How to create a question box: start in 3 minutes with just your email

What is a question box?

A question box is a web service that lets you send and receive questions anonymously. Just create your own question box and paste its URL into your social media profile or stories, and you can receive anonymous questions from your followers. You can answer the questions you receive at your own pace, and answered Q&As are shown on your public page.

The standout feature of this service is that you don't need a password at all. Using "magic link authentication," which you can also find in services like Slack and Notion, everything from creating an account to logging in is done with just an email address. You don't need to remember a password, and you avoid the risks that come from reused or leaked passwords.

3 steps to create a question box

Step 1: Click the "Create a free question box" button on the home page and enter your email address. If it's a new address, an account is created automatically. If the address is already registered, you go straight to the login flow.

Step 2: Click the link in the email you receive. This link is valid for 15 minutes and stops working once you click it. If 15 minutes have passed, just enter your email address again and a new link will be sent.

Step 3: Opening the link takes you to the page for creating your question box. Enter a display name (the name shown on your question box), set your URL in the "URL (optional)" field, and press the "Create question box" button. You can choose your own URL using 2 to 30 lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens, and if you leave it blank, one is created automatically. Copy your new URL and paste it into your social media profile. If you're quick, all of this takes just 1 minute.

Why magic link authentication is safe

Magic link authentication is a way of confirming your identity with a temporary link sent by email instead of a password. As of August 2026, it's not unusual for services to use login methods based on temporary links or one-time codes sent by email, and they're becoming established as one way to authenticate without relying on passwords.

There are 3 security benefits. First, since passwords aren't stored on the server, even if the database leaks, it doesn't contain the login credentials themselves. In the "10 Major Information Security Threats 2026" (published in January 2026) by IPA (the Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan), "unauthorized logins to online services" was selected as a threat to individuals for the 11th year in a row, its 11th time on the list, and simply not having a password helps reduce this kind of risk. Second, the link expires in 15 minutes and stops working after one use, so even if the link falls into someone else's hands, there's almost no window of time to misuse it. Third, the risk of typing your password into a phishing site is ruled out by design.

On the other hand, there is a risk if your email account itself gets taken over. We recommend setting up two-step verification for your email account.

Managing your box after questions arrive

When a question arrives, it appears in the list on your dashboard. Each question is tagged with a sender ID, assigned to each sender, so you can tell when several questions come from the same person. However, this ID is shown only in the dashboard and never appears on your public page. The design keeps any information that could trace back to the sender out of published Q&As.

Choose a question you want to answer, type your text, and send it, and it appears as a Q&A on your public page. Answered Q&As automatically get an image for sharing on social media, so you can paste it straight into a post on X or an Instagram story.

You can instantly remove inappropriate questions with the Delete button. If you keep Review before delivery on, questions containing abuse or threats are automatically labeled "Needs review," which reduces the burden of checking them by eye.

What to do when questions don't come in

Creating a question box and then getting no questions is a common worry. In most cases, the cause is either that your URL isn't getting enough exposure, or that your followers "don't know what to ask."

There are 3 effective fixes. First, share your URL regularly not just in your social media profile but also in posts and stories. People don't look at profiles as much as you'd think. Next, narrow down a theme instead of saying "Ask me anything." Offering a specific theme, like "Ask me about books I've read lately" or "Taking questions about work worries," makes it easier for followers to think of questions. Finally, ask friends to send the first 2 or 3 questions. When answered Q&As are shown on your public page, other followers find it easier to think, "Maybe I'll ask something too."