Resolving Complex Wix Blog API Integration Challenges: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

The "Missing Owner" Error

Problem

When attempting to create blog posts via the Wix Blog API, many developers encounter a "missing owner error" that prevents post creation entirely. This often occurs when trying to use member IDs from the Members Area app or when structuring the owner field as a nested object.

The Solution

The fix is straightforward: remove the owner field entirely and use memberId as a direct field instead.

Before (Incorrect):

draftPost: {

  owner: { memberId: "..." }, // This causes the error

  title: blog.Title,

  ...

}

After (Correct): draftPost: {

  memberId: "62fad1e2-8804-4787-89cf-203f0e42b1b3", // Direct field

  title: blog.Title,

  ...

}

Why This Works

The Wix Blog API v3 expects memberId as a direct field, not nested under an owner object. The API's validation schema looks for a top-level memberId property, and providing it in a nested structure causes parsing failures.

Understanding Member IDs

The member ID represents the blog post author, but it's important to understand what this actually means:

• It's the site/app member ID, not a Members Area user

• It represents content attribution rather than an actual logged-in user

• For automated workflows, you can hardcode a valid member ID

• Blog posts simply need a valid member reference; it doesn't have to represent a real person
  

Finding a Member ID:

Option 1: Hardcode a valid ID (recommended for automation)

memberId: "62fad1e2-8804-4787-89cf-203f0e42b1b3"

Option 2: Retrieve dynamically via API

GET https://www.wixapis.com/members/v1/members
Headers: Authorization, wix-site-id

Image Display Issues

The Problem

Images in Wix blog posts can fail in multiple ways:

• Broken images appearing at the top of posts

• Images not displaying at all

• The heroImage field creating empty image elements

• External URLs not rendering properly with IST tokens
  

The Three-Part Solution

Fixing image display requires three coordinated steps: uploading images to Wix's Media Manager, removing the problematic heroImage field, and embedding images as RichContent nodes.

Step 1: Upload Images to Wix Media Manager

Before referencing images in blog posts, upload them to Wix's media system to get a valid media ID.

POST https://www.wixapis.com/site-media/v1/files/import

Headers:

- Authorization: IST.{your-token}

- Content-Type: application/json

- wix-site-id: {your-site-id}

Body:

{

  "url": "https://external-image-url.jpg",

  "mediaType": "IMAGE",

  "displayName": "blog-image.jpg",

  "mimeType": "image/jpeg"

}

Response:

{

  "file": {

    "id": "62fad1_abc123...",

    "url": "https://static.wixstatic.com/media/62fad1_abc123..."

  }

}

Why this is necessary:

• External URLs don't work reliably with IST tokens

• Uploading creates a proper Wix media ID that's guaranteed to work

• Images become first-class Wix assets with CDN support
  

Step 2: Remove the heroImage Field

Don't use the heroImage field at all when creating posts with IST authentication.

Before (Problematic):

  heroImage: {

    type: "SITE",

    siteData: { url: imageUrl }

  },

  ...

}

After (Remove it):

draftPost: {

  title: blog.Title,

  ...

}

Why remove it:

• heroImage with external URLs creates broken image elements

• IST tokens have limitations with this field

• Inline images via RichContent work more reliably
  

Step 3: Add Image as First RichContent Node

Insert the image as the first element in your content structure using the Wix media ID.const richContentNodes = [];

if (wixImageId) {

  richContentNodes.push({

    type: "IMAGE",

    nodes: [],

    imageData: {

      containerData: {

        width: { size: "CONTENT" },

        alignment: "CENTER"

      },

      image: {

        src: { id: wixImageId }, // Use Wix media ID, not external URL

        width: 900,

        height: 600

      },

      altText: blog.Title

    }

  });

}

// Then add your text content

const contentNodes = parseMarkdownToRicos(blog.Body);

richContentNodes.push(...contentNodes);

This ensures:

• Image appears right after the title

• Uses a reliable Wix media ID

• Proper IMAGE node structure prevents broken displays
  

Structured Output Parser Errors

Problem

When using AI to generate blog content, you might encounter: "Model output doesn't fit required format" This happens when the AI's output structure doesn't match what your parser expects.

Before (Problematic):

  {

    "output": {

      "Title": "...",

      "Meta Description": "...",

      "Slug": "...",

      "Body": "..."

    }

  }

]

After (Fixed):

{

  "Title": "...",

  "Meta Description": "...",

  "Slug": "...",

  "Body": "..."

}

Why it works:

• Simpler structure is easier to parse

• No nested arrays to navigate

• Direct field access

• Matches expected schema exactly
  

Field Length Limits and Safety Checks

The Problem

The Wix API returns "Bad request - please check your parameters" when:

• Content fields are too long

• Required fields are missing

• RichContent is empty
  

The Solution

Implement comprehensive validation and truncation before sending to the API.

if (richContentNodes.length === 0) {

  richContentNodes.push({

    type: "PARAGRAPH",

    nodes: [{

      type: "TEXT",

      textData: {

        text: blog.Body || "Content unavailable",

        decorations: []

      }

    }],

    paragraphData: {}

  });

}

// 2. Apply field length limits

const draftPost = {

  title: (blog.Title || "Untitled").substring(0, 200), // Max 200

  slug: (blog.Slug || "untitled").substring(0, 100), // Max 100

  memberId: "62fad1e2-8804-4787-89cf-203f0e42b1b3",

  seoData: {

    title: (blog.Title || "Untitled").substring(0, 200), // Max 200

    description: (blog["Meta Description"] || "").substring(0, 320) // Max 320

  },

  richContent: {

    nodes: richContentNodes

  }

};

Wix API Field Limits

Field	Maximum Length
title	200 characters
slug	100 characters
seoData.description	320 characters

Why these checks matter:

• Prevents API rejection errors

• Handles missing or malformed data gracefully

• Ensures content always meets Wix requirements
  

Auto-Publishing vs. Draft Status

Problem

Posts were saving as drafts instead of publishing automatically.

Solution

Add publish: true to the API request. return [

  {

    json: {

      draftPost: draftPost,

      publish: true  // This publishes immediately

    }

  }

];

How it works:

• publish: true → Post goes live immediately

• publish: false or omitted → Post stays as draft

• Choose based on your workflow needs
  

Complete Working Configuration

Authentication Setup

Required Headers:

Authorization: IST.{your-instance-token}
Content-Type: application/json
wix-site-id: {your-wix-site-id}

Where to find credentials:

• IST Token: Wix Dashboard → Settings → API Keys → Create Instance Token

• Site ID: Wix Dashboard → Settings → Business Info → Site ID
  

Token limitations to know:

• Using IST (Instance Token), not OAuth

• Some fields like heroImage don't work reliably

• Best for server-to-server integrations
  

Complete Request Example

POST https://www.wixapis.com/blog/v3/posts Headers:

{

  "Authorization": "IST.your-token-here",

  "Content-Type": "application/json",

  "wix-site-id": "your-site-id"

}

Body:

{

  "draftPost": {

    "memberId": "62fad1e2-8804-4787-89cf-203f0e42b1b3",

    "title": "Your Blog Post Title",

    "slug": "your-blog-post-slug",

    "seoData": {

      "title": "SEO Title",

      "description": "SEO description for search engines"

    },

    "richContent": {

      "nodes": [

        {

          "type": "IMAGE",

          "nodes": [],

          "imageData": {

            "containerData": {

              "width": { "size": "CONTENT" },

              "alignment": "CENTER"

            },

            "image": {

              "src": { "id": "wix-media-id-here" },

              "width": 900,

              "height": 600

            },

            "altText": "Image description"

          }

        },

        {

          "type": "PARAGRAPH",

          "nodes": [{

            "type": "TEXT",

            "textData": {

              "text": "Your paragraph content here",

              "decorations": []

            }

          }],

          "paragraphData": {}

        }

      ]

    }

  },

  "publish": true

}

Key Takeaways

1. Use memberId directly - Don't nest it under an owner object

2. Upload images first - Get Wix media IDs before creating posts

3. Skip heroImage - Use RichContent IMAGE nodes instead

4. Validate field lengths - Truncate to prevent API errors

5. Include safety checks - Handle missing data with defaults

6. Set publish status - Add publish: true for immediate publication
   

Common Troubleshooting

"Missing owner error"

• Check that you're using memberId as a direct field

• Verify the member ID is valid for your site
  

Images not showing

• Confirm images were uploaded to Wix Media Manager first

• Use the Wix media ID, not external URLs

• Remove any heroImage field
  

"Bad request" errors

• Check field lengths against limits

• Ensure richContent has at least one node

• Verify all required fields are present
  

Posts staying as drafts

• Add publish: true to the request

• Check that your IST token has publishing permissions

This comprehensive fix addresses all major issues encountered when integrating with the Wix Blog API v3, providing a reliable foundation for automated blog publishing systems. References

1. Wix Blog API Documentation - Create Posthttps://dev.wix.com/api/rest/blog/posts/create-post
   

2. Wix Authentication Guidehttps://dev.wix.com/api/rest/getting-started/authentication
   

3. Wix Site Members Overviewhttps://support.wix.com/en/article/about-site-members
   

4. Wix Media Manager Upload Documentationhttps://dev.wix.com/api/rest/media/site-media/upload-files
   

5. Wix Developer Forum - API Discussionshttps://www.wix.com/forum/wix-api-developer-forum
   

6. OpenAI Structured Outputs Guidehttps://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/structured-outputs
   

7. Wix Blog Post Object Specificationhttps://dev.wix.com/api/rest/blog/posts/post-object