> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.hoopai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Creating blog posts
> Write, format, and publish blog posts using the HoopAI rich text editor, Content AI, and publishing workflow.
Every blog post is created inside a blog site. The editor is a rich text environment that supports multimedia, formatting, AI-assisted writing, and a full SEO metadata workflow before you publish.
## Opening the editor
Go to **Sites > Blogs** and click the name of the blog site you want to add a post to.
Click **New Post** in the top-right corner. A blank editor opens.
Toggle **Auto-Save** on in the upper-right corner of the editor. This prevents content loss if you navigate away or the browser closes unexpectedly. You can also save manually at any time using **Save and Continue**.
## Writing and formatting content
The editor toolbar provides all standard text formatting options:
| Format | Description |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| **Bold / Italic / Underline** | Basic inline text styling |
| **Strikethrough** | Cross out text |
| **Headings (H1–H6)** | Structure content with semantic heading hierarchy |
| **Ordered list** | Numbered steps or ranked items |
| **Unordered list** | Bulleted points |
| **Blockquote** | Highlighted pull quotes or cited material |
| **Code block** | Inline or fenced code with syntax highlighting |
| **Text color** | Change foreground color for emphasis |
| **Background color** | Highlight text with a background color |
| **Text alignment** | Left, center, right, or justified |
| **Divider** | Horizontal rule to separate sections |
## Adding media
### Images
Click the image icon in the toolbar to insert an image. You can:
* **Paste a URL** — link directly to any publicly hosted image
* **Upload from Media Library** — select from images already uploaded to your account
* **Generate with Image AI** — describe an image and let AI generate it for you
Always add descriptive alt text to every image. Alt text improves accessibility for screen reader users and provides search engines with additional context about the visual content.
### Videos
Click the video icon to embed a video. Supported sources:
* **Media Library** — upload and host a video file in your account storage
* **YouTube** — paste a YouTube video URL to embed the player directly in the post
### Audio
Click the audio icon to insert an audio player. Upload an audio file from your Media Library or paste a hosted audio URL.
## Using Content AI
Content AI is the built-in writing assistant available directly in the blog editor.
Click **Content AI** in the editor toolbar.
Describe what you want: a full post outline, an introduction paragraph, a specific section on a topic, or a rewrite of existing content.
Content AI generates the text and displays it in a preview panel. Click **Insert** to add it to the editor, or adjust the prompt and regenerate.
AI-generated content is a starting point. Add specific data, examples, client stories, and brand-specific language before publishing.
Use Content AI to produce a detailed outline first, then write each section yourself using the outline as a structure. This approach is faster than writing from a blank page and produces more focused posts than generating a complete draft at once.
## Configuring post details before publishing
After writing your content, click **Continue** to open the post details panel. Configure each field before setting the post status:
### Organization fields
| Field | Description |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **URL Slug** | The path for this post (e.g., `/email-marketing-tips`). Use lowercase words separated by hyphens. Include your primary keyword. |
| **Category** | Assign the post to one category. Categories appear in the blog navigation and help readers find related content. |
| **Author** | Select the author whose name and profile appear on the post. |
| **Keywords** | Comma-separated keywords that describe the post topic. Used internally for content organization. |
### SEO fields
| Field | Description |
| ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Post Title** | The SEO title shown in browser tabs and search result headings. Can differ from the article headline. Keep it under 60 characters. |
| **Description** | The meta description shown in search results below the title. Write 1–2 sentences (under 160 characters) summarizing the post and including the primary keyword. |
| **Cover Image** | The featured image shown at the top of the post and on the blog post card. |
| **Cover Image Alt Text** | Descriptive text for the cover image, used by screen readers and search engines. |
| **Canonical Link** | Paste the URL of the original version of this content if publishing the same article in multiple locations. Prevents duplicate content issues in search rankings. |
## Publishing options
| Option | When to use |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Draft** | Work in progress — save without making the post public |
| **Publish** | Make the post live immediately |
| **Schedule** | Set a future date and time for automatic publishing |
## Previewing a post
Click the **eye icon** in the editor to auto-save and open a full preview of the post in a new browser tab. The preview renders the post exactly as it will appear to readers, including formatting, images, and cover image.
## Post actions from the blog builder
Inside a blog site, the Blog Builder lists all posts with their status, author, category, and type. Click the three-dot icon on any post to access:
* **Edit Post** — return to the editor to modify content or details
* **Duplicate Post** — create an identical copy to use as a template for future posts
* **Change Blog Post SEO Details** — update the meta title, description, and URL slug without re-opening the full editor
* **Preview Post** — open the live or preview version in a new tab
* **Archive Post** — hide the post from the blog without deleting it
* **Delete Blog Post** — permanently remove the post (this cannot be undone)
Changing a post's URL slug after it has been published creates a new URL. If the post has accumulated backlinks or search rankings, redirect the old slug to the new one to preserve SEO equity. Set up URL redirects under your funnel or website settings.
## Table of contents
The blog editor can auto-generate a table of contents (TOC) from the heading structure in your post. When enabled, the TOC appears at the top of the published post (or in the sidebar, depending on your blog template), giving readers a clickable outline of the article.
To enable:
1. In the blog site editor, enable the **Table of Contents** element or toggle in the blog layout settings
2. The TOC pulls from all H2 and H3 headings in the post
3. Each entry links directly to that section of the article
Write clear, descriptive headings — the TOC displays them verbatim, so "Step 3: Configure your domain" reads better than "Step 3" on its own.
## Hero / featured post
Designate one post as the **featured post** to display it prominently on the blog home page with a larger card, hero image, and excerpt. To set a featured post:
1. Open the blog site editor and locate the **Featured Post** section
2. Select the post you want to feature from the dropdown
3. The featured post appears in the hero area at the top of the blog home page, above the standard post grid
Only one post can be featured at a time. Changing the featured post immediately updates the blog home page.
## Scheduling posts for future publishing
Instead of publishing immediately, schedule a post to go live at a specific date and time:
Complete the post content and fill in all post details (slug, category, author, SEO fields).
In the publishing options, select **Schedule** instead of Publish.
Choose the future date and time for the post to go live. Times use your account's time zone.
Click **Schedule**. The post status changes to Scheduled and it will publish automatically at the specified time.
Scheduled posts appear in the Blog Builder with a "Scheduled" status badge and the scheduled publish date.
## Blog post statuses
Every post has a status that indicates its current state:
| Status | Description |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft** | Work in progress — not visible to readers |
| **Published** | Live and publicly accessible |
| **Scheduled** | Queued for automatic publishing at a future date and time |
| **Archived** | Hidden from the blog but not deleted — can be restored |
Filter posts by status in the Blog Builder to quickly find drafts that need finishing, scheduled posts awaiting publish, or archived content you may want to revive.