Strapi integration
No native Strapi connector, here is what does work.
Post entries to your Strapi collections over REST with draft state verified after every write.
How it works
SearchHandled connects to your Strapi instance with an API token and writes entries through the REST API into the collection type you choose. Field mapping is set against your actual schema at setup, since every Strapi project defines its own content types, and media is uploaded through the upload plugin and linked to entries properly.
Strapi's Draft & Publish system gives entries a draft or published state, and we create content as drafts by default so it waits in your admin panel for review. Because there are open Strapi 5 bugs where REST-created entries can land published when they should be drafts, we do not trust the write alone: we read every entry back after writing and verify its state matches what we intended, alerting you on any mismatch.
Best forTeams self-hosting Strapi as their content backend who want entries created safely against their own content types.
Setup, step by step
- In Strapi's admin panel, create an API token; full-access is the documented reliable choice, since custom token permissions have known quirks.
- Confirm Draft & Publish is enabled on the target collection type.
- Connect your instance URL and token in SearchHandled, and map your collection's fields.
- Run the automated endpoint probe, which verifies create, read, update, and upload against your instance.
- Deliver a test draft and confirm it appears as a draft in your admin panel.
Best practices
Enable Draft & Publish on the target collection
Without Draft & Publish, every created entry is effectively live. Enabling it gives you the review gate, and our post-write state verification something meaningful to check.
Use a full-access token, documented and stored safely
Custom-permission tokens in Strapi have a history of behaving unpredictably, especially across redeploys. A full-access token scoped by your network setup is the pragmatic, documented choice; treat it like a secret and rotate it when staff changes.
Re-verify the connection after redeploys
Strapi tokens and permissions have been known to break after redeploys. Re-run the connection check as part of your deploy routine, or let our scheduled re-verification catch it, so a dead token is found before the next delivery.
Tell us about version and plugin changes
Strapi v4 and v5 differ meaningfully, and plugins change API behavior. When you upgrade or add plugins that touch content or uploads, a quick re-run of the endpoint probe confirms everything still lines up.
Known issues
What practitioners actually report, from official docs, issue trackers, and community forums.
Entries land published despite draft intent
Open Strapi 5 bugs cause REST-created entries to end up published even when publishedAt is null, silently bypassing the draft review gate.
How we handle itWe read back every entry's state immediately after writing and alert on any mismatch between intended and actual state, so a bypassed draft gate is caught in seconds, not discovered on your live site.
github.com/strapi/strapi
Token and permission quirks
API tokens start returning 403 after redeploys, and the upload plugin has required Public-role permissions to work, both of which look like configuration errors on your side when they are not.
How we handle itWe document the full-access token setup that avoids the known permission traps and re-verify the connection after redeploys so token breakage is detected proactively.
github.com/strapi/strapi, forum.strapi.io
Every self-hosted instance differs
Strapi v4 versus v5, plugin sets, and hosting differences mean the same integration code meets different behavior on every instance.
How we handle itSetup pairs a guided checklist with an automated endpoint probe that tests your actual instance, so we validate against your Strapi, not a reference one.
forum.strapi.io
Questions teams ask
- Why do you read entries back after writing them?
Because there are documented Strapi 5 bugs where entries created over REST end up published even when they should be drafts. Verifying actual state after every write is the only way to guarantee the draft gate held, and we alert you if it did not.
- Do you support both Strapi v4 and v5?
Yes, with the differences handled during setup. The endpoint probe detects how your instance behaves and configures the connection accordingly, which matters because the two versions differ in API shape and in known bugs.
- Why a full-access token instead of a scoped one?
Scoped tokens in Strapi have a track record of quirks, including 403s after redeploys and permission combinations that silently fail. Full-access is the configuration that works reliably, and we recommend protecting it at the network level and rotating it periodically.
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