HackerNews MCP Server

Search HackerNews for stories, comments, and other content by keyword.

Supports:

• Keyword search across titles, text, and authors

• Tag filtering (story, comment, poll, show_hn, ask_hn, front_page, author_USERNAME)

• Numeric filters for points, comments, and dates

• Pagination with customizable results per page

• Advanced filtering with OR logic and multiple conditions

Basic Examples:

• Search for AI stories: { "query": "AI", "tags": ["story"] }

• Find popular posts: { "query": "Python", "numericFilters": ["points>=100"] }

• Filter by author: { "query": "startup", "tags": ["author_pg"] }

• Date range: { "query": "startup", "numericFilters": ["created_at_i>1640000000"] }

Advanced Filtering Examples:

• High engagement posts: { "query": "programming", "numericFilters": ["points>=100", "num_comments>=50"] }

• OR logic for tags: { "query": "web", "tags": ["(story,poll)"] } - returns stories OR polls

• Author with filters: { "query": "", "tags": ["author_pg", "story"], "numericFilters": ["points>=50"] }

• Multiple conditions: { "query": "AI", "tags": ["story"], "numericFilters": ["points>=200", "num_comments>=100"] }

Numeric Filter Operators: < (less than), <= (less than or equal), = (equal), >= (greater than or equal), > (greater than) Numeric Filter Fields: points, num_comments, created_at_i (Unix timestamp)

Tag Syntax:

• Single tag: ["story"] - only stories

• Multiple tags (AND): ["story", "show_hn"] - stories that are also show_hn

• OR logic: ["(story,poll)"] - stories OR polls

• Author filter: ["author_USERNAME"] - posts by specific author

Returns paginated results with hits, total count, and page information.

Retrieve posts currently on the HackerNews front page.

Returns stories sorted by HackerNews ranking algorithm. The front page typically contains the most popular and trending stories.

Supports:

• Pagination to view beyond the first page

• Customizable results per page (default: 30)

• All posts are tagged with 'front_page'

Examples:

• Get first page: { }

• Get with custom page size: { "hitsPerPage": 50 }

• Get second page: { "page": 1 }

Returns the same structure as search results with hits, pagination info, and metadata.

Retrieve the most recent HackerNews posts sorted by date.

Returns posts in chronological order (newest first), including all types of content unless filtered.

Supports:

• Filter by content type using tags (story, comment, poll, show_hn, ask_hn, etc.)

• Pagination to view older posts

• Customizable results per page (default: 20)

• Empty query to get all recent posts

Examples:

• Get latest stories: { "tags": ["story"] }

• Get latest comments: { "tags": ["comment"] }

• Get all recent activity: { }

• Get with custom page size: { "hitsPerPage": 50 }

Use this to monitor real-time HackerNews activity or find the newest content.

Retrieve detailed information about a specific HackerNews item by ID.

Returns complete item details including the full nested comment tree. Use this to:

• View a story with all comments

• Read a specific comment with its replies

• Explore discussion threads in depth

• Get complete metadata for any item

Features:

• Full nested comment tree (all levels)

• Complete item metadata (title, url, text, points, author, etc.)

• Works for stories, comments, polls, and poll options

• Includes creation time and item type

Examples:

• Get story with comments: { "itemId": "38456789" }

• Get specific comment: { "itemId": "38456790" }

• Get poll: { "itemId": "126809" }

Note: Large comment threads (>500 comments) may take 2-3 seconds to load due to nested fetching. Returns error if item doesn't exist or has been deleted.

Retrieve public profile information for a HackerNews user.

Returns user profile including karma, bio, and account creation date. Use this to:

• Check user reputation (karma score)

• Read user bio and about information

• See when account was created

• Verify user existence before searching their content

Features:

• Username (case-sensitive)

• Karma score (total upvotes received)

• About/bio text (may contain HTML)

• Account creation date (Unix timestamp)

Examples:

• Get famous user: { "username": "pg" }

• Check moderator: { "username": "dang" }

• Verify author: { "username": "tptacek" }

Username validation:

• Alphanumeric characters and underscores only

• Case-sensitive

• Must exist on HackerNews

Returns error if user doesn't exist or username format is invalid.