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Overview

The Questions endpoints allow you to retrieve detailed information about individual questions, resolve/unresolve questions, and access question metadata. Questions are the core forecasting units on Metaculus.
Questions are typically accessed through Posts. Use the /api/posts/ endpoint to retrieve questions with their surrounding context.

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Get Question Details

curl -X GET "https://www.metaculus.com/api/questions/3530/" \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_TOKEN"
GET /api/questions/{questionId}/ Retrieve detailed information about a specific question by its ID.

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Path Parameters

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questionId
integer
required
The unique identifier of the question

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Query Parameters

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with_cp
boolean
default:"false"
Include community predictions (aggregations) in the response
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minimize
boolean
default:"true"
Minimize the aggregation data by reducing the number of historical data points

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Response Fields

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id
integer
Unique identifier for the question
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title
string
The question title
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description
string
Full description of the question in markdown format
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type
string
Question type. One of: binary, multiple_choice, numeric, discrete, date
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status
string
Current question status: upcoming, open, closed, or resolved
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created_at
string (datetime)
ISO 8601 timestamp when the question was created
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open_time
string (datetime)
When the question opened for forecasting
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scheduled_close_time
string (datetime)
When the question is scheduled to close
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actual_close_time
string (datetime)
When the question actually closed (may differ from scheduled)
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scheduled_resolve_time
string (datetime)
When the question is scheduled to resolve
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actual_resolve_time
string (datetime)
When the question actually resolved
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resolution
string
The resolved value. Format depends on question type:
  • Binary: "yes" or "no"
  • Multiple choice: The selected option string
  • Numeric/Date/Discrete: A numeric value as string
  • Unsuccessful: "annulled" or "ambiguous"
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resolution_criteria
string
Criteria used to resolve the question
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fine_print
string
Additional clarifications and edge cases
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post_id
integer
ID of the post containing this question

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Type-Specific Fields

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Binary Questions

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possibilities
object
Contains type: "binary"

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Multiple Choice Questions

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options
array
Current list of answer options
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all_options_ever
array
All options that have ever existed for this question
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options_history
array
Array of [timestamp, options_array] pairs showing when options changed

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Continuous Questions (Numeric, Date, Discrete)

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scaling
object
Scaling information for the question
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range_min
number
Lower boundary of the input range
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range_max
number
Upper boundary of the input range
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zero_point
number
Only present for logarithmically scaled questions
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open_upper_bound
boolean
Whether the upper bound is open
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open_lower_bound
boolean
Whether the lower bound is open
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inbound_outcome_count
integer
Number of possible outcomes within the range (default: 200)
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continuous_range
array
List of real-value locations where the CDF is evaluated (201 values)
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unit
string
The unit of measurement (e.g., ”$”, “people”, “degrees C”)
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open_upper_bound
boolean
Whether probability mass can extend beyond the upper bound
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open_lower_bound
boolean
Whether probability mass can extend below the lower bound

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Community Predictions (with_cp=true)

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aggregations
object
Contains community prediction aggregations using different methods
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recency_weighted
object
Time-weighted average of user predictions
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latest
object
Most recent aggregation snapshot
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start_time
number
Unix timestamp when this aggregation started
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forecast_values
array
For continuous questions: 201-value CDF array. For binary: single probability.
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forecaster_count
integer
Number of forecasters included in this aggregation
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interval_lower_bounds
array
Lower bounds of prediction intervals (for continuous questions)
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centers
array
Center points of prediction intervals
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interval_upper_bounds
array
Upper bounds of prediction intervals
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history
array
Array of historical aggregation snapshots (same structure as latest)
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score_data
object
Scoring metrics for this aggregation method
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unweighted
object
Simple average of user predictions (same structure as recency_weighted)
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metaculus_prediction
object
Metaculus’s proprietary prediction algorithm (same structure as recency_weighted)

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Resolve Question

curl -X POST "https://www.metaculus.com/api/questions/3530/resolve/" \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "resolution": "yes",
    "actual_resolve_time": "2024-01-15T10:00:00Z"
  }'
POST /api/questions/{questionId}/resolve/ Resolve a question with a final outcome. Requires curator or admin permissions.

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Path Parameters

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questionId
integer
required
The unique identifier of the question to resolve

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Request Body

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resolution
string
required
The resolution value:
  • Binary: "yes" or "no"
  • Multiple choice: One of the option strings
  • Numeric/Date/Discrete: A numeric value as string
  • Unsuccessful: "annulled" or "ambiguous"
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actual_resolve_time
string (datetime)
required
ISO 8601 timestamp when the resolution became known

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Response

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post_id
integer
The ID of the post containing the resolved question
Only users with curator or admin permissions can resolve questions.

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Unresolve Question

curl -X POST "https://www.metaculus.com/api/questions/3530/unresolve/" \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_TOKEN"
POST /api/questions/{questionId}/unresolve/ Remove the resolution from a question, reopening it for forecasting or re-resolution.

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Path Parameters

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questionId
integer
required
The unique identifier of the question to unresolve

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Response

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post_id
integer
The ID of the post containing the unresolved question
Only users with curator or admin permissions can unresolve questions.

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