get_hot_topics

Instructions

Fetch currently trending/hot topics from USCardForum.

This returns the most actively discussed topics right now, ranked by
engagement metrics like recent replies, views, and likes.

Use this to:
- See what the community is currently discussing
- Find breaking news or time-sensitive opportunities
- Discover popular ongoing discussions

Args:
    page: Page number for pagination (0-indexed). Use page=1 to get more topics.

Returns a list of TopicSummary objects with fields:
- id: Topic ID (use with get_topic_posts)
- title: Topic title
- posts_count: Total replies
- views: View count
- like_count: Total likes
- created_at: Creation timestamp
- last_posted_at: Last activity timestamp

Example response interpretation:
A topic with high views but low posts may be informational.
A topic with many recent posts is actively being discussed.

Implementation Reference

• src/uscardforum/server_tools/topics.py:12-46 (handler)

  The MCP tool handler for get_hot_topics, decorated with @mcp.tool(). Delegates to DiscourseClient.get_hot_topics() to fetch trending topics.

  @mcp.tool()
  def get_hot_topics(
      page: Annotated[
          int | None,
          Field(default=None, description="Page number for pagination (0-indexed, default: 0)"),
      ] = None,
  ) -> list[TopicSummary]:
      """
      Fetch currently trending/hot topics from USCardForum.
  
      This returns the most actively discussed topics right now, ranked by
      engagement metrics like recent replies, views, and likes.
  
      Use this to:
      - See what the community is currently discussing
      - Find breaking news or time-sensitive opportunities
      - Discover popular ongoing discussions
  
      Args:
          page: Page number for pagination (0-indexed). Use page=1 to get more topics.
  
      Returns a list of TopicSummary objects with fields:
      - id: Topic ID (use with get_topic_posts)
      - title: Topic title
      - posts_count: Total replies
      - views: View count
      - like_count: Total likes
      - created_at: Creation timestamp
      - last_posted_at: Last activity timestamp
  
      Example response interpretation:
      A topic with high views but low posts may be informational.
      A topic with many recent posts is actively being discussed.
      """
      return get_client().get_hot_topics(page=page)

• src/uscardforum/models/topics.py:10-25 (schema)

  Pydantic model defining the TopicSummary return type for get_hot_topics tool.

  class TopicSummary(BaseModel):
      """Summary of a topic for list views (hot, new, top topics)."""
  
      id: int = Field(..., description="Unique topic identifier")
      title: str = Field(..., description="Topic title")
      posts_count: int = Field(0, description="Total number of posts")
      views: int = Field(0, description="Total view count")
      like_count: int = Field(0, description="Total likes on the topic")
      category_id: int | None = Field(None, description="Category identifier")
      category_name: str | None = Field(None, description="Category name")
      created_at: datetime | None = Field(None, description="When topic was created")
      last_posted_at: datetime | None = Field(None, description="Last activity time")
  
      class Config:
          extra = "ignore"

• src/uscardforum/server.py:15-45 (registration)

  Import statement in MCP server entrypoint that registers get_hot_topics by importing it into the mcp namespace.

  from uscardforum.server_tools import (
      analyze_user,
      bookmark_post,
      compare_cards,
      find_data_points,
      get_all_topic_posts,
      get_categories,
      get_current_session,
      get_hot_topics,
      get_new_topics,
      get_notifications,
      get_top_topics,
      get_topic_info,
      get_topic_posts,
      get_user_actions,
      get_user_badges,
      get_user_followers,
      get_user_following,
      get_user_reactions,
      get_user_replies,
      get_user_summary,
      get_user_topics,
      list_users_with_badge,
      login,
      research_topic,
      resource_categories,
      resource_hot_topics,
      resource_new_topics,
      search_forum,
      subscribe_topic,
  )

• src/uscardforum/client.py:161-172 (helper)

  DiscourseClient method that wraps TopicsAPI.get_hot_topics and enriches with category names.

  def get_hot_topics(self, *, page: int | None = None) -> list[TopicSummary]:
      """Fetch currently hot/trending topics.
  
      Args:
          page: Page number for pagination (0-indexed, default: 0)
  
      Returns:
          List of hot topic summaries
      """
      topics = self._topics.get_hot_topics(page=page)
      return self._enrich_with_categories(topics)

• src/uscardforum/api/topics.py:24-44 (helper)

  TopicsAPI method that performs the HTTP GET request to /hot.json and parses into TopicSummary objects.

  def get_hot_topics(self, *, page: int | None = None) -> list[TopicSummary]:
      """Fetch currently trending topics.
  
      Args:
          page: Page number for pagination (0-indexed, default: 0)
  
      Returns:
          List of hot topic summaries
      """
      params: dict[str, Any] = {}
      if page is not None:
          params["page"] = int(page)
  
      payload = self._get(
          "/hot.json",
          params=params or None,
          headers={"Accept": "application/json, text/plain, */*"},
      )
      topics = payload.get("topic_list", {}).get("topics", [])
      return [TopicSummary(**t) for t in topics]