diff --git a/server/routes.ts b/server/routes.ts
index f299c1b..a625994 100644
--- a/server/routes.ts
+++ b/server/routes.ts
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ export async function registerRoutes(app: Express): Promise<Server> {
       const user = req.user as User;
       const userId = user.id;
 
-      // Check if Cloudinary is configured (use any admin config for all users)
+      // Check if Cloudinary is configured (shared config used for all users)
       const cloudinaryConfig = await storage.getAnyCloudinaryConfig();
       
       if (!cloudinaryConfig) {
@@ -476,11 +476,11 @@ export async function registerRoutes(app: Express): Promise<Server> {
         });
       }
 
-      // Upload to Cloudinary using admin config
+      // Upload to Cloudinary (service will use shared config internally)
       const uploadResult = await cloudinaryService.uploadMedia(
         req.file.buffer,
         req.file.originalname,
-        cloudinaryConfig.userId,
+        userId,
         req.file.mimetype
       );
 
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ export async function registerRoutes(app: Express): Promise<Server> {
 
       console.log("✅ Overlays applied, uploading to Cloudinary...");
 
-      // Check if Cloudinary is configured (use any admin config for all users)
+      // Check if Cloudinary is configured (shared config used for all users)
       const cloudinaryConfig = await storage.getAnyCloudinaryConfig();
       if (!cloudinaryConfig) {
         return res.status(400).json({ 
@@ -675,11 +675,11 @@ export async function registerRoutes(app: Express): Promise<Server> {
         });
       }
 
-      // Upload to Cloudinary using admin config
+      // Upload to Cloudinary (service will use shared config internally)
       const uploadResult = await cloudinaryService.uploadMedia(
         outputBuffer,
         `edited_${Date.now()}.jpg`,
-        cloudinaryConfig.userId,
+        userId,
         'image/jpeg'
       );
 
diff --git a/server/services/cloudinary.ts b/server/services/cloudinary.ts
index 964b6f7..4561317 100644
--- a/server/services/cloudinary.ts
+++ b/server/services/cloudinary.ts
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ class CloudinaryService {
     instagramFeedUrl: string | null;
     instagramStoryUrl: string | null;
   }> {
-    // Get user's Cloudinary config
-    const config = await storage.getCloudinaryConfig(userId);
+    // Get any available Cloudinary config (shared across all users)
+    const config = await storage.getAnyCloudinaryConfig();
     
     if (!config) {
-      throw new Error('Cloudinary configuration not found. Please configure Cloudinary in Settings.');
+      throw new Error('Cloudinary configuration not found. Please ask an administrator to configure Cloudinary in Settings first.');
     }
 
     // Configure Cloudinary with user's credentials
@@ -81,10 +81,11 @@ class CloudinaryService {
   }
 
   async deleteMedia(publicId: string, userId: string, mediaType: 'image' | 'video'): Promise<void> {
-    const config = await storage.getCloudinaryConfig(userId);
+    // Get any available Cloudinary config (shared across all users)
+    const config = await storage.getAnyCloudinaryConfig();
     
     if (!config) {
-      throw new Error('Cloudinary configuration not found');
+      throw new Error('Cloudinary configuration not found. Please ask an administrator to configure Cloudinary in Settings first.');
     }
 
     cloudinary.config({