postAnswer

Postanswer is a term used to describe the act of submitting an answer to a question on a question-and-answer platform. In software documentation and API references, it may also refer to a function or endpoint named postAnswer that creates a new answer for a given question. The term emphasizes the action of publishing content in response to a query, as opposed to drafting or editing content.

In typical use, posting an answer requires a user to be authenticated and often to meet certain platform-specific requirements, such as a minimum reputation or verified status. The user provides content that may include plain text, code snippets, links, or formatting. The system usually performs basic validation to prevent spam and may route new submissions through moderation or automatically categorize them. Once published, the answer appears beneath the corresponding question and becomes eligible for upvotes, downvotes, and sometimes an acceptance by the question asker.

Common features associated with postanswer workflows include draft or preview modes, revision history, and moderation queues for flagged content. Platforms differ in how they handle updates after posting—the original answer can often be edited, and accepted answers are typically highlighted as the preferred solution. In API contexts, postAnswer often involves sending a request with the question identifier and the answer content to create the entry, with responses indicating success or failure and sometimes returning the newly created answer object.

See also: Answer, Question, Comment, Moderation, Reputation.