Strapi content types, custom controllers and services, lifecycle hooks, and REST/GraphQL APIs. Use when changing a Strapi content model, extending its API, or building a Strapi plugin.
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---
name: strapi-cms
description: "Strapi content types, custom controllers and services, lifecycle hooks, and REST/GraphQL APIs. Use when changing a Strapi content model, extending its API, or building a Strapi plugin."
---
# Strapi CMS
Project config, content types, and deployment details: `.opencastle/stack/cms-config.md`. Docs: https://docs.strapi.io/
## File placement is load-bearing
Strapi discovers code by path — a correct file in the wrong place is simply ignored.
- `src/api/<type>/content-types/<type>/schema.json` — content type (or use Content-Type Builder, then commit the generated schema)
- `src/api/<type>/controllers/<type>.js` — thin wrapper, wraps `createCoreController('api::<type>.<type>', ({ strapi }) => ({ ... }))`; call `super.find(ctx)` then modify the response
- `src/api/<type>/services/` — all business logic
- `src/api/<type>/content-types/<type>/lifecycles.js` — `beforeCreate`/`afterUpdate` side effects, mutating `event.params.data`
- `src/api/<type>/graphql/` — custom resolvers
- `config/env/<env>/` — per-environment config; `config/plugins.ts` registers plugins
## Query gotchas
- **Relations are not returned unless requested.** `?populate=author,categories`, or `?populate=deep` for everything.
- Filters need an operator: `?filters[status][$eq]=published&filters[views][$gte]=100`. Operators include `$eq`, `$contains`, `$in`, `$gte`.
- Field selection is indexed: `?fields[0]=title&fields[1]=slug`.
- Pagination: `?pagination[page]=1&pagination[pageSize]=10`.
- **New endpoints return 403 until permissions are granted** per role in Users & Permissions — this is the most common "my API is broken" cause.
- GraphQL is opt-in via `@strapi/plugin-graphql`; it auto-generates types and resolvers from content types with `filters`/`pagination`/`sort` args.
- Plugins: `strapi generate plugin <name>` → `admin/`, `server/`, `content-types/`. Keep server logic in `server/` so admin code is not bundled into the server build.
## Verify
the `develop` script, confirm the type appears in admin, create a test entry, then assert `GET /api/<type>?pagination[page]=1` returns 200 with a `data` array and `GET /api/<type>?populate=*` returns the expected relations. Schema errors surface under the `build` script.
