Understanding Story Feeds

The Hacker News MCP Server provides access to multiple story feeds that reflect different aspects of community activity. Each feed serves a distinct purpose and can help you track different types of content based on your needs.

Top Stories represent submissions that have gained significant traction through community voting and engagement. These are the stories currently featured on Hacker News's front page and represent what the community finds most valuable at this moment. Top stories are ideal when you want to understand what's capturing attention in the tech world right now.

New Stories show the most recent submissions as they arrive on the platform, before they've been voted on or gained visibility. This feed is perfect for discovering content early, monitoring specific topics in real-time, or staying ahead of emerging trends before they reach the front page.

Best Stories highlight submissions that have demonstrated lasting value and strong engagement over time. These represent content that has sustained community interest and received consistently positive reception, making this feed useful for finding high-quality resources and significant discussions.

How to Retrieve Stories

To access any story feed, simply ask your AI assistant using natural language. You don't need to remember specific commands or API syntax—the server interprets your requests and retrieves the appropriate data.

For example, you might ask:

• "What are the top stories on Hacker News right now?"
• "Show me the latest new submissions"
• "What are the best stories from Hacker News?"

The server will return structured information about each story, including the title, URL, author, score (number of upvotes), submission time, and the number of comments. This gives you immediate context about each story's content and reception.

Working with Story Data

Once you've retrieved stories, you can dig deeper into any submission that interests you. Each story has a unique identifier that allows you to access its full details and comment thread. You can ask follow-up questions about specific stories, request to see the discussion, or gather information about the author.

The real-time nature of the server means you're always working with current data, making it reliable for time-sensitive monitoring or research. Whether you're tracking a specific topic, conducting competitive analysis, or simply staying informed about tech news, these story feeds provide the foundation for engaging with Hacker News content effectively.