My job search API returned the same job five times — the apply URL gave away the dedup key
In a DEV Community post titled "My job search API returned the same job five times — the apply URL gave away the dedup key," the author reports that a job search API returned the same job listing five times. According to the title, the apply URL exposed the deduplication key, which is how the repeated listing was spotted. The post is tagged as part of the site's 418 Challenge, and the page's embedded stylesheet applies a retro, theme-aware presentation to articles carrying that tag, including uppercase headings, rotated tags, and separate light and dark theme treatments. The supplied source text does not include the API's name, the language or framework used, the specific deduplication key value, or the code change that resolved the duplication. It also does not state how many other listings were affected or whether the behavior was reported to the API provider. Beyond the title's claim and the challenge styling, no further technical details about the job search API, its data source, or its deduplication logic appear in the excerpt.
The post illustrates that a job listing's apply URL can serve as a practical deduplication key when an API returns repeated results.