What is the Hacker News MCP Server?

The Hacker News MCP Server connects your AI assistant directly to Hacker News, one of the tech community's most influential discussion platforms. Through this server, you can retrieve stories, read comments, explore user profiles, and monitor real-time discussions—all through simple conversational requests to your AI assistant.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• An MCP-compatible client (such as Claude Desktop or another application supporting the Model Context Protocol)
• The Hacker News MCP Server installed and configured in your client's settings
• Basic familiarity with how to interact with your AI assistant

Making Your First Request

Once configured, start exploring Hacker News by asking your AI assistant natural language questions. The server translates your requests into API calls and returns structured information.

Try these examples to get started:

View trending stories: Ask "What are the top stories on Hacker News right now?" to see what's currently popular in the tech community.

Explore new submissions: Request "Show me the newest posts on Hacker News" to discover fresh content as it arrives.

Read discussions: Say "Show me the comments on this story" when you want to dive into community perspectives on a particular submission.

Research users: Ask "Tell me about this Hacker News user" to view someone's profile, including their karma, submission history, and biographical information.

Understanding the Data

The server returns structured information about stories, including titles, URLs, point scores, submission times, and authors. For comments, you'll receive the comment text, scores, timestamps, and threading information that shows conversation flow. User profiles include karma scores, account age, and activity history.

Practical Applications

Stay informed: Check top stories each morning to keep current with technology trends and discussions.

Deep research: Explore comment threads to find expert opinions and technical insights on topics relevant to your work.

Monitor topics: Track discussions about specific technologies, companies, or trends by requesting stories that match your interests.

Discover content: Find high-quality technical articles and resources that have been validated by the community's voting system.

Tips for Effective Use

Be specific in your requests—asking for "top stories about artificial intelligence" yields more relevant results than broad queries. When exploring comment threads, ask your assistant to summarize key points or identify particularly insightful contributions. For ongoing monitoring, regularly check specific story categories or user activity that matters to your work.

The Hacker News MCP Server brings the platform's rich discussions and curated content directly into your workflow, making it effortless to tap into the tech community's collective knowledge.