What is the Hacker News MCP Server?

The Hacker News MCP Server connects your AI assistant to Hacker News, one of the most influential technology discussion platforms on the internet. This integration allows you to access stories, comments, and user profiles through simple conversational requests, eliminating the need to manually browse the site or write custom scripts.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• An MCP-compatible client (such as Claude Desktop or another AI assistant that supports MCP)
• Basic familiarity with configuring MCP servers in your client application
• An internet connection to access Hacker News data

Installation and Configuration

To set up the Hacker News MCP Server, you'll need to add it to your MCP client's configuration file. The exact process varies by client, but typically involves adding the server details to a JSON configuration file. Once configured, restart your client application to activate the connection.

The server requires no API keys or authentication credentials, as it interfaces with Hacker News's publicly available data. This means setup is straightforward—simply configure the server connection and you're ready to start.

Basic Usage

Once configured, you can interact with Hacker News through natural language requests to your AI assistant. Here are some examples to get you started:

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

Reading Comments: Request "Show me the comments on story 12345678" to explore discussions around specific submissions.

User Research: Query "What has user pg submitted recently?" to review a specific user's activity and contributions.

Discovering New Content: Try "Show me the newest submissions on Hacker News" to stay on top of just-posted content.

Common Use Cases

The server excels at several practical scenarios:

• Daily Tech News: Start your morning by asking for top stories to catch up on important tech discussions
• Topic Monitoring: Track specific keywords or technologies by regularly checking new submissions and comments
• Research: Gather community perspectives on products, frameworks, or industry trends by accessing relevant discussions
• Content Curation: Identify high-quality articles and resources that have been validated by community engagement

Tips for Effective Use

For the best experience, be specific in your requests. Instead of broad queries, ask for particular story categories, specific users, or targeted time frames. The more precise your request, the more relevant the results.

Remember that Hacker News data reflects real-time community activity, so results may vary throughout the day as new content appears and voting patterns shift.

Next Steps

Experiment with different types of queries to discover what information is most valuable for your workflow. Combine story data with comment analysis to get complete context on discussions, or track specific users who consistently provide valuable insights in your areas of interest.