# Stack Overflow API: Search questions > Finds Stack Overflow programming questions matching plain-language search words, optionally filtered by tag and answer status, with a chosen sort order. Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Stack Overflow. - Page: https://fous.com/methods/stackoverflow.com/search-questions - Method: `stackoverflow.com/search_questions`, version 1 - Website: stackoverflow.com - Returns: title, score, answer count, accepted-answer flag, tags, asked date, views, link, question number - Effect: read (it gets data and changes nothing) - Sign-in: none needed - Cost: 1 credit per completed run (1ยข with pay as you go); failed runs are free - Verified: Nov 2, 2026 ## Inputs | Field | Type | Required | In the run below | Description | |---|---|---|---|---| | `tag` | string | no | | Limit results to a technology tag, for example: python. | | `sort` | string | no | `"newest"` | Order questions by match, score, or most recently asked; for example: relevance. One of "relevance", "votes", "newest". Default "relevance". | | `query` | string | yes | `"python"` | Describe the programming problem to find, for example: how to merge two dictionaries in python. | | `max_results` | integer | no | `10` | Maximum number of questions to return, from 1 to 50; for example: 10. Default 10. | | `answered_only` | boolean | no | `true` | Return only questions with at least one answer; for example: true. Default true. | ## Output From a run on Oct 23, 2026, shortened. Its input: ```json { "sort": "newest", "query": "python", "max_results": 10, "answered_only": true } ``` Its output: ```json { "questions": [ { "link": "https://stackoverflow.com/questions/80011903/how-can-i-split-double-hyphens-in-a-python-word-counter-while-preserving-single", "tags": [ "python", "regex", "string" ], "score": 1, "title": "How can I split double hyphens in a Python word counter while preserving single hyphens and apostrophes?", "asked_date": "2026-10-22", "view_count": 188, "answer_count": 4, "question_number": 80011903, "has_accepted_answer": false }, { "link": "https://stackoverflow.com/questions/80011495/how-do-i-start-object-initialization-without-blocking-program-shutdown", "tags": [ "best-practices", "python", "asynchronous" ], "score": 1, "title": "How do I start object initialization without blocking program shutdown?", "asked_date": "2026-10-21", "view_count": 248, "answer_count": 2, "question_number": 80011495, "has_accepted_answer": false }, { "link": "https://stackoverflow.com/questions/80011410/text-preprocessing-packages-in-addition-to-mustache-that-are-importable-both-int", "tags": [ "tooling-recommendation", "python", "ruby" ], "score": -1, "title": "Text preprocessing packages in addition to Mustache that are importable both into Python code and Ruby code", "asked_date": "2026-10-20", "view_count": 203, "answer_count": 1, "question_number": 80011410, "has_accepted_answer": false } ] } ``` ## Run it From code, with a Fous API key in `FOUS_API_KEY`; the answer's `data` holds the output: ```bash curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"method":"stackoverflow.com/search_questions","input":{"sort":"newest","query":"python","max_results":10,"answered_only":true}}' ``` From an AI agent connected to the Fous MCP server: its `run` with the same method and input. To connect one, give it `set up https://fous.com/SKILL.md`. ## Ask your agent - find questions about parsing JSON in javascript sorted by votes, limit 15, only answered - how to fix 'undefined reference to main' error in C, most recent first - show top voted questions tagged java-streams about grouping a list by key - search stackoverflow for python pandas dataframe merge keeping unmatched rows, sorted by relevance - what questions were asked newest about docker container networking with no answer filter ## Input schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "query" ], "properties": { "tag": { "type": "string", "description": "Limit results to a technology tag, for example: python." }, "sort": { "enum": [ "relevance", "votes", "newest" ], "type": "string", "default": "relevance", "description": "Order questions by match, score, or most recently asked; for example: relevance." }, "query": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1, "description": "Describe the programming problem to find, for example: how to merge two dictionaries in python." }, "max_results": { "type": "integer", "default": 10, "maximum": 50, "minimum": 1, "description": "Maximum number of questions to return, from 1 to 50; for example: 10." }, "answered_only": { "type": "boolean", "default": true, "description": "Return only questions with at least one answer; for example: true." } } } ``` ## Output schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "questions" ], "properties": { "questions": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "title", "score", "answer_count", "has_accepted_answer", "tags", "asked_date", "view_count", "link", "question_number" ], "properties": { "link": { "type": "string", "description": "Question page link." }, "tags": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Technology tags." }, "score": { "type": [ "integer", "null" ], "description": "Net vote score." }, "title": { "type": "string", "description": "Question title." }, "asked_date": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "format": "date", "description": "Date the question was asked." }, "view_count": { "type": [ "integer", "null" ], "description": "Number of views." }, "answer_count": { "type": [ "integer", "null" ], "description": "Number of answers." }, "question_number": { "type": "integer", "description": "Stack Overflow question number." }, "has_accepted_answer": { "type": "boolean", "description": "Whether the asker accepted an answer." } }, "additionalProperties": false }, "description": "Matching Stack Overflow questions." } }, "additionalProperties": false } ``` ## See more - [Stack Overflow API: Get answer](https://fous.com/methods/stackoverflow.com/get-answer.md): Gets a Stack Overflow question and its best answers, from a question link or a plain-word search. A search picks the most relevant answered question. The accepted answer comes first, then answers by score. - [Reddit API: Search posts](https://fous.com/methods/reddit.com/search-posts.md): Finds public Reddit posts by topic, optionally in one community, for a time window and sort order. Returns up to 100 posts in Reddit search order with score, comment count, text and link. - [Bluesky API: Search posts](https://fous.com/methods/bsky.app/search-posts.md): Searches public Bluesky posts for words, optionally ordered by latest or top and filtered by date, author or language. Search indexing may lag behind new posts. - [Hacker News API: Search stories](https://fous.com/methods/news.ycombinator.com/search-stories.md): Searches Hacker News stories or comments by words, date range and sort order. Comments include their parent story's website link when one exists; text-only stories have no website link. - [GitHub API: Search repositories](https://fous.com/methods/github.com/search-repositories.md): Finds public GitHub repositories by keywords, with an optional language filter and sort order. Returns up to 100 matches. - [Slickdeals API: Search deals](https://fous.com/methods/slickdeals.net/search-deals.md): Searches community-posted Slickdeals deals by product or keyword, optionally limited to a store and hiding expired deals, ordered by relevance, newest or most popular. - [crates.io API: Search crates](https://fous.com/methods/crates.io/search-crates.md): Finds Rust crates on crates.io by keywords, sorted by relevance, total downloads, recent downloads, or newest creation. - [Remote OK API: Search remote jobs](https://fous.com/methods/remoteok.com/search-jobs.md): Searches Remote OK jobs by role or skill. Results can be filtered by listed region and by minimum annual USD salary. - [All Stack Overflow methods](https://fous.com/methods/stackoverflow.com.md)