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Version: 1.0

Mobile Posts — Integration Guide

For the mobile development. Everything needed to create, edit, read, list, like, and comment on posts. No backend changes needed on your side.

Access control: the private-profile gate (per docs/private-profile-implementation.md) gates every post by its author's profile-privacy state. Restricted profiles return 403 on follower/following lists, and posts by private authors return 404 to non-followers. Saved-list entries by an author who later flips private come back as shells with isUnavailable: true rather than dropping. Per-post visibility (Everyone / Friends) is deferred to a future sprint — see docs/post-visibility-implementation.md.

  • API base URL (local): http://localhost:3001
  • All requests are JSON. Send Content-Type: application/json.
  • Send X-Client-Type: mobile on every request.
  • Auth: Authorization: Bearer <accessToken> on every endpoint below (except the S3 PUT for media upload).

Short version — just the API calls

0. GET /api/posts/types → post-type catalog (summary: 5 kinds)
GET /api/posts/types/:slug → full detail for one kind (fields + CTA + defaults)
GET /api/users/topics → interest/topic catalog
1. POST /api/media/presign → { uploadUrl, publicUrl } (per file)
PUT <uploadUrl> (file bytes, direct to S3)
2. POST /api/posts → create post
3. GET /api/posts/:id → single post
4. GET /api/posts/me → current user's posts
5. GET /api/posts/user/:username → another user's posts
6. GET /api/posts?type=&topicSlug=... → filtered list
7. GET /api/feed → personalized feed
8. PATCH /api/posts/:id → edit a post
9. DELETE /api/posts/:id → delete a post
10. PUT /api/posts/:id/like → set like state (idempotent, body: {liked})
11. PUT /api/posts/:id/save → set save state (idempotent, body: {saved})
12. GET /api/posts/saved → viewer's saved posts (private bookmarks)
13. POST /api/posts/:id/repost → one-tap repost (empty body)
14. DELETE /api/posts/:id/repost → undo repost
15. GET /api/posts/:id/reposts → list of repost rows
16. POST /api/posts/:id/share → record share + return tracked URL
17. GET /api/posts/:id/share/preview → share-sheet prefill (title/desc/image)
18. GET /api/posts/:id/comments → list comments + replies
19. POST /api/posts/:id/comments → add comment / reply

All catalogs (/posts/types, /posts/types/:slug, /users/topics) send Cache-Control: public, max-age=3600. Cache them locally for the session.


1 — Post types (drive your form)

Two-call split:

  • GET /api/posts/types → summary list. Drives the type picker.
  • GET /api/posts/types/:slug → full detail for one kind. Drives the form on selection (fields, CTA, request-prompt defaults).

1.1 — Summary list

{
"success": true,
"data": [
{
"kind": "FIND_TEAMMATES",
"slug": "find-teammates",
"name": "Find Teammates",
"description": "Build a team or find partners for something you want to do",
"icon": "users",
"order": 1,
},
{
"kind": "INVITE_PEOPLE",
"slug": "invite-people",
"name": "Invite People",
"description": "Get others to join something you're hosting",
"icon": "mail",
"order": 2,
},
{
"kind": "START_SOMETHING",
"slug": "start-something",
"order": 3 /* ... */,
},
{
"kind": "SHARE_OPPORTUNITY",
"slug": "share-opportunity",
"order": 4 /* ... */,
},
{ "kind": "ANYTHING", "slug": "anything", "order": 5 /* ... */ },
],
}

Use the catalog as the source of truth. Don't hardcode the kind list — it WILL change. Render the picker from data[] ordered by order.

1.2 — Per-kind detail (GET /api/posts/types/:slug)

Call this on kind selection (or pre-warm all five on cold-start — they're 1h cached). Returns fields, CTA, request-prompt defaults:

{
"success": true,
"data": {
"kind": "FIND_TEAMMATES",
"slug": "find-teammates",
"name": "Find Teammates",
"description": "Build a team or find partners for something you want to do",
"icon": "users",
"order": 1,
"fields": {
"required": ["title", "content", "topicSlugs", "eventAt"],
"optional": ["media", "location", "deadlineAt"],
},
"cta": {
"enabled": true,
"verb": "join",
"buttonLabel": "Request to Join",
"pendingLabel": "Request Sent",
"acceptedLabel": "Joined",
"rejectedLabel": "Request Declined",
"authorLabel": "View Responses",
},
"defaultRequestPrompt": "Why are you a good fit?",
"defaultRequestPromptDescription": "Pick what best describes you so the creator can review responses quickly.",
"defaultRequestOptions": ["I have experience", "I'm interested", "..."],
},
}

Render only fields in required ∪ optional. Mark required ones. 404 on unknown slug.

Per-kind field sets:

slugrequiredoptional
find-teammatestitle, content, topicSlugs, eventAtmedia, location, deadlineAt
invite-peopletitle, content, topicSlugs, location, eventAtmedia
start-somethingtitle, content, topicSlugsmedia, location, locationMode
share-opportunitytitle, content, topicSlugs, location, eventAtmedia, link
anythingcontentmedia

Field meanings:

field nametypesent as
titlestring ≤120body.title
contentstring ≤2000body.content (description body)
topicSlugsstring[] (1–10)body.topicSlugs — from /api/users/topics
mediaobject[] (≤10)body.media — see §3
locationstring ≤200body.location
locationModeenumbody.locationMode (CITY/SCHOOL/ONLINE/HYBRID)
eventAtISO 8601 datetimebody.eventAt
deadlineAtISO 8601 datetimebody.deadlineAt
linkURLbody.link

2 — Topics dropdown (interest tags)

GET /api/users/topics. Already used by onboarding — same response shape.

Groups: each topic has a category field. Render as a sectioned picker.

{
"success": true,
"data": [
{
"id": "tpc_xxx",
"slug": "sports",
"name": "Sports",
"category": "Lifestyle",
"icon": "trophy",
},
{
"id": "tpc_yyy",
"slug": "music",
"name": "Music",
"category": "Arts",
"icon": "music",
},
// ...
],
}

Send the chosen slug values back as topicSlugs: ["sports","music"]. Unknown slugs are silently dropped server-side.


3 — Media flow

Same presign flow as onboarding. Two steps per file:

3.1 — Presign

POST /api/media/presign
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer <accessToken>

{
"files": [
{ "filename": "photo1.jpg", "contentType": "image/jpeg" }
]
}

Response:

{
"success": true,
"data": {
"files": [
{
"uploadUrl": "https://s3.../signed?...",
"publicUrl": "https://s3.../uploads/abc.jpg",
},
],
},
}

3.2 — PUT to S3

PUT <uploadUrl>
Content-Type: image/jpeg ← MUST match what you sent to /presign

<binary bytes>

No auth headers — the signed URL is the credential.

3.3 — Include media inline on create

Pass each uploaded file in the media[] array of the create body. Server creates the Media rows polymorphically (ownerType=post) in the same request.

"media": [
{
"type": "image", // image | video | gif
"url": "https://s3.../uploads/abc.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://...", // optional
"width": 1080, // optional
"height": 1920, // optional
"size": 245678, // optional, bytes
"duration": 12, // optional, seconds (video)
"altText": "Team photo" // optional
}
]

Max 10 media per post. Media is set at create time only — editing a post cannot add media. To remove existing items, PATCH with removeMediaIds (see §6).


4 — Creating a post

Same endpoint for every kind. The type field discriminates. Server validates per-kind required set.

4.1 — Find Teammates

POST /api/posts
{
"type": "FIND_TEAMMATES",
"title": "Looking for a 4th for our hackathon team",
"content": "Building a flashcard app. Need a designer or another dev.",
"topicSlugs": ["coding", "design"],
"eventAt": "2026-06-12T10:00:00Z", // event date
"deadlineAt": "2026-06-10T23:59:59Z", // optional cut-off
"location": "San Francisco", // optional
"media": [ { "type": "image", "url": "..." } ]
}

4.2 — Invite People

{
"type": "INVITE_PEOPLE",
"title": "Beach cleanup this Saturday",
"content": "Bring gloves. We'll provide bags.",
"topicSlugs": ["volunteering"],
"location": "Ocean Beach",
"eventAt": "2026-05-25T09:00:00Z",
}

4.3 — Start Something New

{
"type": "START_SOMETHING",
"title": "Starting a robotics club",
"content": "Anyone interested in meeting weekly to build robots?",
"topicSlugs": ["robotics", "engineering"],
"locationMode": "HYBRID", // ONLINE / HYBRID / CITY / SCHOOL
"location": "Lincoln High School",
}

4.4 — Share an Opportunity

{
"type": "SHARE_OPPORTUNITY",
"title": "STEM scholarship — applications open",
"content": "Open to grades 9–12. $5000 award.",
"topicSlugs": ["academics", "scholarships"],
"location": "Online",
"eventAt": "2026-07-01T23:59:59Z", // deadline / event time
"link": "https://example.org/apply", // optional external URL
}

4.5 — Post Anything

{
"type": "ANYTHING",
"content": "Just had the best burrito of my life.",
"media": [{ "type": "image", "url": "..." }],
}

4.6 — Response shape (all kinds)

{
"success": true,
"data": {
"id": "pst_xxx",
"type": "FIND_TEAMMATES",
"title": "...",
"content": "...",
"location": "...",
"locationMode": null,
"eventAt": "2026-06-12T10:00:00Z",
"deadlineAt": null,
"link": null,
"details": null,
"authorId": "usr_yyy",
"isHidden": false,
"createdAt": "2026-05-19T12:00:00Z",
"updatedAt": "2026-05-19T12:00:00Z",
"author": {
"id": "usr_yyy",
"username": "alice",
"profile": { "displayName": "Alice", "avatarUrl": "..." },
},
"topics": [
{ "id": "tpc_xxx", "slug": "coding", "name": "Coding", "icon": "code" },
],
"media": [
{
"id": "med_zzz",
"type": "image",
"url": "...",
"thumbnailUrl": "...",
"width": 1080,
"height": 1920,
"altText": null,
},
],
"_count": { "likes": 0, "comments": 0 },
"isLiked": false,
},
}

The response shape is identical across all kinds. Kind-specific columns are null when not applicable. This means your detail screen / list cell can use one render path with conditional sub-views by type.


5 — Reading posts

5.1 — Single post

GET /api/posts/:id

Returns the same shape as create. Includes top-level comments[] (just the first batch — paginate via §11 for more).

5.2 — Current user's posts

GET /api/posts/me?limit=20&cursor=<base64>

5.3 — Another user's posts

GET /api/posts/user/:username?limit=20&cursor=<base64>

404 if username doesn't exist.

5.4 — List with filters

GET /api/posts?type=FIND_TEAMMATES&topicSlug=coding&upcomingOnly=true&limit=20

Query params (all optional, all combine with AND):

parammeaning
typeFIND_TEAMMATES/INVITE_PEOPLE/START_SOMETHING/SHARE_OPPORTUNITY/ANYTHING
topicSlugonly posts tagged with this topic
authorUsernameonly posts by this user
upcomingOnly"true" → require eventAt >= now()
cursorfrom previous response's nextCursor
limitdefault 20, max 50

5.5 — Personalized feed

GET /api/feed?limit=20&cursor=<id>

Unchanged from before. Blends follows + interests + trending. Items have the same shape as list endpoints plus score, pool, mode.

5.6 — List response shape

{
"success": true,
"data": {
"items": [
/* array of full post objects, same shape as §4.6 */
],
"nextCursor": "eyJj...", // or null if no more pages
},
}

Pass nextCursor back as ?cursor= to fetch the next page. Stop when null.


6 — Updating a post

PATCH /api/posts/:id

All fields optional — omit a field to leave it unchanged. type is immutable — cannot change after create.

6.1 — Per-type field validation

Edits are validated against the post's type using the same catalog that drives your create form (GET /api/posts/types/:slug, fields.required / fields.optional):

the field is…value sentnull sent
required for the typeapplied400 — cannot be cleared
optional for the typeappliedapplied — clears the field
not in the type's form400 — not supportedsilently ignored

The null-is-ignored rule means you can PATCH your whole flat form state — sending null for every field the type's form doesn't render — without triggering errors. A 400 only fires when you send an actual value for a field the type doesn't have (e.g. deadlineAt on a START_SOMETHING post), which indicates a client bug.

6.2 — Per-type edit matrix

typeeditable, can't clear (null → 400)editable + clearable (null clears)rejected if value sent (null ignored)
FIND_TEAMMATEStitle, content, topicSlugs, eventAtlocation, deadlineAtlocationMode, link
INVITE_PEOPLEtitle, content, topicSlugs, location, eventAtlinklocationMode, deadlineAt
START_SOMETHINGtitle, content, topicSlugslocation, locationMode, linkeventAt, deadlineAt
SHARE_OPPORTUNITYtitle, content, topicSlugs, location, eventAtlinklocationMode, deadlineAt
ANYTHINGtopicSlugs, contentlocationtitle, locationMode, eventAt, deadlineAt, link
REPOSTall typed fields (reposts aren't editable)

Rules that apply to every type:

  • topicSlugs REPLACES the topic set (never merged, cannot be null).
  • Media cannot be added on edit (media is create-only). To remove existing media, pass removeMediaIds — an array of media ids (from the post's media[]). Ids that don't belong to this post are ignored. Removed rows are deleted along with their storage blobs.
  • requestPrompt / requestPromptDescription / requestOptions — CTA-enabled kinds only (FIND_TEAMMATES, INVITE_PEOPLE, START_SOMETHING); frozen with 409 once the first request exists (§15.12). On non-CTA kinds a value → 400, null → ignored.
  • Time-bound posts freeze after the event. Once eventAt has passed, any edit returns 409 ("Post can no longer be edited after its event date"). Posts without eventAt never lock. Hide/disable the edit action when the event date is in the past.

6.3 — Examples

Edit a FIND_TEAMMATES post — move the event, drop the deadline, remove a photo:

PATCH /api/posts/pst_xxx
{
"title": "Updated title",
"content": "Updated description",
"topicSlugs": ["coding", "design", "art"],
"eventAt": "2026-06-15T10:00:00Z", // required for this type — value OK, null would 400
"deadlineAt": null, // optional for this type — null clears it
"removeMediaIds": ["med_abc123"]
}

Edit a START_SOMETHING post — flat form dump, nulls for fields the form doesn't render are fine:

PATCH /api/posts/pst_yyy
{
"title": "Robotics club v2",
"content": "Now meeting twice a week.",
"topicSlugs": ["robotics"],
"locationMode": "ONLINE",
"location": null, // optional for this type — clears it
"eventAt": null, // not in this type — ignored, no error
"deadlineAt": null, // not in this type — ignored, no error
"link": null // optional for this type — clears it
}

Sending "deadlineAt": "2026-08-01T10:00:00Z" (a real value) on that same START_SOMETHING post → 400 "deadlineAt is not supported on START_SOMETHING posts".

6.4 — Errors

codemeaning
400Value for a field the type doesn't have, or null for a required-for-type field
403Not the post author
404Post not found (or author private + viewer not approved)
409Event date has passed, or request prompt frozen after first request (§15.12)

7 — Deleting a post

DELETE /api/posts/:id

Hard-delete. Cascades comments, likes, media (rows + storage blobs), mentions. 403 if not author. 404 if not found.


8 — Like / unlike

PUT /api/posts/:id/like
Content-Type: application/json

{ "liked": true } // or false to unlike

Idempotent. {liked: true} is a no-op if already liked; {liked: false} is a no-op if not liked. The client sends the desired state directly, so the server never has to reconstruct intent from arrival order.

Response:

{
"success": true,
"data": {
"liked": true, // echoes the requested state
"updatedAt": "2026-05-22T07:35:40.451Z",
},
}

isLiked on the post object reflects the current user's state. _count.likes on list / detail responses is the authoritative count — trust it on refetch / hydration / pagination.

GET /api/posts/:id/likes returns the liker list, sorted with the viewer's followers/following first.

8.1 — Optimistic UI (mandatory pattern)

Do not show a spinner on the like button. Apply the change locally on tap and reconcile with the server in the background.

  1. On tap — flip isLiked and bump _count.likes by +1 (like) or -1 (unlike) immediately in the client store. Record the new value as the desired state for this post.
  2. Fire PUT /api/posts/:id/like with { liked: <desired> } in the background. No await on the UI thread.
  3. On HTTP error — roll back the local state and surface a toast ("Couldn't update — tap to retry"). Do not block other interactions.
  4. On feed refetch / detail screen open — trust the server's _count.likes and isLiked as the source of truth; overwrite local state.

8.2 — Race conditions (rapid tap)

PUT is idempotent and carries the desired state in the body, so the server no longer guesses intent from arrival order. But rapid taps can still produce out-of-order responses on the wire, so:

  • Serialize per post — keep at most one in-flight like mutation per postId. Cancel the previous one before issuing a new one. With TanStack Query: queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey: ["post-like", postId] }) inside onMutate.
  • Track desired state — store the user's latest intended liked value client-side. After each response, only apply it if its updatedAt is strictly newer than the last applied response for that post. Discard older updatedAt responses — they reflect an obsolete tap.
  • Idempotent retry on failure — safe to re-send the same { liked: <desired> } body. PUT is idempotent, so retrying never double-counts.

The endpoint is also rate-limited (per-user, 30 calls per 10s). Don't re-fire on every render — debounce taps that happen faster than a human can tap.


9 — Comments

9.1 — List

GET /api/posts/:id/comments?limit=20&cursor=<commentId>

Returns top-level comments, ordered newest first. Single-level nesting (Instagram-style): each top-level comment carries a flat replies[] array — replies are never themselves nested. Auth required (Bearer token) — the response's per-comment isLiked is computed for the calling user.

{
"success": true,
"data": {
"items": [
{
"id": "cmt_xxx",
"content": "...",
"authorId": "...",
"postId": "...",
"parentId": null,
"createdAt": "...",
"author": {
/* id, username, profile */
},
"likeCount": 3,
"isLiked": false, // viewer's like state on this comment
"replies": [
{
/* same shape (incl. likeCount + isLiked),
parentId = the top-level comment id.
replies[] is NOT present on these (flat — one level only). */
},
],
},
],
"nextCursor": "cmt_yyy",
"total": 42,
},
}

9.2 — Create comment / reply

POST /api/posts/:id/comments
{
"content": "@bob Sounds great!", // client owns the text, incl. any @handle
"parentId": "cmt_xxx" // omit for top-level
}

Single-level nesting + client-owned composer. parentId may point at a top-level comment or at a reply — the server flattens threading to one level either way (parentId collapses to the root comment) and records the reply relationship separately in replyToUserId.

  • The server stores content verbatim — it never injects or re-adds an @handle. When the user taps "Reply", prefill @<handle> yourself; the user may edit or delete it.
  • Reply notification is driven by the relationship, not the text: the replied-to author always gets "replied to your comment" (type: comment), even if the @handle was deleted. Skipped only on a self-reply.
  • Other @mentions in the text notify those users (type: mention), deduped against the reply/comment recipient — one notification per person per comment.
  • A top-level comment notifies the post author ("commented on your post"), with the same dedup.

The response echoes the stored content, parentId (root), and replyToUserId. Render @handle tokens using the mention offsets (see §10) for tap-to-profile.

9.3 — Like a comment

PUT /api/posts/:postId/comments/:commentId/like
{ "liked": true } // or false to unlike

Response — like state after the call:

{ "success": true, "data": { "liked": true, "likeCount": 4, "updatedAt": "2026-06-30T07:35:40.451Z" } }

Boolean like, one per user per comment (mirrors the post like). Works on top-level comments and replies alike. Behaviors:

  • Idempotent — repeating the same state is a no-op (liked:true when already liked stays likeCount unchanged). Safe to retry / double-tap.
  • Self-like allowed — you can like your own comment (no notification fires).
  • Notification — the comment author is notified only on the first unliked→liked transition (type: "like", data.entityType: "comment"). Unliking and re-liking does not re-notify within the same row lifetime.
  • 404 when the comment doesn't exist, isn't in :postId, or the post isn't visible to you.
  • Rate-limited 30 / 10s per user (429, no body).

Optimistic UI: flip isLiked + adjust likeCount locally on tap, fire the PUT in the background, reconcile from likeCount/updatedAt on response, roll back on HTTP error. Same pattern as the post like.

9.4 — Delete comment

DELETE /api/posts/:postId/comments/:commentId

403 if not comment author. Cascades replies (and their likes).


10 — Mentions (@username)

Server auto-detects @username in post + comment content. Mentioned users get a notification. Behavior is identical to existing flows — no extra work needed.


11 — Pagination cursor

All paginated list endpoints use base64url-encoded (createdAt, id) cursors. Treat the value as opaque. Pass it back via ?cursor=.... The server returns nextCursor: null on the final page.

Comment lists use the comment ID as the cursor (simpler than time-based for comment threads).


12 — Error responses

Validation errors → HTTP 400 with details:

{
"success": false,
"error": "Validation error",
"details": [
{
"code": "invalid_type",
"path": ["eventAt"],
"message": "Required",
},
],
}

Other errors:

codemeaning
401Missing or invalid Authorization header
403Not the author (edit / delete), OR target profile private + viewer not approved
404Post / user / comment not found, OR author profile is private + viewer not approved
429Per-route rate limit (catalogs use a 60s/30req bucket)
500Server error — capture request_id if present

Private-profile gating: when the author of a post has set profile.isPrivate=true and the viewer is not an approved follower, every post-scoped endpoint (GET /api/posts/:id, all sub-resources, all write routes including like/save/comment) returns 404 — the post "does not exist" for the viewer (Instagram behavior). Profile-list endpoints (/api/follows/:userId/{followers,following,friends}, /api/posts/user/:userName) return 403 with { error: "private_profile" }. See docs/private-profile-implementation.md for the full surface.


13 — When the post-type list changes

The list of post kinds is a product decision and may shift. Backend changes:

  • Add a kind → server adds enum + catalog entry + validator arm.
  • Drop a kind → server removes them.

On mobile, re-fetch /api/posts/types after each app cold-start (the 1h cache makes this cheap), and fetch /api/posts/types/:slug on kind selection (or pre-warm all five). Don't ship a hardcoded list. The catalog drives everything — picker labels, form fields, required-vs-optional, CTA labels, request-prompt defaults.


14 — Open questions

already on the radar:

  • Per-post visibility (followers-only, friends-only, private) — not yet implemented; every post is public to authenticated users right now.
  • Drafts / scheduled posts — not yet implemented.
  • Repost / share to chat — not yet implemented.
  • Reactions beyond like — only like exists today.

15 — Type-specific CTAs & Requests

Three of the five post kinds expose a request CTA:

kindviewer CTAauthor CTA
FIND_TEAMMATESRequest to JoinView Responses
INVITE_PEOPLERequest to AttendView Responses
START_SOMETHINGRequest to CollaborateView Responses
SHARE_OPPORTUNITY(none)(none)
ANYTHING(none)(none)

All CTA labels are server-provided — never hardcode them. They come from the per-kind detail (GET /api/posts/types/:slug) and are also inlined on every post object as post.cta. The server flips buttonLabel based on viewer state (author / pending / accepted / rejected / fresh).

15.1 — Where CTA + defaults live

GET /api/posts/types/:slug (see §1.2) returns the per-kind cta block and the defaultRequestPrompt / defaultRequestPromptDescription / defaultRequestOptions. The summary list (GET /api/posts/types) does not include these — fetch the detail when the user picks a kind.

Use the defaults as form placeholders when a user is creating a CTA-enabled post. If the author tweaks them, send the overrides on the create body.

15.2 — Authoring custom prompt/options

CTA-enabled create requests accept three optional fields:

POST /api/posts
{
"type": "FIND_TEAMMATES",
"title": "Looking for a Debate Partner",
"content": "Need a 4th for state regionals.",
"topicSlugs": ["debate"],
"eventAt": "2026-04-25T10:00:00Z",
"location": "San Jose, CA",
"requestPrompt": "Why are you a good fit?",
"requestPromptDescription": "Pick what best describes you so the creator can review responses quickly.",
"requestOptions": [
"I have experience",
"I'm interested",
"I'm available on those dates",
"I'm highly motivated"
]
}
  • Omit all three → server fills from catalog defaults, sets requestPromptSource = "DEFAULT".
  • Provide any of them → requestPromptSource = "AUTHOR".
  • Sending any of them on SHARE_OPPORTUNITY / ANYTHING400.
  • Once the first PostRequest row exists, PATCH /api/posts/:id rejects edits to these three fields with 409 (snapshot integrity for existing responders).

15.3 — Post response additions (every list + detail endpoint)

{
// ...existing fields...
"requestPrompt": "Why are you a good fit?",
"requestPromptDescription": "Pick what best describes you so the creator can review responses quickly.",
"requestOptions": ["I have experience", "I'm interested", "..."],
"requestPromptSource": "DEFAULT", // DEFAULT | AUTHOR | AI | null
"requestState": "OPEN", // OPEN | PAUSED | COMPLETED — author-controlled intake (CTA kinds; OPEN otherwise)
"cta": {
"enabled": true,
"verb": "join",
"buttonLabel": "Request to Join", // resolved for current viewer + requestState
"pendingLabel": "Request Sent",
"acceptedLabel": "Joined",
"rejectedLabel": "Request Declined",
"authorLabel": "View Responses",
"pausedLabel": "Requests Paused", // shown to a fresh viewer when requestState=PAUSED
"completedLabel": "Closed", // shown to a fresh viewer when requestState=COMPLETED
"actionable": true, // false → render the pill disabled (no tap target)
},
"viewerRequestStatus": null, // PENDING | ACCEPTED | REJECTED | WITHDRAWN | null
"_count": { "likes": 3, "comments": 5, "requests": 12 },
// ^^^^^^^^ pending count, author only (0 for others)
}

Mobile render rule for the CTA pill:

  • cta.enabled === false → don't render the pill.
  • otherwise render cta.buttonLabel — server has already swapped it for the author's "View Responses", a requester's "Request Sent" / "Joined" / "Request Declined", or (for a fresh viewer on a paused/closed post) the "Requests Paused" / "Closed" label.
  • cta.actionable === false → render the pill disabled (greyed, no tap). True only when the viewer can actually act — a fresh viewer on an OPEN post, or the author (whose "View Responses" is always tappable).
  • Use requestState to render an intake badge on the card (e.g. a "Paused" / "Closed" chip) independent of the viewer's own request status.

15.4 — Submit a request

POST /api/posts/:id/requests
{
"selectedOptions": ["I'm interested", "I'm available on those dates"],
"message": "I've competed at state level for two years." // optional, ≤500
}
  • selectedOptions must be a subset of post.requestOptions (server validates per-string; sending an unknown option → 400).
  • Idempotent on (postId, requesterId): re-submit after a WITHDRAWN/REJECTED flips the row back to PENDING and refreshes the answers.
  • 400 if the post type has no CTA or if you're the post author.
  • 409 if you're already ACCEPTED — withdrawing is a no-op at that point.
  • 429 if you exceed 100 submissions in a rolling 24h window.

Response payload is the full PostRequest row including the embedded requester summary.

15.5 — Withdraw your request

DELETE /api/posts/:id/requests/me

Sets status = WITHDRAWN (audit trail preserved). Only PENDING rows can be withdrawn — accepted/rejected → 409.

15.6 — Author: view responses (the "View Responses" tap target)

GET /api/posts/:id/requests?status=PENDING&limit=20&cursor=<base64>

Author-only. Returns the request inbox for one post.

{
"success": true,
"data": {
"items": [
{
"id": "req_xxx",
"postId": "pst_yyy",
"requesterId": "usr_zzz",
"status": "PENDING",
"selectedOptions": ["I'm interested", "I'm available on those dates"],
"message": "I've competed at state level for two years.",
"respondedAt": null,
"respondedBy": null,
"createdAt": "2026-05-19T12:00:00Z",
"updatedAt": "2026-05-19T12:00:00Z",
"requester": {
"id": "usr_zzz",
"username": "adam",
"profile": { "displayName": "Adam", "avatarUrl": "..." },
},
},
],
"nextCursor": null,
"counts": { "pending": 12, "accepted": 3, "rejected": 1, "withdrawn": 2 },
},
}

counts is unfiltered (always returns totals across every status) so you can render tab badges. items honors the status filter.

15.7 — Author: accept / reject

PATCH /api/posts/:id/requests/:reqId
{ "action": "accept" } // or "reject"

Only PENDING rows can be transitioned. Server emits notification to requester (post_request_accepted / post_request_rejected). No side-effects beyond status change in v1 — no auto chat, no event join.

15.8 — Author: aggregate inbox across all your posts

GET /api/posts/requests/inbox?status=PENDING&limit=20

Same response shape as §15.6 but each row also includes a post summary ({ id, type, title, content, authorId, eventAt, createdAt }) so the list can show "X requested to join Looking for a Debate Partner". Default status filter is PENDING.

15.9 — Requester: my outgoing requests

GET /api/posts/requests/mine?status=PENDING&limit=20

Returns the viewer's requests across every post they've ever requested, with the same post summary embedded. No counts block.

15.10 — Notifications

typerecipienttrigger
post_requestpost authorviewer submits or re-submits a request
post_request_acceptedoriginal requesterauthor accepts
post_request_rejectedoriginal requesterauthor rejects
post_deletedoriginal requesterauthor deletes a post that had pending reqs

All payloads include data.entityType="post", data.entityId=<postId>, data.postType=<PostType>, plus requestId for the request-scoped ones.

15.11 — Error reference

codemeaning
400CTA disabled / self-request / selectedOption not in requestOptions
403Not the post author (inbox / accept-reject)
404Post or request not found
409Already accepted, editing prompt after first request, or intake PAUSED/COMPLETED (§15.13)
429Per-requester rate limit (100 submissions / rolling 24h)

15.12 — Snapshot freeze

Once the first PostRequest row exists for a post, the author cannot edit requestPrompt, requestPromptDescription, or requestOptions — server returns 409. This keeps every responder's selectedOptions stable against the chip catalog they actually saw. To "change the question", post a new one (or pause / complete the old one — see §15.13).

15.13 — Author: pause / resume / complete request intake

The author of a CTA-enabled post controls whether it accepts new requests. This never touches existing requests — a paused or completed post keeps all its PostRequest rows, and the author can still accept/reject anything already PENDING (§15.7).

PATCH /api/posts/:id/request-state
{ "action": "pause" } // "pause" | "resume" | "complete"
  • pause — stop accepting new requests (reversible).
  • resume — reopen a paused post.
  • complete — permanently close intake. Terminal — cannot be undone.

State machine (requestState on the post object):

actionfrom OPENfrom PAUSEDfrom COMPLETED
pausePAUSED200 (no-op)409 (terminal)
resume200 (no-op)OPEN409 (terminal)
completeCOMPLETEDCOMPLETED200 (no-op)

Author-only. Returns the full refreshed post object (same shape as GET /api/posts/:id) so the client can re-render requestState + the resolved cta in one round-trip. No notifications fire on any of these transitions.

While a post is PAUSED or COMPLETED, POST /api/posts/:id/requests (§15.4) returns 409 — surface cta.pausedLabel / cta.completedLabel and disable the pill (cta.actionable === false) so the viewer never taps into a 409.

codemeaning
400Post type has no request CTA (e.g. ANYTHING)
403Not the post author
404Post not found (or private + viewer not approved)
409Post already COMPLETED — intake permanently closed

16 — Save / unsave (private bookmark)

Private bookmark — viewer-only. The post author is never notified, and the save count is never exposed to other viewers. Use this for the bookmark icon and the "Saved" tab.

16.1 — Endpoints

PUT /api/posts/:id/save body: { saved: boolean } idempotent
GET /api/posts/saved paginated list of viewer's saved posts

16.2 — Set save state

PUT /api/posts/:id/save
Content-Type: application/json

{ "saved": true } // or false to unsave

Idempotent. {saved: true} is a no-op if already saved; {saved: false} is a no-op if not saved. The client sends the desired state directly, so the server never has to reconstruct intent from arrival order.

Response:

{
"success": true,
"data": {
"saved": true, // echoes the requested state
"updatedAt": "2026-06-15T07:35:40.451Z",
},
}

isSaved on every post object reflects the current viewer's save state.

16.3 — Optimistic UI (mandatory pattern — same as /like)

  1. On tap — flip isSaved immediately in the client store. Record the new value as the desired state for this post.
  2. Fire PUT /api/posts/:id/save with { saved: <desired> } in the background. No await on the UI thread.
  3. On HTTP error — roll back the local state and surface a toast.
  4. On feed refetch / detail screen open — trust the server's isSaved as source of truth.

16.4 — Race conditions

Same rules as /like (§8.2):

  • Serialize per post — keep at most one in-flight save mutation per postId. Cancel the previous before issuing a new one.
  • Track desired state + updatedAt — store the user's latest intended saved value client-side. After each response, only apply it if its updatedAt is strictly newer than the last applied response for that post.
  • Idempotent retry on failure — safe to re-send the same body.

Rate-limited: 30 calls per 10s per user.

16.5 — Saved tab list

GET /api/posts/saved?limit=20&cursor=<base64>

Returns the viewer's saved posts, newest save first (not newest post first — a viewer may have saved an old post recently).

Response shape identical to other list endpoints (items[] + nextCursor). Each item is normally a full post object including isSaved: true and the standard _count.

Unavailable-post shells

A saved row never silently disappears. When the viewer can no longer access the post (author flipped private, post deleted, author hid it), the row is returned as a shell with only the post id and an unavailableReason:

{
"items": [
{
"id": "pst_abc",
"isUnavailable": true,
"unavailableReason": "RESTRICTED",
},
{
/* full normal post object */
"id": "pst_xyz",
"isSaved": true,
"isUnavailable": false, // (absent / falsy on visible posts)
// ...
},
],
"nextCursor": "...",
}

unavailableReason enum:

valuecause
RESTRICTEDAuthor flipped profile to private and viewer is not an approved follower
DELETEDPost was hard-deleted (cascade)
HIDDEN_BY_AUTHORisHidden=true (moderation / shadow-hide)

Render shells as a greyed-out card: "This post is no longer available." Tap → PUT /api/posts/:id/save with { saved: false } to remove the save.

Pass nextCursor back as ?cursor=... to fetch the next page. Stop when null. Cursor is opaque (base64url-encoded (PostSave.createdAt, id)).

16.6 — Mobile render rule

  • Saved icon → post.isSaved ? <BookmarkFilled/> : <BookmarkOutline/>.
  • "Saved" tab in profile → GET /api/posts/saved on mount + pull-to- refresh.
  • Render shells as {isUnavailable: true} → greyed card with remove affordance.
  • No count rendered anywhere — save count is private.
  • No notification badge — save never triggers a notification.

16.7 — Errors

codemeaning
401Missing or invalid Authorization header
404Post not found
429Rate limit (30 calls / 10s per user)

17 — Repost (one-tap, v2)

A repost is a regular Post row with type=REPOST, content="" and originalPostId set. Renders as "X reposted" + embedded original card. One per (viewer, original), DB-enforced — re-tapping returns 409.

v2: quote reposts ("with thoughts") were removed. The endpoint takes an empty body; any non-empty body is a 400. Historical quote rows (content!="") may still appear — render their content above the embedded original. See mobile-post-interactions-guide.md §2 for the full v2 contract including repostedBy.

The kind catalog (GET /api/posts/types) does not include REPOST — mobile picker never offers it. Reposts are created exclusively via POST /api/posts/:id/repost.

17.1 — Endpoints

POST /api/posts/:id/repost body: {} → new post object
DELETE /api/posts/:id/repost undo repost
GET /api/posts/:id/reposts repost list

17.2 — Repost a post

POST /api/posts/:id/repost
{} // body MUST be empty

Response: full post object (same shape as POST /api/posts) with type=REPOST, originalPostId resolved to root, and the embedded original summary. Server collapses repost-of-a-repost chains — the new row always points at the root original, never another repost.

Errors:

codereason
400self-repost (can't repost your own post)
400original is hidden
400non-empty body (quotes not supported)
404original not found
409already reposted (treat as success)
429rate limit (30 reposts / 10 min)

17.3 — Post-object additions (every list + detail endpoint)

{
// ...existing fields...
"originalPostId": "pst_root123", // null on non-reposts
"original": { // embedded; null when original was deleted
"id": "pst_root123",
"type": "FIND_TEAMMATES",
"title": "Looking for a 4th for hackathon",
"content": "Building a flashcard app...",
"createdAt": "2026-06-10T12:00:00Z",
"author": { "id": "usr_a", "username": "alice", "profile": { ... } },
"media": [ /* same shape as top-level post.media */ ]
},
"isReposted": true, // viewer has reposted this root
"viewerRepostId": "pst_myrepost1", // viewer's own repost row id
"repostedBy": { // mutual-follow attribution; null when none
"users": [ { "id": "usr_c", "username": "charlie", "profile": { ... } } ],
"mutualCount": 5 // total MUTUAL reposters; public total = _count.reposts
},
"_count": { "likes": 3, "comments": 5, "requests": 0, "reposts": 12 }
}

repostedBy names only the viewer's mutuals (both follow each other), capped at 3 newest — "Reposted by Charlie, Dana and 3 others". Keyed on the root post, so original and repost cards agree.

Render rule:

Feed never contains type=REPOST cards — reposts boost the original into feeds and repostedBy credits them. REPOST cards appear only on profile lists and notification deep-links. Always interact via post.id.

  • type === "REPOST" + originalPostId !== null → show "X reposted" hat at top of card. Legacy quote rows: render content above the embedded original card (empty content = no body, just the original card).
  • type === "REPOST" + originalPostId === null → original was deleted. Render placeholder ("Original removed").
  • type !== "REPOST" → standard render. _count.reposts is the number of times this post has been reposted; isReposted tells you if the viewer is one of them.

Like + comment buttons on a repost card act on the repost row (not the original). Tap on the embedded original card → navigate to that post's detail screen.

17.4 — Undo a repost

DELETE /api/posts/:id/repost

:id can be the original or any post in the same repost chain — server resolves to root. Returns 409 if the viewer has no repost row.

17.5 — Repost list

GET /api/posts/:id/reposts?limit=20&cursor=<base64>

Returns reposts of the root original, newest first (kind:"quote" = legacy rows only).

{
"success": true,
"data": {
"items": [
{
"id": "pst_repost1",
"kind": "simple", // "simple" | "quote"
"createdAt": "2026-06-15T07:00:00Z",
"user": { "id": "usr_b", "username": "bob", "profile": { ... } },
"contentPreview": "" // empty for simple
},
{
"id": "pst_repost2",
"kind": "quote",
"createdAt": "2026-06-15T06:30:00Z",
"user": { ... },
"contentPreview": "Loved this — exactly what I've been saying..."
}
],
"nextCursor": "eyJj..."
}
}

17.6 — Notifications

typerecipienttrigger
repostroot post authorviewer simple-reposts
quote_repostroot post authorviewer quote-reposts
mentionmentioned userquote-repost contains @x

Payload data.entityId → the repost id (tap-through lands on the repost card, not the original). data.originalPostId carries the root id when the client wants to navigate to the original instead.

17.7 — Mobile UX summary

1. User taps repost icon → bottom sheet: "Repost" | "Quote".
2A. SIMPLE → POST /api/posts/:id/repost {}.
Mobile: flip isReposted=true on the source card, bump _count.reposts.
2B. QUOTE → open compose w/ embedded original.
POST /api/posts/:id/repost { content: "my take" }.
Mobile: same flag flip + push the new repost into the user's profile feed.
3. Feed render: type=REPOST → "X reposted" hat + embedded original.
4. Undo simple → DELETE /api/posts/:id/repost.
Undo quote → DELETE /api/posts/:repostId (standard post delete).

Optimistic UI optional but recommended — server response is fast enough to skip if you'd rather just await.


Share generates a tracked URL the viewer can paste anywhere (WhatsApp, Messages, copy-paste). Backend tracks each share for analytics + future attribution.

Status note (2026-06-15): Phase C.1 is shipped — the endpoint works and returns a real URL, but the URL is a placeholder until the landing page route ships in Phase C.2 (after the first mobile build target exists). For now: safe to copy-paste, but won't open the app or render a preview. See docs/share-implementation.md for the full phase plan.

18.1 — Endpoints

POST /api/posts/:id/share body: { channel? } → { url, shareCode, channel }
GET /api/posts/:id/share/preview → { title, description, imageUrl }

18.2 — Record a share + get URL

POST /api/posts/:id/share
Content-Type: application/json

{ "channel": "NATIVE" }

channel is one of: WHATSAPP | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | COPY_LINK | CHAT | NATIVE | OTHER.

Default NATIVE. Use NATIVE when invoking the OS native share sheet — the OS hides which target the user actually picked, so you can't attribute more precisely. Use specific channels only when the user picks an in-app target you know about (e.g. CHAT for in-app conversation share, COPY_LINK for copy-button).

Response:

{
"success": true,
"data": {
"url": "https://ksn.app/p/pst_xxx?ref=Ab12CdEf34",
"shareCode": "Ab12CdEf34",
"channel": "NATIVE",
},
}

Errors:

codereason
404post not found or hidden
429rate limit (60 calls / minute / user)

18.3 — Mobile flow

1. User taps share icon on a post.
2. Mobile: POST /api/posts/:id/share { channel: "NATIVE" }.
3. Server returns { url, shareCode }.
4. Mobile passes url to iOS UIActivityViewController / Android
Intent.ACTION_SEND.
5. User picks WhatsApp / Messages / Copy / etc. URL goes out.
6. Recipient receives the link. Tap behaviour depends on Phase C.2:
- app installed + Universal Link verified → OS routes URL into app,
extract postId, navigate to detail screen.
- app not installed → browser opens landing page (smart banner +
App Store / Play Store redirect).

18.4 — Share-sheet preview prefill

GET /api/posts/:id/share/preview

Returns the OG-meta values mobile can prefill in the OS share sheet so the recipient sees a meaningful link preview even before the link is fetched.

{
"success": true,
"data": {
"title": "Looking for a 4th for hackathon team", // or fallback
"description": "Building a flashcard app. Need a designer or another dev...",
"imageUrl": "https://cdn.ksn.app/uploads/abc.jpg", // first image, or null
},
}

Title falls back to <username> on Kids Social Network for ANYTHING-kind posts that have no title.

18.5 — Share count on post

Every post object now carries _count.shares. Render alongside likes / comments / reposts:

"_count": { "likes": 3, "comments": 5, "requests": 0, "reposts": 12, "shares": 7 }

No per-viewer isShared flag — share is a transient action, not a persisted viewer state.

18.6 — In-app chat share (cleaner UX path)

For "send to chat" inside the app:

  • Pick channel: "CHAT" when calling POST /share.
  • Use the returned url as the body of a chat message (current).
  • Future: the chat schema may add a dedicated MessageType=POST_SHARE with data.postId for native render — not yet implemented; carry the URL for now.

18.7 — Phase C.2 (deferred — depends on mobile build)

Outstanding work, blocked on the existence of a published mobile build:

StepDescription
Buy domainksn.app or similar; configure DNS + TLS
AASA file/.well-known/apple-app-site-association route
App Links/.well-known/assetlinks.json route
Landing pageGET /p/:postId HTML with OG meta + smart banner
Mobile configiOS Associated Domains + Android intent-filter
Click attributionPOST /api/links/click + ShareClick model

Until then, the URL returned by POST /share is safe to copy-paste but won't open the app or render a rich preview. Mobile can ship the share button + native sheet today; the link just becomes useful when Phase C.2 lands. See docs/share-implementation.md for the full Phase C.2 plan.