# Identifying specific posts in a thread **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 5, 2000, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624 "2000-07-05T08:51:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2000, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/1 "2000-07-05T08:51:20Z")
I’ve just noticed that in the new version of vB, it uses the HTML # markers at each post, so that a URL can point to a specific post in a thread, rather than just the thread. This is a very nice feature, and it’s actually something I was on the verge of suggesting, before I saw that it had already been implemented. What I’m wondering, though, is if there’s any easy way to determine the unique identifying number of a particular post, so that us humans could easily use this feature? It’d be great if we could say, “Refer to Joe’s post number 24357”, instead of saying “Refer to Joe’s post about a third of the way down the second page”. Is there currently any way to do this? ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/2 "2003-03-15T16:50:28Z")
Wow, I’m suprised no one every actually replied to **Chronos’** question. But this post is not about **Chronos** , it’s about me. First of all, please refresh my memory on how one determines the specific post’s number. It’s the number at the end of the URL that appears in the status bar when you hold your mouse over the **edit** or **quote** button, correct? But more importantly, is there a way to copy that URL so you don’t have to manually type it? Thanks, –toast ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/3 "2003-03-15T16:54:58Z")
What if I click the **quote** button? Does that put the specific post URL in my addres field? Let’s see: This post stems from quoting [**Chronos’** post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/newreply.php?s=&action=newreply&postid=558229) ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/4 "2003-03-15T16:57:18Z")
No it does not. The above link just took me back to the quote page (with **Chronos’** original post tagged up as a quote). Anybody have any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/5 "2003-03-15T17:11:35Z")
It’s early, so I’m not sure I understand the question. If you wish to link to a specific post, you first need to get the post number. Put your mouse pointer over the quote button on the post you want. I don’t know of any computer way to capture the number, so I write it down, then plug it into the following formula: [Your post from 10:54 A.M.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=3136890#post3136890%22 **** ) which gives, [Your post from 10:54 A.M.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=3136890#post3136890) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/6 "2003-03-15T17:16:45Z")
You link to it with the formula **Robb** just gave, with the appropriate number inserted. Most people can get the **postid** number by hovering over “edit” or “quote” and reading the seven-digit number at the end of the URL that shows up on the bottom border of their browser – the “what this link goes to” data whenever your focus is on a hyperlink. For those of us with the 30-digit cookie number in the middle of that, it may be necessary to open the quote window, note the number, and then back out of the quote window to embed the link with the proper number. To avoid losing the text you’ve already typed if you need to do this, right-click on the “quote” button and use “open link in new window” to get it, then close that instance of your browser. ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/7 "2003-03-15T17:18:44Z")
So basically, just store the string “[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=000#post000](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=000#post000)” in a text file on my PC, copy it into my new post when I want to use it, and substiute the target post’s ID number in the string. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/8 "2003-03-15T18:09:04Z")
You can also right-click on the “report post”, “edit” or “quote” buttons/links and click Properties to get the post ID. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/9 "2003-03-15T18:16:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > To avoid losing the text you’ve already typed if you need to do this, right-click on the “quote” button and use “open link in new window” to get it, then close that instance of your browser. IMHO, the easiest way is to right-click and then select “copy shortcut”. This directly copies the URL with the post number without doing anything else. You can then paste the copied URL somewhere and extract the post number. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/10 "2003-03-15T20:19:28Z")
If you look at any poster’s profile (who has posted at least once), there is a link to their last post. You can copy this link to the clipboard and use it as a template. Just change the postid to the post you want to link to, after getting the postid by any of the above methods. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/11 "2003-03-15T20:37:09Z")
The answer to this question can also be found in the Technical issues FAQ: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1982344#post1982344)[/showthread.php?postid=1982344#post1982344](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1982344#post1982344) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/12 "2003-03-15T21:06:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by **rowrrbazzle** \* > IMHO, the easiest way is to right-click and then select “copy shortcut”. This directly copies the URL with the post number without doing anything else. You can then paste the copied URL somewhere and extract the post number. Terrific! Thanks, **Rowrrbazzle** – that’s a wrinkle on the idea that I’d never thought of! ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/13 "2003-03-15T21:16:44Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/newreply.php?s=&action=newreply&postid=3137167](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/newreply.php?s=&action=newreply&postid=3137167) ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/14 "2003-03-15T21:21:14Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=3137835#postid=3137835](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=3137835#postid=3137835) ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/15 "2003-03-15T21:24:21Z")
Grrrr… I’ll have to try again later. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/16 "2003-03-16T11:03:51Z")
My problem is that I can never remember the exact coding for the link format. So even after I remembered how to determine the post number, I still had problems using it because I would forget if it was a # or a & or a \* or whatever (postid, idpost#, ???). And I didn’t want the hassle to look up ATMB, find the tech issues thread, and look it up. Finally I had the brilliant idea to make a bookmark of the post. When I need to look it up, I can find it quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/17 "2003-03-17T21:31:47Z")
The funny thing is, I do remember getting replies to this way back when. And I can’t remember any board weirdnesses which would have wiped out those replies. But thanks for the concern, **milquetoast**. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/18 "2003-03-18T12:03:48Z")
What about right-clicking quote, clicking on “Open Link In New Window”, cutting the quote which appears in the reply box, and then pasting the [post id](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/newreply.php?s=&action=newreply&postid=3136871) from the address bar? ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/19 "2003-03-18T12:04:58Z")
Nope. I really meant to hit preview, not submit.:o ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624/20 "2003-03-19T05:40:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by \*\*\*Irishman \*\* > My problem is that I can never remember the exact coding for the link format. Neither can I. I click on any poster’s profile and then copy the link to their last post to the clipboard and just change the postid. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-specific-posts-in-a-thread/24624.md?page=2)