Question search — basic title-match, full-text excerpts, and advanced.
openapi: 3.0.3
info:
title: Stack Exchange Access Tokens Search 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: Search
description: Question search — basic title-match, full-text excerpts, and advanced.
paths:
/search:
get:
tags:
- Search
operationId: searchQuestions
summary: Stack Exchange Search Questions
description: Title-match search for questions.
parameters:
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Site'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Key'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Filter'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Page'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/PageSize'
- name: intitle
in: query
required: true
schema:
type: string
example: openapi
- name: tagged
in: query
schema:
type: string
- name: nottagged
in: query
schema:
type: string
- name: sort
in: query
schema:
type: string
enum:
- activity
- votes
- creation
- relevance
default: activity
responses:
'200':
description: A page of matching questions.
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/QuestionsResponse'
x-microcks-operation:
delay: 0
dispatcher: FALLBACK
/search/advanced:
get:
tags:
- Search
operationId: searchQuestionsAdvanced
summary: Stack Exchange Search Questions Advanced
description: Advanced search across question title, body, tags, and dates.
parameters:
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Site'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Key'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Filter'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Page'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/PageSize'
- name: q
in: query
schema:
type: string
example: openapi specification
- name: title
in: query
schema:
type: string
- name: body
in: query
schema:
type: string
- name: tagged
in: query
schema:
type: string
- name: nottagged
in: query
schema:
type: string
- name: accepted
in: query
schema:
type: boolean
- name: answers
in: query
schema:
type: integer
- name: closed
in: query
schema:
type: boolean
- name: migrated
in: query
schema:
type: boolean
- name: notice
in: query
schema:
type: boolean
- name: views
in: query
schema:
type: integer
- name: sort
in: query
schema:
type: string
enum:
- activity
- votes
- creation
- relevance
default: activity
responses:
'200':
description: A page of matching questions.
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/QuestionsResponse'
x-microcks-operation:
delay: 0
dispatcher: FALLBACK
/search/excerpts:
get:
tags:
- Search
operationId: searchExcerpts
summary: Stack Exchange Search Excerpts
description: Full-text excerpt search across questions and answers.
parameters:
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Site'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Key'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Filter'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Page'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/PageSize'
- name: q
in: query
schema:
type: string
example: openapi specification
- name: tagged
in: query
schema:
type: string
responses:
'200':
description: A page of search excerpts.
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/QuestionsResponse'
x-microcks-operation:
delay: 0
dispatcher: FALLBACK
/similar:
get:
tags:
- Search
operationId: findSimilarQuestions
summary: Stack Exchange Find Similar Questions
description: Find questions similar to a candidate title.
parameters:
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Site'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Key'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Filter'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/Page'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/PageSize'
- name: title
in: query
required: true
schema:
type: string
example: How do I parse JSON in Python?
- name: tagged
in: query
schema:
type: string
responses:
'200':
description: A page of similar questions.
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/QuestionsResponse'
x-microcks-operation:
delay: 0
dispatcher: FALLBACK
components:
schemas:
Question:
type: object
description: A question on a Stack Exchange site.
properties:
question_id:
type: integer
example: 11227809
title:
type: string
example: Why is processing a sorted array faster than processing an unsorted array?
body:
type: string
description: HTML body of the question (only included via filter).
body_markdown:
type: string
description: Markdown body of the question (only included via filter).
link:
type: string
format: uri
example: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11227809
score:
type: integer
example: 27000
view_count:
type: integer
example: 1900000
answer_count:
type: integer
example: 25
comment_count:
type: integer
example: 12
favorite_count:
type: integer
example: 4000
is_answered:
type: boolean
example: true
accepted_answer_id:
type: integer
example: 11227902
creation_date:
type: integer
format: int64
example: 1338717687
last_activity_date:
type: integer
format: int64
example: 1700000000
last_edit_date:
type: integer
format: int64
example: 1690000000
owner:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/ShallowUser'
tags:
type: array
items:
type: string
example:
- java
- c++
- performance
- cpu-architecture
- branch-prediction
content_license:
type: string
example: CC BY-SA 4.0
protected_date:
type: integer
format: int64
locked_date:
type: integer
format: int64
closed_date:
type: integer
format: int64
closed_reason:
type: string
bounty_amount:
type: integer
bounty_closes_date:
type: integer
format: int64
QuestionsResponse:
allOf:
- $ref: '#/components/schemas/Wrapper'
- type: object
properties:
items:
type: array
items:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/Question'
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
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
parameters:
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
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
Page:
name: page
in: query
required: false
description: 1-indexed page number.
schema:
type: integer
minimum: 1
default: 1
example: 1
Filter:
name: filter
in: query
required: false
description: Custom response filter id created via /filters/create.
schema:
type: string
example: default
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.
'