Overview

The Hacker News MCP Server brings one of tech's most influential communities directly into your AI assistant workflow. Instead of manually browsing the site or building custom integrations, you can access stories, comments, and user profiles through simple natural language requests. This guide will walk you through the connection process.

Prerequisites

Before connecting the server, ensure you have:

• Jam (your AI assistant platform) installed and running
• Access to your Jam configuration files
• Basic familiarity with JSON configuration

Connection Steps

Locate Your Configuration File

Find your Jam configuration file, typically named jam_config.json or mcp_settings.json. The exact location varies by operating system:

• macOS/Linux: ~/.config/jam/ or ~/Library/Application Support/Jam/
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Jam\

Add the Server Configuration

Open your configuration file and add the Hacker News MCP Server to your servers list:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hackernews": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-hackernews"]
    }
  }
}

The server runs through Node.js, which the npx command handles automatically by downloading and executing the package when needed.

Restart Jam

After saving your configuration changes, restart Jam completely. This ensures the new server configuration loads properly and establishes the connection to Hacker News.

Verify the Connection

Once Jam restarts, test the connection by asking your AI assistant a simple question like:

• "What are the top stories on Hacker News right now?"
• "Show me the latest tech news from Hacker News"
• "Find discussions about [your topic] on Hacker News"

If configured correctly, your assistant will retrieve and present current Hacker News data.

Using the Server

With the connection established, you can naturally interact with Hacker News through conversation:

• Browse stories: Ask for top, new, or best stories
• Read comments: Request comment threads on specific submissions
• Research users: Get information about Hacker News contributors
• Monitor topics: Track discussions about specific technologies or companies

The server translates your requests into API calls automatically, returning structured information your AI assistant can understand and present clearly.

Troubleshooting

If the connection fails, verify that Node.js is installed on your system and accessible from the command line. Check your configuration file for syntax errors, ensuring all brackets and quotes are properly closed. Review Jam's logs for specific error messages that can pinpoint configuration issues.