What is the Hacker News MCP Server?

The Hacker News MCP Server connects your AI assistant to Hacker News, one of technology's most influential discussion platforms. Instead of manually browsing the site, you can now access stories, comments, and user profiles through natural conversation with your AI assistant. This integration brings nearly two decades of technology discourse directly into your workflow.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• A compatible MCP client (such as Claude Desktop or another MCP-enabled application)
• The Hacker News MCP Server installed and configured in your environment
• Basic familiarity with how to interact with your AI assistant

Making Your First Request

Once the server is running, simply ask your AI assistant about Hacker News content using natural language. You don't need to learn special commands or syntax—just ask as you would normally converse.

Try these example requests:

• "What are the top stories on Hacker News right now?"
• "Show me the newest submissions to Hacker News"
• "Get the comments from Hacker News post [ID number]"
• "What's the profile for user [username] on Hacker News?"

The server translates your requests into API calls and returns structured, readable information.

Understanding What You Can Access

Stories and Feeds

Access different story feeds that reflect community activity. Top stories show what's currently popular based on voting, new stories display recent submissions, and best stories highlight content with lasting value. Each story includes the title, URL, score, author, and submission time.

Comments and Discussions

Retrieve comment threads to explore discussions around any story. Comments often contain valuable insights from industry experts and experienced practitioners. You can access individual comments or entire conversation threads to understand different perspectives.

User Profiles

Look up any Hacker News user to see their karma score, submission history, comment activity, and biographical information. This helps you identify subject matter experts or research community contributors.

Practical Applications

Stay informed: Ask for top stories each morning to catch up on what the tech community is discussing.

Research topics: Request stories and comments about specific technologies, companies, or trends to gather community perspectives.

Monitor discussions: Track conversations about topics relevant to your work or interests in real-time.

Discover resources: Find high-quality technical articles and resources that have been vetted by the community through voting.

Tips for Effective Use

Be specific in your requests when looking for particular information. Instead of "tell me about Hacker News," try "show me the top 10 stories on Hacker News about artificial intelligence from today."

Remember that the server provides real-time data, so stories and rankings change frequently based on community activity.

You can combine multiple requests to build a complete picture—for example, retrieving a story and then exploring its comment thread to understand community reaction.