Common Connection Problems

If you're having trouble connecting to the Hacker News MCP Server, start by verifying that the server is running and properly configured. Check that your MCP client (such as Claude Desktop or another AI assistant) has the correct server path specified in its configuration file. Connection issues often stem from misconfigured paths or the server process not being active.

Ensure that your system has network access to reach the Hacker News API. While uncommon, firewall settings or restrictive network policies might block outbound connections to Hacker News endpoints. Test your general internet connectivity and verify that you can access news.ycombinator.com directly from your browser.

If you've recently updated the server or your MCP client, restart both components completely. Configuration changes and updates sometimes require a full restart to take effect properly.

Data Retrieval Failures

When queries return empty results or error messages, the issue typically relates to how you're requesting data. Hacker News item IDs must be valid and currently exist in the system. If you're requesting a specific story or comment by ID, verify that the ID is correct and that the item hasn't been deleted by its author or moderators.

Rate limiting can occasionally affect data retrieval, particularly during periods of heavy use. The Hacker News API has usage limits designed to protect their infrastructure. If you're making numerous rapid requests, implement pausing between queries or reduce request frequency.

Some items on Hacker News may be flagged, dead, or deleted, which means they won't return data even with valid IDs. This is normal platform behavior and doesn't indicate a problem with your server.

Slow Response Times

Experiencing delays when retrieving data usually reflects the time required to fetch information from Hacker News servers rather than a local issue. Comment threads with hundreds of replies naturally take longer to retrieve than simple story listings.

Consider requesting smaller data sets when possible. Instead of fetching entire comment trees, request top-level comments first, then drill down into specific threads as needed. This approach improves responsiveness and provides faster initial results.

Debugging Steps

Enable verbose logging if your server supports it to see detailed information about API requests and responses. This logging often reveals exactly where communication breaks down, whether it's during connection establishment, data retrieval, or response parsing.

Test with simple queries first. Request the current top stories before attempting more complex operations like retrieving deep comment threads or extensive user histories. Successfully completing basic queries confirms that your connection and authentication are working correctly.

Finally, consult the server logs for specific error messages. These logs typically contain detailed diagnostic information that pinpoints the exact nature of any issues you're experiencing.