What You'll Need

Before setting up the Hacker News MCP server in Needle, ensure you have Needle installed and configured on your system. This server doesn't require any API keys or authentication credentials, making the setup process straightforward.

Installation Steps

Adding the Server to Needle

To add the Hacker News MCP server to your Needle configuration, you'll need to modify your Needle configuration file. The exact location of this file depends on your operating system, but it's typically found in your home directory's configuration folder.

Add the following configuration block to enable the Hacker News server:

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

This configuration tells Needle to use the official Hacker News MCP server package, which will be automatically downloaded and executed when needed.

Verifying the Installation

After adding the configuration, restart Needle to load the new server. You can verify the server is working by asking Needle a question about Hacker News content, such as "What are the top stories on Hacker News right now?" If the server is properly configured, Needle will fetch and display current top stories from the platform.

Using the Server

Once configured, you can interact with Hacker News through natural language queries in Needle. Here are some example commands to get you started:

Browse current content: Ask for top stories, new submissions, or best stories to see what's trending in the tech community.

Read discussions: Request comment threads on specific stories to explore community perspectives and technical discussions.

Research users: Query information about specific Hacker News users to understand their contributions and expertise.

Track topics: Monitor discussions around specific technologies, companies, or trends by searching through recent submissions.

The server automatically handles all API interactions, returning structured data that Needle can interpret and present in a readable format.

Troubleshooting

If the server doesn't respond, verify that your configuration syntax is correct and that you have an active internet connection. The server requires network access to communicate with Hacker News APIs. Restarting Needle after configuration changes is essential for the new server to load properly.