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Get Latest HackerNews Stories

get-latest-stories

Retrieve recent stories from HackerNews with customizable pagination to access current discussions and technology news.

Instructions

Get the most recent stories posted to HackerNews

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
hitsPerPageNoNumber of results per page (default: 20)
pageNoPage number for pagination (default: 0)

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
hitsYes
pageYes
nbHitsYes
nbPagesYes
hitsPerPageYes

Implementation Reference

  • Handler function that fetches the most recent HackerNews stories using the /search_by_date endpoint with the 'story' tag filter.
      async ({ page, hitsPerPage }) => {
        const params = new URLSearchParams();
        params.append('tags', 'story');
        if (page !== undefined) params.append('page', page.toString());
        if (hitsPerPage !== undefined) params.append('hitsPerPage', hitsPerPage.toString());
        
        const endpoint = `/search_by_date?${params.toString()}`;
        const result = await fetchHN(endpoint);
        
        return {
          content: [{ type: 'text', text: JSON.stringify(result, null, 2) }],
          structuredContent: result
        };
      }
    );
  • Schema definition including title, description, inputSchema (optional page and hitsPerPage), and outputSchema for the search results structure.
    {
      title: 'Get Latest HackerNews Stories',
      description: 'Get the most recent stories posted to HackerNews',
      inputSchema: {
        page: z.number().optional().describe('Page number for pagination (default: 0)'),
        hitsPerPage: z.number().optional().describe('Number of results per page (default: 20)')
      },
      outputSchema: {
        hits: z.array(z.any()),
        nbHits: z.number(),
        nbPages: z.number(),
        page: z.number(),
        hitsPerPage: z.number()
      }
    },
  • src/index.ts:138-169 (registration)
    Complete registration of the 'get-latest-stories' tool on the MCP server.
    server.registerTool(
      'get-latest-stories',
      {
        title: 'Get Latest HackerNews Stories',
        description: 'Get the most recent stories posted to HackerNews',
        inputSchema: {
          page: z.number().optional().describe('Page number for pagination (default: 0)'),
          hitsPerPage: z.number().optional().describe('Number of results per page (default: 20)')
        },
        outputSchema: {
          hits: z.array(z.any()),
          nbHits: z.number(),
          nbPages: z.number(),
          page: z.number(),
          hitsPerPage: z.number()
        }
      },
      async ({ page, hitsPerPage }) => {
        const params = new URLSearchParams();
        params.append('tags', 'story');
        if (page !== undefined) params.append('page', page.toString());
        if (hitsPerPage !== undefined) params.append('hitsPerPage', hitsPerPage.toString());
        
        const endpoint = `/search_by_date?${params.toString()}`;
        const result = await fetchHN(endpoint);
        
        return {
          content: [{ type: 'text', text: JSON.stringify(result, null, 2) }],
          structuredContent: result
        };
      }
    );
  • Utility function used by the handler to perform API requests to the HackerNews Algolia API.
    async function fetchHN(endpoint: string): Promise<any> {
      const response = await fetch(`${HN_API_BASE}${endpoint}`);
      if (!response.ok) {
        throw new Error(`HN API error: ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`);
      }
      return await response.json();
    }
Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It states the action ('Get') but doesn't mention any behavioral traits such as rate limits, authentication needs, response format, or whether it's a read-only operation. This leaves significant gaps for a tool that interacts with an external API like HackerNews.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is a single, efficient sentence that directly states the tool's purpose without any fluff or redundancy. It's appropriately sized and front-loaded, making it easy to parse quickly.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the tool's moderate complexity (2 parameters, no annotations, but with an output schema), the description is minimally adequate. It covers the basic purpose but lacks usage guidelines and behavioral context. The presence of an output schema means return values are documented elsewhere, so the description doesn't need to explain outputs, but it should address more operational aspects.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The input schema has 100% description coverage, clearly documenting both parameters (hitsPerPage and page) with defaults. The description adds no additional parameter semantics beyond what the schema provides, so it meets the baseline of 3 for high schema coverage without extra value.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the verb ('Get') and resource ('most recent stories posted to HackerNews'), making the purpose immediately understandable. However, it doesn't explicitly differentiate from siblings like 'get-top-stories' or 'get-front-page', which might also retrieve stories but with different criteria, so it misses full sibling distinction.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives. With many sibling tools available (e.g., get-top-stories, get-front-page, search-by-time-range), there's no indication of context, exclusions, or comparisons, leaving the agent to guess based on tool names alone.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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