# Zhihu question answers API

The Zhihu question answers API returns the first 20 answers to a Zhihu question by ID or link, in Zhihu's own order: text, author, upvotes, comment and save counts. One page only. One call costs 2 credits ($0.004 to $0.0067 depending on the pack); failed calls are free. Call it over HTTP or from your AI client over MCP. Last tested 2026-10-17.

- Page: https://socialtoai.com/zhihu-question-answers-api/
- Last updated: 2026-10-17
- Last tested: 2026-10-17

| Request | Price key | Credits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `POST /v1/call/zhihu.question_answers` | `zhihu.question_answers` | 2 |

## Request

```bash
curl https://api.socialtoai.com/v1/call/zhihu.question_answers \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SOCIALTOAI_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "id": "55043447"
  }'
```

```python
import os
import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.socialtoai.com/v1/call/zhihu.question_answers",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['SOCIALTOAI_KEY']}"},
    json={
        "id": "55043447",
    },
)
print(response.json())
```

## Parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `id` | string | One of these | — | Question ID, a string of digits |
| `url` | string | One of these | — | Web link to the question |

First page only: up to 20 items, with no cursor parameter and no next page.

## Where the values come from

- `id`: Question ID, a string of digits (e.g. `55043447`)
  No other interface of the platform returns it.

## Response fields

| Field | Type | Meaning | Given |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `items[].url` | string | A link that opens the item. | yes |
| `items[].format` | string | video, image, text or article. | yes |
| `items[].title` | string | The title. | yes |
| `items[].text` | string | The body text or caption. | yes |
| `items[].published_at` | string | When it was published, ISO 8601 in UTC. | yes |
| `items[].author.id` | string | The author's account ID. | yes |
| `items[].author.username` | string | The author's handle. | yes |
| `items[].author.name` | string | The author's display name. | yes |
| `items[].author.verified` | boolean | Whether the author is verified. | always null: Zhihu does not give it |
| `items[].author.followers` | integer | The author's follower count. | yes |
| `items[].metrics.likes` | integer | Likes. | yes |
| `items[].metrics.comments` | integer | Comments. | yes |
| `items[].metrics.shares` | integer | Shares. | always null: Zhihu does not give it |
| `items[].metrics.collects` | integer | Saves. | yes |
| `items[].metrics.views` | integer | Views or plays. | always null: Zhihu does not give it |
| `items[].metrics.reposts` | integer | Reposts. | always null: Zhihu does not give it |
| `items[].images` | string[] | Image addresses. | always null: Zhihu does not give it |
| `items[].hashtags` | string[] | Hashtags, without the #. | always null: Zhihu does not give it |
| `items[].is_pinned` | boolean | Whether the author pinned it. | always null: Zhihu does not give it |

Every item also has platform, id, ref, approx and type; the response around the items is the same on every call. [Response format](https://socialtoai.com/docs/api/response.md)

## Sample response

Sample data: names, links and text are replaced by placeholders; the numbers are as recorded.

```json
{
  "request_id": "req_00000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000001",
  "schema_version": "v1",
  "fetched_at": "2026-10-12T19:18:39.000Z",
  "action": "call",
  "op": "zhihu.question_answers",
  "platform": "zhihu",
  "status": "ok",
  "items": [
    {
      "platform": "zhihu",
      "id": "…",
      "ref": "…",
      "approx": [],
      "type": "content",
      "url": "https://example.com/…",
      "format": "text",
      "title": "…",
      "text": "…",
      "published_at": "2017-01-23T02:28:14.000Z",
      "author": {
        "id": "…",
        "username": "…",
        "name": "…",
        "verified": null,
        "followers": 3641
      },
      "metrics": {
        "likes": 228,
        "comments": 34,
        "shares": null,
        "collects": 698,
        "views": null,
        "reposts": null
      },
      "images": null,
      "hashtags": null,
      "is_pinned": null
    }
  ],
  "unavailable": ["author.verified", "metrics.shares", "metrics.views", "metrics.reposts", "images", "hashtags", "is_pinned"],
  "page": {
    "has_more": false
  },
  "warnings": [],
  "applied_params": {
    "id": "55043447"
  },
  "cost_credits": 2,
  "billing": {
    "cost_credits": 2,
    "balance_credits": 98,
    "today_spend_credits": 2,
    "daily_limit_credits": null,
    "daily_remaining_credits": null,
    "display": "This call: 2 credits. Balance: 98 credits."
  },
  "replayed": false
}
```

## Paging and failures

- One call returns the first page only, up to 20 items, with no cursor, for 2 credits.
- A call that runs and finds nothing is a successful call: status is "empty", items is empty, and it costs 2 credits.
- 1 call per second per key, 5 after a purchase; going over is not charged. [Rate limits](https://socialtoai.com/docs/credits-and-billing.md#rate-limits)
- A failed call costs 0 credits and is never retried on its own. [Error codes](https://socialtoai.com/docs/api/errors.md)

## Ask your AI

- Get the first 20 answers to a Zhihu question by ID or link, in Zhihu's own order: 55043447. → `call {"op":"zhihu.question_answers","id":"55043447"}`, 2 credits

## More on Zhihu

| Interface | What it does | Price key | Credits | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `column_articles` | Get a page of the articles in a Zhihu column by the column's ID. | `zhihu.column_articles` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/zhihu-column-articles-api.md |
| `followers` | Get a page of the accounts following a Zhihu user, 20 a page. | `zhihu.followers` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/zhihu-followers-api.md |
| `search` | Find answers by keyword: text, author, likes, comment count and publish time. | `zhihu.search` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/zhihu-search-api.md |
| `trending` | What is trending now: title, rank and heat. | `zhihu.trending` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/zhihu-trending-api.md |
| `detail` | One answer by ID or link: text, author and publish time. | `zhihu.detail` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/zhihu-detail-api.md |
| `comments` | The comments under one answer: text, likes, reply count and time. | `zhihu.comments` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/zhihu-comments-api.md |
| `user_profile` | One account: name, bio and followers. | `zhihu.user_profile` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/zhihu-user-profile-api.md |
| `user_posts` | The recent answers of one account. | `zhihu.user_posts` | 2 | https://socialtoai.com/zhihu-user-posts-api.md |

## FAQ

**Do I need a Zhihu account or Zhihu's own API access?**

No. You only need a SocialToAI key. The call returns content and account information publicly visible on Zhihu; you never sign in to Zhihu or apply for anything there.

**Can I get the next page?**

No. On Zhihu this interface gives its first page only (up to 20 items): the response carries no cursor, and page.has_more is always false.