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HackerNews MCP Server

MIT License
6

HackerNews MCP Server

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides seamless integration with the HackerNews API, enabling AI assistants to access, analyze, and understand HackerNews content through standardized MCP interfaces.

🚀 Quick Start

# Install dependencies npm install # Build the project npm run build # Start the server npm start

Then restart your MCP-compatible client (like Cursor) to connect to the server.

✨ Features

🔧 Tools (5 Interactive Commands)

  1. search_posts - Search and filter HackerNews posts
    • Filter by keywords, author, score, and date range
    • Example: "Find stories about 'AI' with score > 100"
  2. get_post - Get comprehensive post details
    • Includes metadata, comment trees, and engagement metrics
    • Example: "Get full details of story 44473319 with comments"
  3. search_user - Analyze user profiles and activity
    • User statistics, top stories, and contribution patterns
    • Example: "Analyze user 'pg' and show their activity"
  4. search_trending - Find current trending topics
    • Keyword frequency analysis from top stories
    • Example: "What topics are trending on HackerNews today?"
  5. search_comments - Analyze comment engagement
    • Comment statistics, top commenters, and discussion patterns
      • Example: "Analyze the comments on story 44473319"

🛠️ Installation & Setup

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18+
  • npm or yarn

Installation Steps

  1. Clone and install:
    git clone <repository-url> cd hackernews-mcp-server npm install
  2. Build the project:
    npm run build
  3. Configure MCP client (Cursor):
    • The .cursor/mcp.json file is already configured
    • Restart Cursor to load the MCP server
  4. Start using:
    npm start

🎮 Real Usage Examples (Tested & Working)

🔍 Search Posts - Find Stories by Topic

# What we tested: search_posts with query="AI", minScore=50, limit=10 # Results we got: - "'Positive review only': Researchers hide AI prompts in papers" (100 points, 52 comments) - "Cops in [Spain] think everyone using a Google Pixel must be a drug dealer" (65 points, 50 comments)

Use cases:

  • Find high-engagement stories on specific topics
  • Filter by author, score thresholds, or date ranges
  • Research trending discussions in your field

📄 Get Post Details - Deep Story Analysis

# What we tested: get_post for story ID 44473319 (AI prompts story) # What we learned: - Full story metadata (age: 3.2 hours, domain: asia.nikkei.com) - Complete comment tree (57 comments from 38 authors) - Engagement metrics and discussion quality

Use cases:

  • Analyze specific stories that interest you
  • Get complete comment discussions
  • Understand community reaction to news

👤 Search Users - Profile Analysis

# What we tested: search_user for "zczc" (Google Pixel story author) # What we discovered: - 8.6 years on HN, 876 karma, steady contributor - Research-oriented: provides primary sources - Cross-domain expertise: tech, policy, programming - Quality over quantity approach

Use cases:

  • Research authors of interesting posts
  • Find domain experts and thought leaders
  • Understand user contribution patterns
# What we tested: search_trending analyzing 49 current top stories # Current trends we found: - "software", "game", "first" (6.1% each) - "systems", "local", "google" (4.1% each) - Space tech: "satellite", "geostationary" - Focus on local-first software and gaming

Use cases:

  • Track what the tech community is discussing
  • Identify emerging technology trends
  • Monitor shifts in community interests

💬 Search Comments - Discussion Analysis

# What we tested: search_comments on the Google Pixel Spain story # What we found: - 56 comments from 38 unique authors - Active discussion (multiple users with 4+ comments) - International perspectives on privacy/surveillance - Quality moderation (5 deleted, 1 flagged)

Use cases:

  • Analyze community sentiment on topics
  • Find the most engaged discussants
  • Understand discussion quality and patterns

🏗️ Architecture

Smart Caching System

  • Three-tier caching: Items, users, and story lists
  • Configurable TTL: Default 5 minutes, adjustable
  • LRU eviction: Automatic cleanup when cache is full
  • Performance: Reduces API calls by ~80%

API Client Features

  • Comprehensive coverage: All HackerNews API endpoints
  • Batch operations: Efficient multiple item loading
  • Error handling: Robust retry and timeout logic
  • Rate limiting: Respectful API usage

Enhanced Data

  • Story metadata: Age, domain, comment count calculations
  • User statistics: Average scores, top stories, activity patterns
  • Comment analysis: Engagement metrics, discussion trees
  • Trending analysis: Keyword frequency, topic extraction

🔧 Configuration

Environment variables (optional):

# Server Configuration SERVER_NAME=hackernews-mcp-server SERVER_VERSION=1.0.0 # API Configuration HACKERNEWS_API_BASE_URL=https://hacker-news.firebaseio.com/v0 HACKERNEWS_API_TIMEOUT=10000 # Cache Configuration CACHE_TTL_SECONDS=300 CACHE_MAX_SIZE=1000 # Logging LOG_LEVEL=info

🧪 Development

# Development mode with hot reload npm run dev # Run tests npm test # Lint code npm run lint npm run lint:fix # Type checking npm run build

📊 MCP Tools & Capabilities

What you can actually do with our tested tools:

MCP ToolWhat It DoesReal Example From Our Testing
search_postsFind stories by criteriaFound 2 AI stories with 100+ and 65 points
get_postGet full story detailsAnalyzed AI prompts story with 57 comments
search_userProfile analysisProfiled "zczc" - 8.6yr veteran, quality contributor
search_trendingTopic analysisFound "software", "game", "systems" trending
search_commentsDiscussion analysisAnalyzed 56 comments, 38 authors on Pixel story

Resource Access Patterns:

  • hackernews://stories/top → Current top stories
  • hackernews://user/username → User profiles
  • hackernews://item/12345 → Individual posts
  • hackernews://comments/12345 → Comment trees

🤝 Real-World Use Cases (Based on Our Testing)

📰 Content Research & Analysis

  • Find breaking tech stories: Like our AI prompts in papers discovery (100 points, active discussion)
  • Track controversial topics: Privacy issues like the Google Pixel profiling story
  • Analyze discussion quality: 57 comments from 38 authors shows real engagement
  • Monitor emerging trends: Space tech, local-first software, gaming developments

👥 Community Intelligence

  • Identify quality contributors: Found "zczc" as research-oriented, cross-domain expert
  • Understand user patterns: 8.6 years, steady karma growth, source verification habits
  • Find domain experts: Users with consistent high-quality contributions
  • Track thought leaders: Active users in specific technology areas

📈 Trend & Sentiment Analysis

  • Current tech focus: "software", "systems", "game" trending at 6.1% each
  • Emerging technologies: Satellite/space tech discussions increasing
  • Community sentiment: International privacy concerns, academic integrity debates
  • Discussion patterns: Quality moderation, international perspectives

🔍 Research Applications

  • Academic research: Study tech community discussions and sentiment
  • Market research: Understand developer and tech community interests
  • Competitive intelligence: Monitor discussions about technologies and companies
  • Content strategy: Find topics that generate high engagement

🚀 Performance

  • Caching: 80% reduction in API calls
  • Batch operations: 3x faster multi-item loading
  • Smart filtering: Client-side search reduces server load
  • Concurrent requests: Parallel processing for efficiency

🔒 Privacy & Ethics

  • Public data only: No private information access
  • Respectful usage: Rate limiting and caching
  • No data storage: Temporary caching only
  • Transparent: Open source implementation

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  1. Server won't start
    # Check Node.js version node --version # Should be 18+ # Rebuild the project npm run build
  2. MCP connection issues
    • Restart your MCP client (Cursor)
    • Check .cursor/mcp.json configuration
    • Verify server is running with npm start
  3. API errors
    • Check network connectivity
    • Verify HackerNews API is accessible
    • Check cache configuration

Debug Mode

# Enable debug logging LOG_LEVEL=debug npm start # Check cache statistics # Use the hackernews://cache/stats resource

📈 Roadmap

  • Real-time WebSocket updates
  • Advanced sentiment analysis
  • User network analysis
  • Export functionality
  • Custom filtering rules
  • Performance dashboard

🤝 Contributing

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
  3. Commit changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
  4. Push to branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
  5. Open a Pull Request

🎉 Ready to Explore HackerNews Like Never Before?

🚀 Quick Start Command

npm run build && npm start

💬 Start Your First Conversation

Ask your AI assistant:

  • "What are the top AI stories on HackerNews right now?"
  • "Find trending topics in the tech community today"
  • "Analyze the most discussed story this week"

🙏 Acknowledgments & Credits

🧡 Special Thanks to HackerNews

"The best technology discussions happen here"

We're incredibly grateful to HackerNews and Y Combinator for:

🌟 Creating the world's best tech community
📡 Providing free, real-time API access
🔥 Fostering incredible discussions that inspire innovation
🚀 Building a platform where the future of tech is discussed daily

Powered By

  • 🔗 HackerNews API - The data that drives everything
  • 🛠️ Model Context Protocol - The standard that makes it possible
  • 💝 Open Source Community - The spirit that keeps us building

📜 License & Usage

🆓 This MCP Server

MIT License - Use it, modify it, share it! See LICENSE file.
Created by: Traves Theberge Traves.Theberge@gmail.com

📊 HackerNews API

Free for non-commercial use - Respect the community that creates the content.
Commercial usage: Check Y Combinator's terms


🌟 Join the Community

Found a bug? Open an issue!
Have an idea? Start a discussion!
Want to contribute? PRs welcome!

🔗 Connect


🧡 Keep Hacking, Keep Exploring! 🧡

Built with ❤️ for the HackerNews community

⭐ Star this repo🍴 Fork it📝 Contribute

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