Yahoo Answers, the long-standing site that was once a bustling hub for millions of queries, is getting shuttered. While the site will be officially shut down on May 4, 2021, users will have until June 30 to request and download their data from the site.
Yahoo Answers Will Stop Taking Questions on April 20
Before the days of Quora, Yahoo Answers was the go-to platform for just about any question, whether it had to do with relationships, pet care, or even a question you were struggling with on your homework. The platform's once vibrant community volunteered answers that varied in helpfulness, ranging from completely useless to near-scholarly reports.
Now, the site's 15 year long reign is coming to an end. A report by The Verge pointed out a FAQ page on Yahoo's site, which states that Yahoo Answers will be transitioned to a read-only state on April 20, and will then be taken off the web altogether on May 4. If you try to visit Yahoo Answers after the closing date, you'll be redirected to the Yahoo homepage.
The same FAQ page also includes some information for existing users, such as how you can download your data from Yahoo Answers. If you want to preserve your questions and answers from over the years, you have to request this data from Yahoo before June 30, 2021.
Yahoo notes that it will take up to 30 days to process your request, and once ready, it will be downloadable in JSON format. You can find out more about downloading your Yahoo Answers content from Yahoo's Help Center page.
As for why Yahoo Answers is getting shut down, it has to do with dwindling usage. In a message sent to current Yahoo Answers users, Yahoo writes:
While Yahoo Answers war once a key part of Yahoo’s products and services, it has become less popular over the years as the needs of our members have changed. To that end, we have decided to shift our resources away from Yahoo Answers to focus on products that better serve our members and deliver on Yahoo’s promise of providing premium trusted content.
But for now, Yahoo Answers is still usable, so get your burning questions answered while you still can!
Yahoo Answers and the End of an Era
Since 2005, Yahoo Answers has been a staple Q&A site. Answers may have decreased in quality over the years, but there's no doubt that it had an impact on similar platforms like Quora.
But we have to admit—we'll miss the long-winded rants, widespread trolling, and the occasional intelligent responses that Yahoo Answers became known for.