Posts Feature

The Posts feature is the core of Bellamy Book, allowing users to create, share, and interact with content in their social network.

Overview

Posts enable users to:

• Share text, images, and videos
• Control who can see their content (privacy settings)
• Engage with content through reactions and comments
• Share posts with their network
• View personalized feed based on relevance algorithm

Creating Posts

The backend uses api/Post (ASP.NET controller-based routing). Create post is multipart/form-data with caption, visibility, and optional mediaFiles; optional mentions (JSON string).

Text Posts

Create a simple text post:

POST /api/Post/users/{userId}
Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: multipart/form-data

FormData:
  - caption: "Hello, world!"
  - visibility: "Public"

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "id": "post-123",
    "content": "Hello, world!",
    "author": {
      "id": "user-456",
      "fullName": "John Doe",
      "username": "johndoe",
      "avatar": "https://..."
    },
    "privacy": "public",
    "createdAt": "2024-01-01T12:00:00Z",
    "updatedAt": "2024-01-01T12:00:00Z",
    "reactionCount": 0,
    "commentCount": 0,
    "shareCount": 0,
    "media": []
  }
}

Posts with Images

Upload one or multiple images:

POST /api/Post/users/{userId}
Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: multipart/form-data

FormData:
  - caption: "Check out this photo!"
  - visibility: "Friends"
  - mediaFiles: [file1.jpg, file2.jpg]

Supported Image Formats:

• JPEG/JPG
• PNG
• GIF
• WebP

Image Requirements:

• Maximum file size: 10MB per image
• Maximum images per post: 10
• Automatic image optimization and resizing

Posts with Videos

Upload video content:

POST /api/Post/users/{userId}
Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: multipart/form-data

FormData:
  - caption: "Watch this video!"
  - visibility: "Public"
  - mediaFiles: [video.mp4]

Supported Video Formats:

• MP4
• WebM
• MOV

Video Requirements:

• Maximum file size: 100MB per video
• Maximum videos per post: 1
• Automatic video processing and thumbnail generation
• Video encoding for web playback

Rich Text Formatting

Posts support basic formatting:

• Bold text: **bold** or *bold*
• Italic text: *italic* or _italic_
• Links: [text](url)
• Mentions: @username
• Hashtags: #hashtag

Privacy Settings

Control who can see your posts:

Privacy Levels

Level	Description	Visibility
Public	Visible to everyone	All users, including non-friends
Friends	Visible to friends only	Only confirmed friends
Only Me	Private post	Only the author
Custom	Specific friend lists	Selected friend lists only

Setting Privacy

{
  "content": "My post content",
  "privacy": "friends",  // or "public", "only_me", "custom"
  "friendListIds": []    // Required if privacy is "custom"
}

Privacy Best Practices

• Use "Public" for general announcements
• Use "Friends" for personal updates
• Use "Only Me" for drafts or private notes
• Use "Custom" for specific groups or lists

Post Interactions

Viewing Posts

Get Your Feed (personalized):

GET /api/Post/feed/home?userId={userId}&limit=20&offset=0

Get User's Posts:

GET /api/Post/users/{userId}/posts?page=1&limit=20

Get Single Post:

GET /api/Post/{postId}

Response includes:

• Post content and metadata
• Author information
• Reaction counts and user reactions
• Comment count
• Share count
• Media attachments

Reacting to Posts

Add a reaction to express your feelings (reactions use api/Reaction or post-specific endpoints):

POST /api/Post/{postId}/reactions  // or api/Reaction endpoint
Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "type": "like"  // "like", "love", "haha", "dislike", "share"
}

Reaction Types: Like, Love, Haha, Dislike, Share. The View type is used internally for tracking views.

Remove Reaction: DELETE /api/Post/{postId}/reactions (or equivalent Reaction endpoint)

Commenting

Add comments (Comments use api/Comment):

POST /api/Comment  // or POST /api/Comment/{postId}
Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "content": "Great post!",
  "parentCommentId": null  // For nested/reply comments
}

Get Comments: GET /api/Comment/{postId}/comments?page=1&limit=20 (or equivalent)

Sharing Posts

Share posts with your network:

POST /api/Post/{postId}/share
Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "content": "Check this out!",
  "visibility": "Friends"
}

Post Management

Editing Posts

Edit your own posts:

PUT /api/Post/{postId}
Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: application/json or multipart/form-data

{
  "caption": "Updated content",
  "visibility": "Public"
}

Limitations:

• Can only edit your own posts
• Cannot edit after 24 hours (configurable)
• Media cannot be changed after posting

Deleting Posts

Delete your posts:

DELETE /api/Post/{postId}
Authorization: Bearer {token}

What happens:

• Post is removed from all feeds
• Comments and reactions are also deleted
• Media files are deleted from storage
• Action is permanent and cannot be undone

Post Visibility

Who can see your post:

• Depends on privacy setting
• Friends can see "Friends" posts
• Public posts appear in search results
• Custom privacy respects friend list settings

Feed Algorithm

The feed uses a sophisticated relevance scoring system to show you the most interesting content.

Scoring Factors

1. User Interactions (40%)

   • Posts from users you frequently interact with
   • Content you've previously liked or commented on

2. Post Recency (25%)

   • Newer posts ranked higher
   • Time decay factor applied

3. Friend Relationships (20%)

   • Posts from close friends
   • Mutual friends' posts

4. Content Quality (10%)

   • Engagement metrics (reactions, comments)
   • Content length and media presence

5. User Preferences (5%)

   • Followed topics and hashtags
   • Content type preferences

Feed Customization

Sort Options:

• relevance - Algorithm-based (default)
• recent - Most recent first
• popular - Most engagement first
• following - Only followed users

Filter Options:

• Filter by post type (text, image, video)
• Filter by date range
• Filter by author

Post Types

Standard Post

Regular text, image, or video post.

Shared Post

When you share someone else's post:

• Original post is embedded
• You can add your own comment
• Maintains original privacy settings

Story Post

Temporary posts that expire after 24 hours:

• Appears at top of feed
• Cannot be edited after posting
• Automatically deleted after expiration

Media Handling

Image Processing

• Automatic resizing for thumbnails
• Multiple size variants (thumbnail, medium, large)
• Lazy loading for performance
• Progressive image loading

Video Processing

• Automatic encoding for web playback
• Thumbnail generation
• Multiple quality levels
• Streaming support for large videos

Storage

• Local storage or cloud storage (S3)
• CDN integration for fast delivery
• Automatic cleanup of orphaned media

Best Practices

Creating Engaging Posts

• Use clear, concise language
• Include relevant images or videos
• Use appropriate hashtags
• Engage with comments

Privacy Considerations

• Review privacy settings before posting
• Be mindful of sensitive information
• Use "Friends" for personal content
• Use "Public" for general announcements

Performance Tips

• Optimize images before uploading
• Use appropriate file sizes
• Avoid posting too frequently (rate limiting)
• Use pagination when loading feeds

API Reference

For complete API documentation:

• Create Post
• Get Post
• Update Post
• Delete Post
• Add Reaction
• Create Comment

Related Features

• Comments Feature - Detailed comment system
• Reactions Feature - Reaction types and analytics
• Stories Feature - Temporary story posts
• Feed Algorithm - How the feed works