---
title: "Ask a question (NLWeb 0.55)"
method: POST
path: "/ask"
tags: ["Read"]
---

# Ask a question (NLWeb 0.55)

`POST /ask`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://bisque.today`
- URL: `https://bisque.today/ask`
- Auth: none required

Microsoft's NLWeb protocol over the docs and public presentations. Send `{"query": "..."}` (or the structured 0.55 form with `query.text`, `context.prev`, `prefer.streaming`) and get a ranked list of schema.org items. With `prefer.streaming: true` or `Accept: text/event-stream` the reply is an SSE stream of `start`, `result` and `complete` events. GET with `?query=` works the same way. No credential; 120 requests per 10 minutes per IP.

## Request body

- AskRequest: Either the flat form (`query` is a string) or the NLWeb 0.55 structured form (`query` is an object).
  - `query` union
    - string
    - object
      - `text` string, required
      - `site` string
  - `site` string
  - `prev` string: Comma-separated previous queries.
  - `streaming` boolean
  - `mode` 'list' | 'summarize' | 'generate'
  - `query_id` string
  - `context` object
    - `prev` string
  - `prefer` object
    - `streaming` boolean
    - `mode` string
  - `meta` object
    - `version` '0.55'

## Response `200`

The answer: ranked items, or the same as an SSE stream.

- AskResponse
  - `_meta` object, required
    - `version` '0.55', required
    - `response_type` 'answer', required
    - `mode` string
    - `site` string
  - `query_id` string, required
  - `query` string, required
  - `results` AskItem[], required
    - `url` string, uri, required
    - `name` string, required
    - `site` string, required
    - `score` number, required
    - `description` string, required
    - `schema_object` object, required: A schema.org object: TechArticle for a docs page, VideoObject for a presentation.

## Other responses

- `400`: No query text.
- `429`: Rate limited. Wait `Retry-After` seconds.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/bisque/apis/bisque-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/bisque/apis/bisque-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/bisque/apis/bisque-api/revisions/5dd7a3c62937?raw)