Currently, quick answers don't get triggered if there are search operators after the actual content of the query. For example, example search? site:reddit.com wouldn't trigger a quick answer, but site:reddit.com example search? would. The same is true when using snaps where example search? @r doesn't trigger a quick answer, but @r example search? does.
I think that triggering a quick answer in all of these cases leads to a more consistent and intuitive user experience. Often times I won't know what type of filter I want to apply to my search until after I type the main content of my query which means the current functionality adds a small amount of unnecessary friction to my search experience.
| Initial Query | Resulting Query | Triggers Quick Answer |
|---|---|---|
example search? site:reddit.com | example search? site:reddit.com | False |
site:reddit.com example search? | site:reddit.com example search? | True |
example search? @r | example search? site:reddit.com | False |
@r example search? | example search site:reddit.com ? | True |
It seems like the only thing that matters for triggering a quick answer is that the resulting query string ends with a question mark. Snaps before the initial query content seem like they are compatible with quick answers due to moving the ? character to the end of the resulting query. Personally, I don't like the inconsistent appearance that occurs due to moving the ? character and it's a little odd to see my query transformed this way. I think implementing/fixing the original issue would also make it so that this transformation doesn't need to occur.