Introduction

The Hacker News MCP Server connects your Netlify workspace to Hacker News, one of technology's most influential discussion platforms. This integration enables you to access stories, comments, and user profiles directly through your AI assistant, streamlining how you stay informed about tech news and community discussions.

What You Can Do

Once connected, you can interact with Hacker News content using natural language through your AI assistant. Here are the key capabilities:

Browse Stories - Access top stories, new submissions, or "best" posts that have demonstrated lasting value. Each story includes the title, URL, score, author, and submission time.

Read Comments - Dive into discussion threads to explore community perspectives. Navigate comment trees to follow conversations and identify expert insights on technical topics.

Research Users - View user profiles to see their submission history, comment activity, karma scores, and biographical information. This helps identify subject matter experts or track thought leaders in specific domains.

Monitor in Real-Time - Access live data from Hacker News, ensuring you're always working with current information rather than outdated content.

How to Use It

Start by asking your AI assistant natural language questions about Hacker News content. Here are some examples:

• "What are the top stories on Hacker News right now?"
• "Show me comments on the top post about AI"
• "What has user [username] been posting about lately?"
• "Find recent discussions about [technology or topic]"

The server handles all the technical complexity behind the scenes, translating your requests into API calls and returning structured, easy-to-understand results.

Common Use Cases

Trend Monitoring - Track emerging topics and identify what the tech community considers important.

Content Discovery - Find high-quality technical articles and resources that have been vetted by the community's voting system.

Research - Gather community perspectives on technologies, companies, or trends to inform decision-making.

Discussion Tracking - Monitor conversations about your products, technologies, or areas of interest as they happen.

Tips for Best Results

Be specific in your requests to get the most relevant information. Instead of asking broadly about "tech news," try "show me top stories about machine learning from today." You can also chain requests together—first retrieving a story, then diving into its comments to understand community reaction.