TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview
The Stack Overflow API includes a number of write-capable endpoints. These endpoints alter your data, and should be used with extra care.
Write-access tokens
When you create API access tokens in Stack Internal Enterprise or Stack Internal Business, you can give them write permissions. This allows the API token to submit questions and answers, vote, edit content, and more.
These tokens have access to the same data as the user that authenticated them, and they write and edit data as that user. For this reason, don't share your write-enabled API tokens with other users.
Stack Internal Basic offers read-only access, and cannot write data with the API. Stack Internal Free does not offer API access.
Learn more about API write access and authentication:
- API v3 Overview
- Interactive API v3 documentation at https://[your_site]/api/v3
Adding content by API
Stack Overflow Internal users can use the write-enabled API v3 to add content to their site, but should proceed with caution when adding it automatically. Adding content with API automation requires extra care because the results can feel machine-generated or otherwise out of place. This may cause users to ignore new API-generated content and potentially lose engagement.
Examples of API integrations that may have detrimental effects on engagement include:
- Adding all entries from some other system (like an error logger or chat system) as new questions on your Stack Overflow Internal site.
- Allowing users to add new questions through a different interface or site, without an understanding of the Stack Overflow Internal site itself or how the content will appear.
- Automatically posting the same boilerplate text as an answer to all questions.
All content on your site should feel appropriate and relevant, especially content added by API. To this end, we recommend write API integrations honor the following guidelines:
- Require an explicit user action before posting any new content.
- Ensure that users understand where their content/contributions will be posted.
- Never use API automation to add the same content with every new post.
Be sure to contact your site administrator to discuss your objectives and planned implementation before using the API's write capabilities.
