What You'll Need

Before connecting the Hacker News MCP server, ensure you have an AI assistant that supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP), such as Claude Desktop or another compatible application. You'll also need basic familiarity with editing JSON configuration files on your system.

Installation Steps

The Hacker News MCP server connects to your AI assistant through a simple configuration process. Start by locating your AI assistant's MCP settings file. For Claude Desktop, this is typically found in your user directory under application settings.

Open the configuration file and add the Hacker News server to your MCP servers list. You'll need to specify the server type and any connection parameters. Since the Hacker News server accesses public APIs, no authentication keys or tokens are required—making setup straightforward.

After adding the configuration, save the file and restart your AI assistant. The application will automatically detect the new server and establish a connection during startup.

Verifying the Connection

Once your AI assistant restarts, verify that the Hacker News server is connected properly. You can do this by asking your assistant a simple question like "What are the current top stories on Hacker News?" If the server is working correctly, you'll receive a list of current front-page stories with titles, scores, and links.

If you don't receive results, check your configuration file for syntax errors and ensure all brackets and commas are properly placed. Restart your assistant again after making corrections.

Using the Server

With the connection established, you can interact with Hacker News through natural language. Ask your assistant to:

• Retrieve top, new, or best stories from the community
• Show comments on specific submissions
• Look up user profiles and their contribution history
• Track discussions about particular topics or technologies

Your assistant will use the MCP server to fetch real-time data from Hacker News and present it in an easy-to-read format. There's no need to learn special commands—simply ask questions as you naturally would.

Tips for Best Results

Be specific in your requests when possible. Instead of asking for "news," try "show me the top 10 stories on Hacker News right now." When exploring comments, reference specific story titles or URLs to help your assistant find the right discussion thread.

The server accesses live data, so you'll always see current information reflecting what's happening in the Hacker News community at that moment.