---
title: "REST: POST /api/ask"
description: "Request and response fields for the public question endpoint."
url: "https://docs.octo.ad/reference/rest-api-ask/"
id: "reference/rest-api-ask"
type: "reference"
audience: "developer"
dateModified: "2026-11-06"
productArea: "integrations"
keywords: ["REST", "API"]
---

# REST: POST /api/ask

> Request and response fields for the public question endpoint.

## Request

`POST https://octo.ad/api/ask`, body JSON:

| Field | Type | Required | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| `message` | string | yes | Your question, up to 2,000 characters. |
| `session_id` | string | no | Continue an earlier conversation. |

## Response

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `answer` | The answer, from public material. |
| `follow_up` | A suggested next question or step. |
| `session_id` | Send it back to continue. |
| `status` | A state for the conversation. Treat it as opaque; its values are not published. |

A response looks like this (values shortened):

```
{"answer": "OCTOPUS by ARAMAI is the harness for enterprise AI ...", "follow_up": "...", "session_id": "...", "status": "..."}
```

## Errors

| Code | When |
|---|---|
| 400 | The body is not valid. |
| 429 | The daily limit was reached. |
| 503 | The answer could not be produced right now. |