strapi-blog-image-unique

name	strapi-blog-image-unique
description	Enforce unique featured images for Strapi blog posts. Use when (1) Creating new blog posts, (2) Updating blog post images, (3) Auditing blog content for duplicates, (4) Publishing blog content. ZERO TOLERANCE - Every blog post MUST have a unique featured image, never reuse images across posts.

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?

Criteria	Good	Bad
Relevance	Directly related to post topic	Generic stock photo
Quality	High resolution (1200x630+ px)	Low resolution, pixelated
Uniqueness	Custom design or rare stock	Overused stock photo
Brand	Matches AINative color scheme	Off-brand colors
Clarity	Clear focal point	Busy, cluttered
Format	WebP or optimized JPG/PNG	Huge unoptimized files

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.