What it means to accept the answer

By marking an answer with a green checkmark as the author of the question, you are communicating that you no longer need any other answers, and that answer fully answers your question. This is how you save time building experts looking for questions without an accepted answer.

Highlight the answer consciously and without personal motives.

Acknowledge the answer that deserves more attention than the others. Keep in mind that the answer that is confirmed by the question's author always gets extra attention.

If all answers are weak and too short, it is better to wait for a good and complete answer.

Choose your answer responsibly in a controversial question. Remember that confirmation of an answer influences readers' opinions, especially if it highlights one of several equal positions.

Encourage better answers. Acknowledge only the best answers. Then the other writers will make an effort to make sure the answers are of higher quality.

If you highlighted an answer, but a better answer later emerged, the right thing to do is to choose a new answer, it meets the community's goals.

If the author of a question does not return to their question to highlight an answer, after a while a quality answer may be accepted by a moderator.