diff --git a/server/handlers/posts/create_post.go b/server/handlers/posts/create_post.go
index 82b2914..8bd865d 100644
--- a/server/handlers/posts/create_post.go
+++ b/server/handlers/posts/create_post.go
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 package posts
 
 import (
-	"github.com/go-playground/validator/v10"
 	"github.com/gofiber/fiber/v2"
 	"github.com/lareii/copl.uk/server/models"
+	"github.com/lareii/copl.uk/server/utils"
 )
 
 type NewPostBody struct {
-	Content string `json:"content" validate:"required"`
+	Content string `json:"content" validate:"required,min=1,max=1000"`
 }
 
 func CreatePost(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@ func CreatePost(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 		})
 	}
 
-	var validate = validator.New()
-	if err := validate.Struct(&body); err != nil {
+	if err := utils.Validate.Struct(&body); err != nil {
 		return c.Status(fiber.StatusBadRequest).JSON(fiber.Map{
 			"message": "Missing or invalid fields.",
 		})
diff --git a/server/handlers/posts/get_post.go b/server/handlers/posts/get_post.go
index d24bc31..0af3c8a 100644
--- a/server/handlers/posts/get_post.go
+++ b/server/handlers/posts/get_post.go
@@ -6,6 +6,30 @@ import (
 	"go.mongodb.org/mongo-driver/bson/primitive"
 )
 
+type PostResponse struct {
+	Message string      `json:"message"`
+	Post    PostDetails `json:"post"`
+}
+
+type PostDetails struct {
+	ID        primitive.ObjectID   `json:"id"`
+	CreatedAt primitive.Timestamp  `json:"created_at"`
+	UpdatedAt primitive.Timestamp  `json:"updated_at"`
+	Author    AuthorDetails        `json:"author"`
+	Content   string               `json:"content"`
+	Likes     []primitive.ObjectID `json:"likes"`
+	Comments  uint                 `json:"comments"`
+}
+
+type AuthorDetails struct {
+	ID          primitive.ObjectID  `json:"id"`
+	CreatedAt   primitive.Timestamp `json:"created_at"`
+	DisplayName string              `json:"display_name"`
+	Username    string              `json:"username"`
+	About       string              `json:"about,omitempty"`
+	Points      int                 `json:"points"`
+}
+
 func GetPost(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 	id := c.Params("id")
 	postID, err := primitive.ObjectIDFromHex(id)
@@ -29,23 +53,23 @@ func GetPost(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 		})
 	}
 
-	return c.Status(fiber.StatusOK).JSON(fiber.Map{
-		"message": "Post found.",
-		"post": fiber.Map{
-			"id":         post.ID,
-			"created_at": post.CreatedAt,
-			"updated_at": post.UpdatedAt,
-			"author": fiber.Map{
-				"id":           author.ID,
-				"created_at":   author.CreatedAt,
-				"display_name": author.DisplayName,
-				"username":     author.Username,
-				"about":        author.About,
-				"points":       author.Points,
+	return c.Status(fiber.StatusOK).JSON(PostResponse{
+		Message: "Post found.",
+		Post: PostDetails{
+			ID:        post.ID,
+			CreatedAt: post.CreatedAt,
+			UpdatedAt: post.UpdatedAt,
+			Author: AuthorDetails{
+				ID:          author.ID,
+				CreatedAt:   author.CreatedAt,
+				DisplayName: author.DisplayName,
+				Username:    author.Username,
+				About:       author.About,
+				Points:      author.Points,
 			},
-			"content":  post.Content,
-			"likes":    post.Likes,
-			"comments": post.Comments,
+			Content:  post.Content,
+			Likes:    post.Likes,
+			Comments: post.Comments,
 		},
 	})
 }
diff --git a/server/handlers/posts/get_posts.go b/server/handlers/posts/get_posts.go
index 3ec5716..bfc20ce 100644
--- a/server/handlers/posts/get_posts.go
+++ b/server/handlers/posts/get_posts.go
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ import (
 	"go.mongodb.org/mongo-driver/bson/primitive"
 )
 
+type PostsResponse struct {
+	Message string        `json:"message"`
+	Posts   []PostDetails `json:"posts"`
+}
+
 func GetPosts(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 	limit := c.QueryInt("limit", 10)
 	offset := c.QueryInt("offset", 0)
@@ -22,7 +27,7 @@ func GetPosts(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 		authorIDs = append(authorIDs, post.Author)
 	}
 
-	var authors []models.User
+	authorMap := make(map[primitive.ObjectID]models.User)
 	for _, authorID := range authorIDs {
 		author, err := models.GetUserByID(authorID)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -30,33 +35,28 @@ func GetPosts(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 				"message": "Error fetching post authors.",
 			})
 		}
-		authors = append(authors, author)
-	}
-
-	authorMap := make(map[primitive.ObjectID]models.User)
-	for _, author := range authors {
 		authorMap[author.ID] = author
 	}
 
-	var responsePosts []fiber.Map
+	var responsePosts []PostDetails
 	for _, post := range posts {
 		author := authorMap[post.Author]
 
-		responsePosts = append(responsePosts, fiber.Map{
-			"id":         post.ID,
-			"created_at": post.CreatedAt,
-			"updated_at": post.UpdatedAt,
-			"author": fiber.Map{
-				"id":           author.ID,
-				"created_at":   author.CreatedAt,
-				"display_name": author.DisplayName,
-				"username":     author.Username,
-				"about":        author.About,
-				"points":       author.Points,
+		responsePosts = append(responsePosts, PostDetails{
+			ID:        post.ID,
+			CreatedAt: post.CreatedAt,
+			UpdatedAt: post.UpdatedAt,
+			Author: AuthorDetails{
+				ID:          author.ID,
+				CreatedAt:   author.CreatedAt,
+				DisplayName: author.DisplayName,
+				Username:    author.Username,
+				About:       author.About,
+				Points:      author.Points,
 			},
-			"content":  post.Content,
-			"likes":    post.Likes,
-			"comments": post.Comments,
+			Content:  post.Content,
+			Likes:    post.Likes,
+			Comments: post.Comments,
 		})
 	}
 
diff --git a/server/handlers/posts/update_post.go b/server/handlers/posts/update_post.go
index 106ca8a..4e8308e 100644
--- a/server/handlers/posts/update_post.go
+++ b/server/handlers/posts/update_post.go
@@ -5,13 +5,14 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gofiber/fiber/v2"
 	"github.com/lareii/copl.uk/server/models"
+	"github.com/lareii/copl.uk/server/utils"
 	"go.mongodb.org/mongo-driver/bson"
 	"go.mongodb.org/mongo-driver/bson/primitive"
 )
 
 type UpdatePostBody struct {
-	Content string `json:"content"`
-	Like    *bool  `json:"like"`
+	Content string `json:"content" validate:"omitempty,max=1000"`
+	Like    *bool  `json:"like" validate:"omitempty"`
 }
 
 func UpdatePost(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
@@ -29,6 +30,12 @@ func UpdatePost(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 		})
 	}
 
+	if err := utils.Validate.Struct(&body); err != nil {
+		return c.Status(fiber.StatusBadRequest).JSON(fiber.Map{
+			"message": "Missing or invalid fields.",
+		})
+	}
+
 	id := c.Params("id")
 	postID, err := primitive.ObjectIDFromHex(id)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/server/models/post.go b/server/models/post.go
index 1c8246c..1dfe55a 100644
--- a/server/models/post.go
+++ b/server/models/post.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ type Post struct {
 	UpdatedAt primitive.Timestamp  `bson:"updated_at" json:"updated_at"`
 	Author    primitive.ObjectID   `bson:"author" json:"author"`
 	Content   string               `bson:"content" json:"content"`
-	Likes     []primitive.ObjectID `bson:"likes" json:"likes,omitempty"`
+	Likes     []primitive.ObjectID `bson:"likes" json:"likes"`
 	Comments  uint                 `bson:"comments" json:"comments"`
 }