Overview

The Hacker News MCP Server provides several methods for retrieving story feeds that help you stay current with technology discussions. Understanding how to access these different feeds allows you to tap into the most relevant content based on your specific needs, whether you're tracking trending topics or discovering fresh submissions.

Available Story Feeds

The server offers three primary story feeds, each serving a distinct purpose:

Top Stories represent the most popular submissions currently featured on Hacker News' front page. These stories have earned their position through community upvotes and engagement, making them ideal for understanding what the tech community considers important right now.

New Stories provide access to the latest submissions as they arrive on the platform. This feed is perfect for staying ahead of trends, discovering content before it gains widespread attention, or monitoring specific topics in real-time.

Best Stories showcase submissions that have demonstrated sustained value and engagement over time. This curated list helps you find high-quality content that has stood out even among Hacker News' generally high standards.

Retrieving Story Feeds

To access any of these feeds, simply ask your AI assistant for the specific feed you need. You can make natural language requests like "Show me the top stories on Hacker News" or "What are the newest submissions?" The server will retrieve the current feed and present the stories in a structured format.

Each story entry includes essential information such as the title, URL, author, submission time, current score, and number of comments. This comprehensive data allows you to quickly evaluate whether a story warrants further investigation.

Working with Story Data

Once you've retrieved a feed, you can dive deeper into specific stories that interest you. Note the story ID from the feed results, then request detailed information about that particular submission. This gives you access to the full comment thread, allowing you to explore community discussions and expert insights.

You can also combine feed retrieval with other server capabilities. For example, after identifying interesting stories, check the author's profile to see their other contributions, or track how a story's score evolves over time by making repeated requests.

Best Practices

For monitoring purposes, start with top stories to understand current priorities, then check new stories periodically to catch emerging discussions. When researching specific topics, scanning multiple feeds increases your chances of finding relevant content regardless of when it was submitted or how popular it has become.