Stack Exchange Comments API

openapi: 3.0.3
info:
  title: Stack Exchange Access Tokens Comments API
  description: 'Public, read-mostly HTTP/JSON API spanning all 180+ Stack Exchange sites

    (Stack Overflow, Server Fault, Super User, Ask Ubuntu, Stats, Math Overflow, ...).


    All method families live under a single base URL with a uniform wrapper

    (`items`, `has_more`, `page`, `quota_max`, `quota_remaining`, `backoff`).

    Read access is unauthenticated. Write methods require OAuth 2.0 with the

    appropriate scopes (`write_access`, `private_info`, `no_expiry`).


    Most paths take a required `site` query parameter naming the target Q&A

    community (`stackoverflow`, `serverfault`, `superuser`, ...). Use `/sites`

    to enumerate the network.

    '
  version: '2.3'
  termsOfService: https://stackoverflow.com/legal/api-terms-of-use
  contact:
    name: Stack Exchange API
    url: https://api.stackexchange.com/
  license:
    name: Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 (content) / API Terms of Use
    url: https://stackoverflow.com/legal/api-terms-of-use
  x-generated-from: documentation
  x-last-validated: '2026-05-29'
servers:
- url: https://api.stackexchange.com/2.3
  description: Stack Exchange API v2.3 production endpoint
security:
- apiKey: []
tags:
- name: Comments
  description: Comments attached to questions and answers across the network.
paths:
  /comments:
    get:
      tags:
      - Comments
      operationId: listComments
      summary: Stack Exchange List Comments
      description: All comments on a site.
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/Site'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/Key'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/Filter'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/Page'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/PageSize'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/Order'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/FromDate'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/ToDate'
      - name: sort
        in: query
        schema:
          type: string
          enum:
          - creation
          - votes
          default: creation
      responses:
        '200':
          description: A page of comments.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/CommentsResponse'
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
  /comments/{ids}:
    get:
      tags:
      - Comments
      operationId: getCommentsByIds
      summary: Stack Exchange Get Comments by Ids
      description: Fetch up to 100 comments by semicolon-delimited ids.
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/Ids'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/Site'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/Key'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/Filter'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: A page of comments.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/CommentsResponse'
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
components:
  parameters:
    Page:
      name: page
      in: query
      required: false
      description: 1-indexed page number.
      schema:
        type: integer
        minimum: 1
        default: 1
        example: 1
    Key:
      name: key
      in: query
      required: false
      description: App key from stackapps.com. Raises the daily quota to 10,000/IP.
      schema:
        type: string
        example: example_app_key_abcdef
    Ids:
      name: ids
      in: path
      required: true
      description: Up to 100 semicolon-delimited ids of the resource.
      schema:
        type: string
        example: 11227809;417142
    ToDate:
      name: todate
      in: query
      required: false
      description: Unix epoch seconds — latest creation_date.
      schema:
        type: integer
        format: int64
        example: 1735689600
    Site:
      name: site
      in: query
      required: true
      description: Target Q&A community. Either the api_site_parameter from a `/sites` entry (e.g. `stackoverflow`, `serverfault`, `superuser`) or a full domain (`stackoverflow.com`).
      schema:
        type: string
        default: stackoverflow
        example: stackoverflow
    PageSize:
      name: pagesize
      in: query
      required: false
      description: Items per page (max 100).
      schema:
        type: integer
        minimum: 1
        maximum: 100
        default: 30
        example: 30
    Order:
      name: order
      in: query
      required: false
      description: Sort direction.
      schema:
        type: string
        enum:
        - desc
        - asc
        default: desc
    Filter:
      name: filter
      in: query
      required: false
      description: Custom response filter id created via /filters/create.
      schema:
        type: string
        example: default
    FromDate:
      name: fromdate
      in: query
      required: false
      description: Unix epoch seconds — earliest creation_date.
      schema:
        type: integer
        format: int64
        example: 1700000000
  schemas:
    Wrapper:
      type: object
      description: Common envelope returned by every Stack Exchange API method.
      properties:
        backoff:
          type: integer
          description: Seconds the client MUST wait before re-querying this same method. Returned when the API has identified the consumer as expensive.
          example: 0
        error_id:
          type: integer
          description: Numeric error code when the response is an error.
        error_message:
          type: string
          description: Human-readable error message.
        error_name:
          type: string
          description: Stable error name (e.g. `throttle_violation`).
        has_more:
          type: boolean
          description: True when more pages exist past the returned `page`.
          example: true
        page:
          type: integer
          description: Page number echoed from the request.
          example: 1
        page_size:
          type: integer
          description: Page size echoed from the request.
          example: 30
        quota_max:
          type: integer
          description: Daily quota for the IP/key combination.
          example: 10000
        quota_remaining:
          type: integer
          description: Quota left after this request.
          example: 9999
        total:
          type: integer
          description: Total count when the consumer requested it via filter.
        type:
          type: string
          description: Type name of the items returned.
      required:
      - has_more
      - quota_max
      - quota_remaining
    ShallowUser:
      type: object
      description: Lightweight user reference embedded in posts and comments.
      properties:
        user_id:
          type: integer
          format: int64
          example: 22656
        user_type:
          type: string
          enum:
          - unregistered
          - registered
          - moderator
          - team_admin
          - does_not_exist
          example: registered
        display_name:
          type: string
          example: Jon Skeet
        reputation:
          type: integer
          example: 1500000
        profile_image:
          type: string
          format: uri
          example: https://i.sstatic.net/lLZAr.jpg?s=128
        link:
          type: string
          format: uri
          example: https://stackoverflow.com/users/22656/jon-skeet
        accept_rate:
          type: integer
          example: 92
    CommentsResponse:
      allOf:
      - $ref: '#/components/schemas/Wrapper'
      - type: object
        properties:
          items:
            type: array
            items:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/Comment'
    Comment:
      type: object
      description: A comment attached to a question or answer.
      properties:
        comment_id:
          type: integer
          example: 14587302
        post_id:
          type: integer
          example: 11227809
        post_type:
          type: string
          enum:
          - question
          - answer
          example: question
        score:
          type: integer
          example: 12
        body:
          type: string
          example: Great explanation, thank you.
        body_markdown:
          type: string
        creation_date:
          type: integer
          format: int64
          example: 1338800000
        edited:
          type: boolean
          example: false
        link:
          type: string
          format: uri
          example: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11227809#comment14587302_11227809
        owner:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/ShallowUser'
        reply_to_user:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/ShallowUser'
        content_license:
          type: string
          example: CC BY-SA 4.0
  securitySchemes:
    oauth2:
      type: oauth2
      description: 'OAuth 2.0 explicit or implicit flow. Apps register on stackapps.com.

        Read methods do not require auth; write methods require `write_access`.

        `private_info` is needed for /me/notifications, /me/inbox, and similar

        private surfaces. `no_expiry` issues tokens that never expire.

        '
      flows:
        authorizationCode:
          authorizationUrl: https://stackoverflow.com/oauth
          tokenUrl: https://stackoverflow.com/oauth/access_token
          scopes:
            read_inbox: Access the authenticated user's inbox.
            no_expiry: Issue a token that never expires.
            write_access: Vote, post, comment, flag, accept on the user's behalf.
            private_info: Access endpoints that return personal information.
    apiKey:
      type: apiKey
      in: query
      name: key
      description: 'Optional app key. Sending a key raises the daily quota from 300 to 10,000

        requests per IP and is the recommended default for any non-trivial client.

        '