Is there any way to obtain a link to a concrete answer? Like this: GUI works but the console's (CTRL-ALT-F1-F6) "don't" (but I obtained this link via the Stack Exchange notifications).


Providing a link that sends someone directly to a particular answer (rather than the top of the question) is often quite useful.

I know of several ways to do this, depending on your preferences and the specific kind of link you want.

To Get a Short Link

You can click Share at the lower-left corner of the answer, then copy the link in the text box.

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Or just right-click Share and click Copy.

Either way, the shortened URL you get has two numbers in it:

  • The first (189486 in this case) identifies the answer. If you change it, the link will no longer be correct.
  • The second (22949, here) identifies you. (Or, in this example, me.) This makes it possible for the Announcer, Booster, and Publicist badges to be awarded. If for any reason you don't want the link to identify you, you can remove this part, and it will still work fine. For example, here it will be https://askubuntu.com/a/189486.

To Get a Long Link

To get a full-length link, containing an abbreviated name for the question, like the link you got from your notifications, you can use any of these methods:

  1. Get a short link using the method described above. Then go to it in your browser. The URL in your address bar will be the full-length link.

    • The fastest way to do this is typically to just click the Share link with your middle mouse button. This will open the answer in a new tab. Click on that tab, and copy the long URL from the address bar there.
  2. Every answer has a number, which you can manually add (in the appropriate way) to the end of the question URL. Usually the easiest way to get this number is to hover your mouse over the Share link and read it off. Then the long link will be the question link with /number#number appended to it (where each instance of number is replaced by the actual number.

    For example, the full-length question link in the question you asked about is:


    So the full-length answer link, for answer number 189486 (i.e., that answer), is:


    It's actually sufficient to include just the last part (i.e., just #189486), though if you leave off the initial /189486, it won't be exactly the same form as automatically generated full-length links. So, this URL will also work fine:

  3. While typically less convenient than the above methods, you can get the full-length answer link from anywhere on the site where it is linked to by automatically generated content (except by clicking Share, of course, which generates short links). For example, you got it from your notification.

    You won't always have notifications pointing to every particular answer you're interested in. But if you go to the profile of the answer's author, the answer will be listed there and the link to it will be the long link.


Right click on share which is located under the answer / question and choose copy link address. Thats it. Thats the direct link for the answer from which you have copied the link.

The direct link for my answer will be this. You can check it yourself :D

  • Actually, it will be http://meta.askubuntu.com/a/4076/89764 instead of http://meta.askubuntu.com/a/4076/5691, because the automatically generated short link contains the number of the user who generates it. Similarly, for me it would be http://meta.askubuntu.com/a/4076/22949. (See my answer for details about why.) – Eliah Kagan Sep 16 '12 at 18:30

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