prompts
   • Midjourney for abstract concepts
   • Stable Diffusion for technical visuals

3. Stock Photos (Acceptable)

   • Unsplash (high quality, free)
   • Pexels (diverse selection)
   • Pixabay (CC0 license)

4. Product Screenshots (Post-Specific)

   • Dashboard screenshots
   • Code examples with syntax highlighting
   • API response examples

Pre-Publication Checklist

Before publishing or updating ANY blog post:

• Featured image is assigned
• Image is unique (not used on other posts)
• Image is high quality (1200x630+ px)
• Image is relevant to post content
• Image is optimized (WebP or compressed JPG/PNG)
• Image source is documented (in case of licensing issues)

Remember

DUPLICATE IMAGES = UNPROFESSIONAL AND CONFUSING

If you assign a duplicate image, users will:

• Think the posts are identical
• Skip reading what might be valuable content
• Lose trust in the quality of your content

ALWAYS check for duplicates. ALWAYS use unique images. NO EXCEPTIONS.