Custom Posts

Create specialized content types beyond standard posts with flexible schemas and structured data. Perfect for e-commerce, real estate, events, or any unique use case requiring custom rendering.

Flexible Schema

Define your own data structure with up to 100KB JSON payload

Custom Rendering

Full control over how content appears in feeds and apps

Overview

Custom posts enable you to create specialized content types beyond standard text, image, video, and file posts. Build unique experiences for e-commerce, events, real estate, or any structured content that requires custom rendering.

Key Features

Flexible Schema

Define your own data structure

Custom Rendering

Full control over appearance

Rich Metadata

Include complex structured data

Large Payload

Up to 100KB of custom data

Design Schema

Define your custom data structure and required fields

Create Post

Use the custom dataType and structured JSON data

Implement Rendering

Build custom UI components to display your content

The dataType parameter must have the custom prefix (e.g., “custom.recipe”, “custom.product”).

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`dataType`	String	Yes	Custom type identifier (must start with “custom”)
`data`	Object	Yes	Free-form JSON object with your custom structure
`text`	String	No	Optional text content
`targetType`	Enum	Yes	Target destination (community or user feed)
`tags`	Array	No	Searchable tags
`metadata`	Object	No	Additional properties

let builder = AmityCustomPostBuilder()
builder.setDataType("custom.mycustomtype") // Data type should be in this pattern custom.*
builder.setData([
    "favourite_color" : "Red",
    "favourite_food" : "Pizza"
])

// Create a post from builder
do {
    let post = try await postRepository.createCustomPost(builder, targetId: "feed-id", targetType: .community, metadata: nil, mentionees: nil)
} catch {
    // Handle error here
}

Data Structure Examples

E-commerce Product

{
    "dataType": "custom.product",
    "data": {
        "title": "Wireless Headphones",
        "price": 149.99,
        "currency": "USD",
        "brand": "AudioTech",
        "model": "WT-200",
        "category": "electronics",
        "subcategory": "audio",
        "features": [
            "Noise cancellation",
            "30-hour battery",
            "Bluetooth 5.0"
        ],
        "specifications": {
            "weight": "250g",
            "color_options": ["black", "white", "blue"],
            "warranty": "2 years"
        },
        "availability": {
            "in_stock": true,
            "quantity": 15,
            "shipping": {
                "free_shipping": true,
                "estimated_days": 3
            }
        }
    }
}

Real Estate Listing

{
    "dataType": "custom.property",
    "data": {
        "title": "Modern Downtown Apartment",
        "price": 450000,
        "currency": "USD",
        "property_type": "apartment",
        "listing_type": "sale",
        "details": {
            "bedrooms": 2,
            "bathrooms": 2,
            "square_feet": 1200,
            "year_built": 2018
        },
        "location": {
            "address": "123 Main Street",
            "city": "San Francisco",
            "state": "CA",
            "zip": "94105",
            "coordinates": {
                "lat": 37.7749,
                "lng": -122.4194
            }
        },
        "amenities": [
            "Gym",
            "Rooftop deck",
            "Parking",
            "Pet-friendly"
        ],
        "agent": {
            "name": "Jane Smith",
            "phone": "+1-555-0123",
            "email": "[email protected]"
        }
    }
}

Educational Course

{
    "dataType": "custom.course",
    "data": {
        "title": "Advanced React Development",
        "instructor": "John Doe",
        "description": "Master advanced React patterns and best practices",
        "level": "advanced",
        "duration": {
            "hours": 40,
            "weeks": 8
        },
        "pricing": {
            "regular_price": 299,
            "sale_price": 199,
            "currency": "USD"
        },
        "curriculum": [
            {
                "module": 1,
                "title": "Advanced Hooks",
                "lessons": 6
            },
            {
                "module": 2,
                "title": "Performance Optimization",
                "lessons": 8
            }
        ],
        "requirements": [
            "Basic React knowledge",
            "JavaScript ES6+",
            "Node.js familiarity"
        ],
        "enrollment": {
            "start_date": "2024-07-01",
            "max_students": 50,
            "current_enrolled": 23
        }
    }
}

When designing custom post types, consider how they’ll appear in feeds on different platforms and devices. Always include meaningful text content as a fallback for better accessibility and user experience.

Best Practices

Schema Design

Data Structure

User Experience

Performance

Troubleshooting

Invalid DataType Format

Problem: Custom post creation fails with dataType validation errorSolutions:

Ensure dataType starts with “custom.” prefix
Use only alphanumeric characters and dots in dataType
Avoid spaces or special characters in dataType names
Follow the pattern: custom.yourtype (e.g., custom.product, custom.event)

// ✅ Correct dataType formats
"custom.product"
"custom.event"
"custom.recipe"
"custom.job_listing"

// ❌ Invalid dataType formats
"product"           // Missing custom prefix
"custom product"    // Contains space
"custom.my-type"    // Contains hyphen

JSON Payload Too Large

Problem: Post creation fails due to data size exceeding 100KB limitSolutions:

Reduce data structure complexity
Move large content (images, files) to separate uploads
Use references/IDs instead of embedding large objects
Compress or optimize JSON structure

// Check payload size before posting
const dataString = JSON.stringify(customData);
const sizeInKB = new Blob([dataString]).size / 1024;

if (sizeInKB > 100) {
  console.warn(`Payload too large: ${sizeInKB}KB. Consider optimizing.`);
  // Optimize or split data
}

Schema Validation Errors

Problem: Custom data doesn’t match expected schema or contains invalid valuesSolutions:

Implement client-side validation before posting
Use consistent data types across all fields
Handle null/undefined values gracefully
Provide clear error messages for validation failures

// Example validation function
const validateProductData = (data) => {
  const errors = [];
  
  if (!data.title || typeof data.title !== 'string') {
    errors.push('Title is required and must be a string');
  }
  
  if (data.price !== undefined && typeof data.price !== 'number') {
    errors.push('Price must be a number');
  }
  
  if (errors.length > 0) {
    throw new Error(`Validation errors: ${errors.join(', ')}`);
  }
};

Common Use Cases

E-commerce

Product listings with prices, specs, inventory, and ratings

Real Estate

Property listings with location, amenities, and pricing details

Events

Event details with dates, locations, speakers, and registration

Job Postings

Job listings with requirements, benefits, and application info

Recipes

Cooking instructions with ingredients and nutritional information

Reviews

Structured reviews with ratings, pros/cons, and recommendations

Industry-Specific Examples

Healthcare & Wellness

Education & Learning

Travel & Hospitality

Finance & Investment

Schema Design Tip: Include version fields in your data structure to support schema evolution as your custom post types mature and require updates.

Text Posts

Create simple text-based posts for basic content sharing

Image Posts

Share visual content with photos and galleries

Post Management

Manage, edit, and moderate your custom posts

Powered by

Getting Started

Fundamentals

Social

Chat

Video

Support

Flexible Schema

Custom Rendering

Overview

Key Features

Flexible Schema

Custom Rendering

Rich Metadata

Large Payload

Parameters

Data Structure Examples

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Common Use Cases

E-commerce

Real Estate

Events

Job Postings

Recipes

Reviews

Industry-Specific Examples

Text Posts

Image Posts

Post Management

Powered by

Getting Started

Fundamentals

Social

Chat

Video

Support

Flexible Schema

Custom Rendering

​Overview

​Key Features

Flexible Schema

Custom Rendering

Rich Metadata

Large Payload

​Parameters

​Data Structure Examples

​Best Practices

​Troubleshooting

​Common Use Cases

E-commerce

Real Estate

Events

Job Postings

Recipes

Reviews

​Industry-Specific Examples

​Related Topics

Text Posts

Image Posts

Post Management

Overview

Key Features

Parameters

Data Structure Examples

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Common Use Cases

Industry-Specific Examples

Related Topics