Overview

The Hacker News MCP server provides real-time access to the latest submissions and updates from the Hacker News community. This feature ensures you're always working with current data, allowing you to monitor breaking tech news, track emerging discussions, and stay informed about topics as they develop. Understanding how to leverage this real-time capability will help you make the most of your connection to Hacker News through Carbon Voice.

Accessing New Submissions

To view the latest submissions as they're posted to Hacker News, simply request the "new stories" feed through your AI assistant. This feed displays submissions in chronological order, showing what's just been added to the platform regardless of votes or comments. This is particularly useful when you want to:

• Catch emerging stories before they gain widespread attention
• Monitor specific topics or keywords as content appears
• Track when certain companies or technologies are mentioned
• Discover fresh content that hasn't yet been filtered by community voting

Ask your assistant for "new Hacker News stories" or "latest Hacker News submissions" to access this feed.

Monitoring Top and Best Stories

While new submissions show everything posted, the "top stories" and "best stories" feeds provide real-time views of what's currently resonating with the community. Top stories reflect the current front page, constantly updating as stories gain votes and move up or down. Best stories showcase submissions with lasting value that have demonstrated strong engagement over time.

Request these feeds by asking for "top Hacker News stories" or "best Hacker News stories" to see what's capturing attention right now.

Tracking Specific Discussions

Once you identify a story of interest, you can monitor its comment thread in real-time. As users add comments and discussions evolve, the server retrieves the latest activity. This allows you to follow developing conversations, see new perspectives as they're posted, and track community sentiment as it forms.

Tips for Effective Real-Time Monitoring

For ongoing monitoring, establish a regular cadence of queries through your assistant. Since the server accesses live data with each request, asking for updates at intervals that match your needs—whether every few minutes or several times per day—ensures you stay current without missing important developments.

Focus your monitoring on specific areas of interest by combining real-time access with targeted queries about particular topics, users, or story types to create an efficient information stream tailored to your needs.