Overview

Staying current with technology news and community discussions is essential for developers, founders, and tech professionals. The Hacker News MCP Server provides real-time access to breaking news, trending discussions, and emerging topics as they unfold on one of tech's most influential platforms. This guide will help you effectively monitor live updates and catch important developments as they happen.

Accessing Real-Time Story Feeds

The server connects directly to Hacker News APIs, ensuring you receive current data rather than cached information. To monitor breaking news, you can query different story feeds that suit your monitoring needs:

Top Stories reflect what the community has voted to the front page right now. These represent the most discussed and valued submissions of the moment, making them ideal for understanding what's capturing widespread attention.

New Stories provide access to the latest submissions as they arrive on the platform. This feed is perfect for early detection of breaking news before it gains traction, giving you a first-mover advantage in staying informed.

Best Stories aggregate submissions that have demonstrated consistent value over time, helping you identify discussions with lasting significance rather than just momentary buzz.

Monitoring Specific Topics

To track breaking news on subjects that matter to your work, you can request stories and check their titles, URLs, and associated metadata. By periodically querying the new stories feed, you'll catch relevant submissions early in their lifecycle. You can then retrieve the complete comment threads to understand how the community is responding to the news.

Setting Up Effective Monitoring

For effective real-time monitoring, consider these approaches:

Request the new stories feed at regular intervals to catch submissions as they appear. When you identify relevant stories, note their unique identifiers so you can track them as they develop.

Monitor comment activity on important stories by retrieving comment threads periodically. Active discussion often indicates significant news or controversial topics that warrant attention.

Track specific users who consistently share valuable content in your areas of interest. By monitoring their submissions and comments, you can ensure you don't miss important developments from trusted sources.

Understanding Story Metadata

Each story includes valuable context for assessing breaking news: the submission time tells you how recent the information is, the score indicates community validation, and the comment count reveals engagement level. These signals help you prioritize which breaking stories deserve immediate attention versus which can be reviewed later.

Practical Applications

Use real-time monitoring to stay ahead of technology announcements, security vulnerabilities, or industry shifts. When major events occur, Hacker News often provides rapid community analysis from experienced practitioners, offering perspectives you won't find in traditional media coverage. The server makes this collective intelligence immediately accessible, transforming how you stay informed about the fast-moving technology landscape.