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How to Connect the Hacker News MCP Server to Your AI Assistant

What You'll Need

Before connecting the Hacker News MCP server to your AI assistant, ensure you have:

  • An AI assistant that supports MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers
  • The Hacker News MCP server installed on your system
  • Basic familiarity with your AI assistant's configuration settings

Connection Steps

Locate Your Configuration File

Most AI assistants store MCP server configurations in a JSON file. Common locations include:

  • Claude Desktop: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)
  • Other assistants: Check your assistant's documentation for the specific configuration file path

Add the Server Configuration

Open your configuration file and add the Hacker News MCP server entry to the mcpServers section:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hackernews": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/hackernews-mcp-server/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/hackernews-mcp-server/index.js with the actual path where you installed the server.

Restart Your AI Assistant

Close and reopen your AI assistant application to load the new configuration. The server should now be available for use.

Verifying the Connection

Test your connection by asking your AI assistant simple questions like:

  • "What are the top stories on Hacker News right now?"
  • "Show me the latest submissions on Hacker News"
  • "Get details about Hacker News user 'pg'"

If the server is properly connected, your assistant will retrieve and display the requested information from Hacker News.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Server not responding: Verify the file path in your configuration is correct and that all required dependencies are installed.

Permission errors: Ensure the server files have appropriate execution permissions for your system.

Configuration not loading: Check that your JSON syntax is valid—missing commas or brackets are common culprits.

Next Steps

Once connected, you can explore the full range of Hacker News data through natural language queries. Ask about trending discussions, research specific users, explore comment threads, or monitor topics of interest. The server handles all API interactions automatically, letting you focus on the information you need.

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