Introduction

The Hacker News MCP Server connects your AI assistant directly to Hacker News, giving you instant access to tech stories, discussions, and community insights. Whether you're monitoring industry trends, researching user opinions, or discovering quality content, this server brings Hacker News data into your workflow without manual browsing.

What You Can Do

Once connected, you can interact with Hacker News through natural conversation with your AI assistant. The server handles all technical details, returning structured information you can immediately use.

Browse Stories: Request top stories currently on the front page, explore new submissions as they arrive, or review "best" stories that have proven valuable over time. Each story includes its title, URL, score, author, and submission time.

Read Comments: Access discussion threads to see what the community thinks. Navigate through comment trees, view individual responses, and track which comments receive the most engagement. Comments often contain expert insights worth exploring.

Research Users: Look up any Hacker News user's profile to see their submission history, comment activity, karma score, and bio. This helps you identify domain experts or understand community influencers.

Stay Current: All data comes directly from Hacker News in real-time, ensuring you're working with the latest information rather than outdated content.

Common Tasks

Simply ask your AI assistant in plain language. Here are typical requests:

• "What are the top stories on Hacker News right now?"
• "Show me comments on this story about [topic]"
• "What has [username] been posting about recently?"
• "Find discussions about [company/technology]"
• "What's trending in the tech community today?"

The server interprets your requests, retrieves the relevant data, and presents it in an easy-to-read format.

Best Practices

Be Specific: When looking for particular stories or users, provide as much detail as possible. Item IDs or exact usernames yield faster, more accurate results.

Explore Threads: Don't just read headlines—dive into comment sections where deeper technical discussions happen. The community often provides valuable context and expertise.

Track Over Time: Check stories periodically to see how scores and comments evolve. What's trending can change quickly on Hacker News.

Getting Value

Use the server to monitor conversations about your industry, discover high-quality technical resources, gather product feedback, or research what the tech community finds important. The Hacker News community's technical expertise makes it an excellent source for informed perspectives on technology developments.