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IA.md

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brand Quora
tagline A place to share knowledge and better understand the world
category Social & Communication
website https://quora.com

Information Architecture — Quora

Overview

Quora is a knowledge-sharing Q&A platform where questions are answered by a community of experts, enthusiasts, and everyday users. The IA is organized around Questions, Answers, Topics, and Spaces (community groups). Content is evergreen — answers accumulate upvotes over years — making Quora both a real-time discussion forum and a durable knowledge base. Quora also hosts Poe, its AI chatbot aggregator platform.

Site Map

Quora
├── Home Feed (personalized)
│   ├── Answers from followed topics/people
│   ├── Suggested questions
│   └── Space posts
├── Search
│   ├── Questions
│   ├── Answers
│   ├── People
│   ├── Spaces
│   └── Topics
├── Answer (write)
│   ├── Answer Requests
│   ├── Questions for You
│   └── Drafts
├── Spaces
│   ├── Space Feed
│   ├── Members
│   ├── About / Rules
│   ├── Submissions
│   └── Space Settings (admins)
├── Notifications
│   ├── Upvotes
│   ├── Answers to your questions
│   ├── Comments
│   ├── Follow activity
│   └── Space updates
├── Profile
│   ├── Answers
│   ├── Questions
│   ├── Posts
│   ├── Followers / Following
│   ├── Topics / Spaces
│   ├── Credentials
│   └── Stats (views, upvotes)
├── Quora+ (subscription)
│   └── Paywalled answers / premium content
├── Monetization
│   ├── Quora Partner Program
│   └── Space subscriptions
├── Poe (AI platform)
│   ├── Chat with AI bots
│   ├── Bot creation
│   └── API access
├── Topic Pages
│   ├── Related Questions
│   ├── Top Answers
│   ├── Topic FAQ
│   └── Related Topics
└── Settings
    ├── Account
    ├── Privacy
    ├── Email & Notifications
    ├── Languages
    └── Content Preferences

Navigation Model

  • Type: Top nav bar with left sidebar (desktop), bottom tab bar (mobile)
  • Desktop Top Bar: Quora logo (home), Search bar, Add Question, Notifications, Profile avatar
  • Desktop Left Sidebar: Home, Following, Answer, Spaces, Notifications, Poe
  • Mobile Bottom Tabs: Home, Search, Add (+), Notifications, Profile
  • Question Page: Answer list sorted by upvotes; "Related Questions" sidebar
  • Topic Navigation: Topic page → related topics tree → questions within topic

Content Model

Entity Key Attributes Relationships
Question title, details, topics, asker (can be anonymous), answer count, followers, merged questions → Answers, → Topics
Answer body (rich text), author, upvotes, downvotes, comments, views, timestamp, Quora+ flag → Question, → Author
Post body, author, Space (if applicable), upvotes, comments → Space, → Profile
Space name, description, icon, rules, member count, admin list, subscription price (optional) → Posts, → Members
Topic name, description, related topics, follower count, image → Questions, → Answers
Comment text, author, timestamp, upvotes → Answer, → Post
Credential text (e.g., "PhD in Physics"), user-added, displayed on relevant answers → User, → Topic
User Profile name, bio, credentials, follower count, answer views, spaces → Answers, → Questions, → Spaces

User Flows

Asking a Question

Click "Add Question" → Type question → Autocomplete suggests existing similar questions → If duplicate found → Redirect to existing question → If new → Add topic tags → Submit → Optionally request answers from specific users or topic experts → Question appears in topic feeds and followers' home feeds

Answering a Question

Home feed shows "Questions for You" based on expertise/interests → Or browse "Answer" tab → Curated answer requests → Click question → Write answer with rich text editor (formatting, images, links) → Submit → Answer ranked by upvotes among other answers

Exploring Spaces

Discover Spaces via home feed, search, or sidebar → Join Space → See posts from Space members → Contribute posts → Admins may moderate submissions → Paid Spaces require subscription to view premium content

URL / Route Structure

quora.com/                                  # Home feed
quora.com/search?q={query}                  # Search results
quora.com/{question-slug}                   # Question page
quora.com/{question-slug}/answer/{answerId} # Specific answer
quora.com/profile/{username}                # User profile
quora.com/profile/{username}/answers        # User's answers
quora.com/topic/{topic-slug}                # Topic page
quora.com/spaces/{spaceSlug}                # Space page
quora.com/q/{spaceSlug}/{postId}            # Space post
quora.com/about                             # About Quora
poe.com/                                    # Poe AI platform (separate domain)
quora.com/topic/{topic}                       # Topic page
quora.com/search?q={query}                    # Search results
quora.com/profile/{username}                  # User profile
quora.com/profile/{username}/answers          # User's answers
quora.com/spaces/{space}                      # Space (community)
quora.com/create                              # Create question
quora.com/create_space                        # Create space
quora.com/messages                            # Direct messages
quora.com/notifications                       # Notifications
quora.com/stats                               # Creator stats
quora.com/monetization                        # Quora Partner Program
quora.com/settings                            # Account settings
quora.com/settings/privacy                    # Privacy settings

Search & Filter

  • Global Search: Full-text search across questions, answers, people, topics, Spaces
  • Autocomplete: Question deduplication — suggests existing questions matching typed query
  • Answer Sorting: By upvotes (default), recency, or "Related answers"
  • Topic Browse: Hierarchical topic tree; related topics sidebar
  • Language Filter: Content available in 20+ languages; filter by language preference
  • Feed Tuning: Upvote/downvote and "Not interested" signals to tune home feed
  • Space Content: Searchable within specific Spaces

Responsive Behavior

Breakpoint Behavior
Mobile (< 768px) Single-column feed; bottom tab bar; full-screen question/answer view; simplified editor
Tablet (768–1024px) Single-column with wider margins; sidebar collapses
Desktop (> 1024px) Left sidebar (nav) + center feed + right sidebar (related questions, trending, ads)
SEO Pages Questions and top answers rendered server-side for search engine indexing

Access Control

Role Capabilities
Anonymous Visitor View questions and answers (with signup prompt after scroll); search; SEO landing pages
Registered User Ask questions, answer, upvote/downvote, comment, follow topics/people/Spaces, create Spaces
Quora+ Subscriber Access paywalled answers, ad-free experience
Space Admin Create/manage Space, set rules, moderate submissions, set subscription pricing
Space Member Post in Space, comment, view member-only content
Quora Partner Earn revenue from questions that generate ad views
Top Writer Badge recognition, invited to Quora events, content prioritized
Moderator (platform) Edit questions, merge duplicates, enforce BNBR (Be Nice Be Respectful) policy
Blocked / Banned Cannot interact with blocking user; banned users lose write access platform-wide

Content Model

Entity Key Attributes Relationships
Question title, details, topics[], anonymous flag, followers count, answer count → Answers, Topics, Asker
Answer body (rich text), upvotes, downvotes, views, shares, author, date, position → Question, Author, Comments
Topic name, description, followers count, related topics → Questions (many-to-many)
Space name, description, icon, rules, moderators, followers, posts → Questions, Answers, Members
User name, bio, credentials[], topics followed, answer count, follower count → Answers, Questions, Spaces
Comment text, author, upvotes, replies → Answer (thread)
Blog Post title, body, author, publish date → User, Topics
Credential text (e.g., "Software Engineer at Google"), topic → User

Quora Spaces

  • Community hubs: Topic-specific communities (like subreddits but on Quora)
  • Moderation: Space admins approve posts, set rules, manage members
  • Content types: Questions, answers, posts (article-style), shared links
  • Monetization: Space admins can earn from Quora+ subscriptions
  • Discovery: Spaces appear in topic feeds and search results

Monetization

Program Who How
Quora Partner Program Question askers Earn money when questions generate ad revenue
Quora+ Writers Subscribers pay; writers earn based on engagement
Spaces Monetization Space admins Earn from Quora+ subscribers in their space
Poe (AI platform) Developers Build and monetize AI bots on Quora's Poe platform

Feed Algorithm

  • Personalization: Based on followed topics, followed users, reading history, upvote patterns
  • Answer ranking: Combination of upvotes, author credentials, recency, engagement rate
  • No chronological option: Feed is purely algorithmic
  • Digest email: Weekly email with top answers from followed topics

Answer Quality Signals

  • Credentials: Author's relevant expertise displayed under answer
  • Upvote ratio: Ratio of upvotes to views indicates quality
  • Request-to-answer: Questions can be directed to specific experts
  • Moderation: Community reporting + algorithmic content quality scoring
  • Collapsed answers: Low-quality or off-topic answers auto-collapsed

Content Guidelines

  • Be Nice, Be Respectful (BNBR): Core policy — civil discourse required
  • Credential system: Authors add topic-specific credentials for credibility
  • Duplicate detection: AI identifies duplicate questions; answers merged