Hanging Context Ask API

Ask a question in plain words.

GitHub OpenAPI

Operations 2

GET /ask Ask a question (GET) #
POST /ask Ask a question (POST) #

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OpenAPI Specification

hangingcontext-com-ask-api-openapi.yml Raw ↑
openapi: 3.2.0
info:
  title: Hanging Context public read Ask API
  version: 1.0.0
  summary: Free, keyless JSON, Markdown and feeds for Hanging Context stories.
  description: 'Hanging Context publishes fresh context for agents. Stories are rebuilt every 12 hours. Each claim cites a Synorb Manifest. Every endpoint here is a read. No key is necessary. The same stories are also available through the MCP server at https://hangingcontext.com/mcp. Version policy: Breaking changes ship as a new version. We announce them at least 90 days ahead with Deprecation and Sunset response headers on the old version, and on the /developers page. Paging uses a cursor. Each REST list holds every story of its window, so the REST files have no cursor. To get only the stories that are new since your last call, call the MCP tool hc_since. It returns next_cursor and has_more, and you send next_cursor in your next call. Rate limit: 60 calls per 60 seconds per IP address for /ask and MCP tool calls.'
  termsOfService: https://hangingcontext.com/terms/reuse/
  contact:
    name: Hanging Context
    email: team@synorb.com
    url: https://hangingcontext.com/contact/
  license:
    name: Hanging Context reuse terms
    url: https://hangingcontext.com/terms/reuse/
  x-api-version: '1'
  x-sdks:
  - ecosystem: npm
    language: JavaScript
    package: hanging-context
    version: 0.1.0
    url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/hanging-context
    install: npm install hanging-context
    cli: hanging-context
  - ecosystem: pypi
    language: Python
    package: hanging-context
    version: 0.1.0
    url: https://pypi.org/project/hanging-context/
    install: pip install hanging-context
    cli: hanging-context
  x-pagination:
    style: cursor
    tool: hc_since
    cursor_field: next_cursor
    more_field: has_more
    note: Paging uses a cursor. Each REST list holds every story of its window, so the REST files have no cursor. To get only the stories that are new since your last call, call the MCP tool hc_since. It returns next_cursor and has_more, and you send next_cursor in your next call.
servers:
- url: https://hangingcontext.com
  description: Production
security: []
tags:
- name: ask
  description: Ask a question in plain words.
paths:
  /ask:
    get:
      operationId: askQuestionGet
      tags:
      - ask
      summary: Ask a question (GET)
      description: 'Answer a question from recent stories. The reply copies facts word for word. It uses no LLM. The protocol is NLWeb. Send Accept: text/event-stream or stream=true to stream.'
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/ApiVersion'
      - name: query
        in: query
        required: false
        description: The question, in plain words. The name q is also accepted. Leave it out to get the help page.
        schema:
          type: string
          minLength: 1
          maxLength: 500
      - name: stream
        in: query
        required: false
        description: Set to true to get text/event-stream.
        schema:
          type: boolean
          default: false
      responses:
        '200':
          description: The answer.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                oneOf:
                - $ref: '#/components/schemas/AskAnswer'
                - $ref: '#/components/schemas/AskHelp'
            text/event-stream:
              schema:
                type: string
          headers:
            HC-API-Version:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/HC-API-Version'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Policy'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Limit'
            RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Remaining'
            RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Reset'
        '400':
          description: The request is not valid.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          headers:
            HC-API-Version:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/HC-API-Version'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Policy'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Limit'
            RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Remaining'
            RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Reset'
        '429':
          description: Too many calls from this address. Wait, then call again.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          headers:
            HC-API-Version:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/HC-API-Version'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Policy'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Limit'
            RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Remaining'
            RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Reset'
            Retry-After:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Retry-After'
        '500':
          description: The server could not answer. Try again later.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          headers:
            HC-API-Version:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/HC-API-Version'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Policy'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Limit'
            RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Remaining'
            RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Reset'
    post:
      operationId: askQuestionPost
      tags:
      - ask
      summary: Ask a question (POST)
      description: Answer a question from recent stories. The reply copies facts word for word. It uses no LLM. Set prefer.streaming to true to get text/event-stream.
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/AskRequest'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: The answer.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/AskAnswer'
            text/event-stream:
              schema:
                type: string
          headers:
            HC-API-Version:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/HC-API-Version'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Policy'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Limit'
            RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Remaining'
            RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Reset'
        '400':
          description: The request is not valid.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          headers:
            HC-API-Version:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/HC-API-Version'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Policy'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Limit'
            RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Remaining'
            RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Reset'
        '429':
          description: Too many calls from this address. Wait, then call again.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          headers:
            HC-API-Version:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/HC-API-Version'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Policy'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Limit'
            RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Remaining'
            RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Reset'
            Retry-After:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Retry-After'
        '500':
          description: The server could not answer. Try again later.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          headers:
            HC-API-Version:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/HC-API-Version'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Policy'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Limit'
            RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Remaining'
            RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Reset'
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/ApiVersion'
components:
  headers:
    RateLimit-Limit:
      description: Calls allowed in the window.
      schema:
        type: integer
    Retry-After:
      description: Seconds to wait before you call again.
      schema:
        type: integer
    RateLimit-Policy:
      description: The limit policy, for example "hc-public";q=60;w=60 (60 calls per 60 seconds).
      schema:
        type: string
    RateLimit:
      description: The calls left and the seconds until reset, for example "hc-public";r=59;t=60.
      schema:
        type: string
    RateLimit-Reset:
      description: Seconds until the window resets.
      schema:
        type: integer
    HC-API-Version:
      description: The API version of this response.
      schema:
        type: string
        example: '1'
    RateLimit-Remaining:
      description: Calls left in the window.
      schema:
        type: integer
  parameters:
    ApiVersion:
      name: HC-API-Version
      in: header
      required: false
      description: The API version you expect. Version 1 is the only version today. Every response carries the HC-API-Version header.
      schema:
        type: string
        enum:
        - '1'
        default: '1'
  schemas:
    AskHelp:
      type: object
      description: How to call /ask. A GET with no question returns this.
      required:
      - name
      - methods
      - parameters
      properties:
        name:
          type: string
        description:
          type: string
        protocol:
          type: string
        api_version:
          type: string
        methods:
          type: object
          additionalProperties:
            type: string
        parameters:
          type: object
          additionalProperties:
            type: string
        example:
          type: object
          additionalProperties:
            type: string
        authentication:
          type: object
          properties:
            required:
              type: boolean
        rate_limit:
          type: object
          properties:
            limit:
              type: integer
            window_seconds:
              type: integer
            scope:
              type: string
      additionalProperties: true
    Error:
      type: object
      description: The JSON error body.
      required:
      - error
      - message
      properties:
        error:
          type: string
          description: A short error code.
          example: empty_question
        message:
          type: string
          description: What is wrong.
        next_step:
          type: string
          description: What to do next.
        retry_after:
          type: integer
          description: Seconds to wait. Only for code 429.
    AskRequest:
      type: object
      description: An NLWeb question.
      required:
      - query
      properties:
        query:
          type: string
          minLength: 1
          maxLength: 500
          description: The question.
        prefer:
          type: object
          properties:
            streaming:
              type: boolean
              description: Set to true for text/event-stream.
        topic:
          type: string
          description: Only search this topic slug.
        days:
          type: integer
          minimum: 1
          maximum: 30
          default: 7
        limit:
          type: integer
          minimum: 1
          maximum: 20
          default: 5
    AskAnswer:
      type: object
      description: An NLWeb answer. Each result is a fact copied word for word from a story.
      required:
      - _meta
      - query
      - results
      properties:
        _meta:
          type: object
          required:
          - response_type
          - version
          properties:
            response_type:
              type: string
              example: answer
            version:
              type: string
            protocol:
              type: string
            uses_llm:
              type: boolean
        query:
          type: string
        no_match:
          type: boolean
        results:
          type: array
          items:
            type: object
            properties:
              url:
                type: string
                format: uri
              name:
                type: string
              description:
                type: string
              datePublished:
                type: string
              manifest_ids:
                type: array
                items:
                  type: string
            additionalProperties: true
        next_step:
          type: string
      additionalProperties: true
externalDocs:
  description: 'Hanging Context developers: the MCP server, the SDKs and the CLI, rate limits and errors.'
  url: https://hangingcontext.com/developers/