Interfaces with the HackerNews Firebase API to retrieve stories, comments, user profiles, and other content with features like caching, batch operations, and rate limiting for efficient API usage.
Provides tools for accessing and analyzing HackerNews content through the HackerNews API, enabling search and filtering of posts, retrieving post details with comments, analyzing user profiles, identifying trending topics, and examining comment engagement patterns.
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
Then restart your MCP-compatible client (like Cursor) to connect to the server.
✨ Features
🔧 Tools (5 Interactive Commands)
search_posts
- Search and filter HackerNews posts- Filter by keywords, author, score, and date range
- Example: "Find stories about 'AI' with score > 100"
get_post
- Get comprehensive post details- Includes metadata, comment trees, and engagement metrics
- Example: "Get full details of story 44473319 with comments"
search_user
- Analyze user profiles and activity- User statistics, top stories, and contribution patterns
- Example: "Analyze user 'pg' and show their activity"
search_trending
- Find current trending topics- Keyword frequency analysis from top stories
- Example: "What topics are trending on HackerNews today?"
search_comments
- Analyze comment engagement- Comment statistics, top commenters, and discussion patterns
- Example: "Analyze the comments on story 44473319"
- Comment statistics, top commenters, and discussion patterns
🛠️ Installation & Setup
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+
- npm or yarn
Installation Steps
- Clone and install:
- Build the project:
- Configure MCP client (Cursor):
- The
.cursor/mcp.json
file is already configured - Restart Cursor to load the MCP server
- The
- Start using:
🎮 Real Usage Examples (Tested & Working)
🔍 Search Posts - Find Stories by Topic
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
Use cases:
- Analyze specific stories that interest you
- Get complete comment discussions
- Understand community reaction to news
👤 Search Users - Profile Analysis
Use cases:
- Research authors of interesting posts
- Find domain experts and thought leaders
- Understand user contribution patterns
📈 Search Trending - Topic Analysis
Use cases:
- Track what the tech community is discussing
- Identify emerging technology trends
- Monitor shifts in community interests
💬 Search Comments - Discussion Analysis
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):
🧪 Development
📊 MCP Tools & Capabilities
What you can actually do with our tested tools:
MCP Tool | What It Does | Real Example From Our Testing |
---|---|---|
search_posts | Find stories by criteria | Found 2 AI stories with 100+ and 65 points |
get_post | Get full story details | Analyzed AI prompts story with 57 comments |
search_user | Profile analysis | Profiled "zczc" - 8.6yr veteran, quality contributor |
search_trending | Topic analysis | Found "software", "game", "systems" trending |
search_comments | Discussion analysis | Analyzed 56 comments, 38 authors on Pixel story |
Resource Access Patterns:
hackernews://stories/top
→ Current top storieshackernews://user/username
→ User profileshackernews://item/12345
→ Individual postshackernews://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
- Server won't start
- MCP connection issues
- Restart your MCP client (Cursor)
- Check
.cursor/mcp.json
configuration - Verify server is running with
npm start
- API errors
- Check network connectivity
- Verify HackerNews API is accessible
- Check cache configuration
Debug Mode
📈 Roadmap
- Real-time WebSocket updates
- Advanced sentiment analysis
- User network analysis
- Export functionality
- Custom filtering rules
- Performance dashboard
🤝 Contributing
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch (
git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
) - Commit changes (
git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'
) - Push to branch (
git push origin feature/amazing-feature
) - Open a Pull Request
🎉 Ready to Explore HackerNews Like Never Before?
🚀 Quick Start Command
💬 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
- 📧 Email: Traves.Theberge@gmail.com
- 🐙 GitHub: This Repository
- 🗨️ Discussions: Share your HackerNews insights!
🧡 Keep Hacking, Keep Exploring! 🧡
Built with ❤️ for the HackerNews community
This server cannot be installed
A server that enables AI assistants to access, analyze, and understand HackerNews content through standardized Model Context Protocol interfaces, providing tools for searching posts, analyzing users, and tracking trending topics.
- 🚀 Quick Start
- ✨ Features
- 🛠️ Installation & Setup
- 🎮 Real Usage Examples (Tested & Working)
- 🏗️ Architecture
- 🔧 Configuration
- 🧪 Development
- 📊 MCP Tools & Capabilities
- 🤝 Real-World Use Cases (Based on Our Testing)
- 🚀 Performance
- 🔒 Privacy & Ethics
- 🐛 Troubleshooting
- 📈 Roadmap
- 🤝 Contributing
- 🎉 Ready to Explore HackerNews Like Never Before?
- 🙏 Acknowledgments & Credits
- 📜 License & Usage
- 🌟 Join the Community
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