Do I need an API key for Hacker News?

No, this MCP uses the public Hacker News API, so no personal API key is required.

Which AI clients can use this MCP?

You can use this with any MCP-compatible client, including Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf.

Can I see specific comments from a story?

Yes, you can use the get_item capability with a specific story ID to see its details and comments.

How many stories can the agent fetch at once?

The capabilities allow you to fetch up to 500 stories for top, best, and new feeds.

Is the data real-time?

Yes, the MCP provides access to the latest items and profile changes as they happen on the site.

How can I get the full text of a specific Hacker News comment or story?

Use the get_item capability with the unique integer ID of the item. The agent will return the title, text, author, and other metadata associated with that ID.

Can I see the latest projects launched by the community?

Yes! Use the get_show_stories capability to retrieve the latest 'Show HN' posts where developers share their recent work and projects.

Is there a way to track what has changed recently on the site?

The get_updates capability provides a list of recently changed items and user profiles, allowing you to stay on top of the latest activity.

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Connect Hacker News (Alternative) to ChatGPT and Claude

Set it up once and it works in ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and any other client you love. It all runs safely in the background, so you can relax and focus on what really matters. Pull the latest tech trends and community insights instantly.

Ask AI about this Connector

Developed, maintained, and hosted by Vinkius.

MCP VERIFIED · PRODUCTION READY · VINKIUS GUARANTEED

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Works with modern AI clients that support MCP, including ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and more.

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

No other AI tool gives you this. Your workflow runs in the client you already love, your account stays protected, and you decide what the agent can and cannot do. It is the whole reason to make the switch.

Each Connector lives inside our infrastructure, the same place where your workflow runs. The three things below are already part of it, working quietly in the background so you never have to think about them. Nothing to add, nothing to set up, nothing to worry about.

V8 Isolate01

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed V8 runtime — no access to your files, your system, or other servers. A Connector never sees past its own request.

Kill Switch02

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

One action deactivates every Connector, revokes every token, and ends every session at once. AI Governance keeps the record.

FinOps per User03

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

Every user keeps their own connections and credentials, isolated from everyone else. Anything that would cross your spending limit is held for your approval, not billed.

Three controls, built into the layer your AI connects through.

Curated set · 10 capabilities

We ship only the actions that matter.

Capability set01 / 03

01-04

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 10 available through Hacker News.

01
Get updates
This capability tracks changes to items and user profiles on the platform.
02
Get new stories
Use this to pull up to 500 of the most recent stories posted to the site.
03
Get show stories
This capability retrieves up to 200 of the latest 'Show HN' posts.
04
Get top stories
Get a list of up to 500 top stories currently trending on the site.

Capability set02 / 03

05-07

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 10 available through Hacker News.

05
Get ask stories
This capability fetches up to 200 of the latest 'Ask HN' discussion threads.
06
Get best stories
Retrieve up to 500 of the best stories as ranked by the community.
07
Get item
This capability fetches full details for a specific story, comment, or poll using its ID.

Capability set03 / 03

08-10

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 10 available through Hacker News.

08
Get job stories
Get up to 200 of the latest job postings from the platform.
09
Get max item
Use this to find the highest current item ID to track the site's history.
10
Get user
This capability pulls profile data and karma for a specific username.

Real work

What teams actually run

Library Monitoring

Ask your agent to check for new top stories to see if a library you use is being discussed.

Sentiment Analysis

Have your agent pull comments from a specific story ID to gauge developer reaction.

Job Hunting

Use the job stories capability to find new technical openings via your AI client.

User Research

Check the karma and history of a specific user to verify their expertise.

Automate a task

Put Hacker News to work on one thing.

Step-by-step automations your AI runs through this Connector: the workflow, the prompts to start with, and the exact capabilities behind each move.

One connector, every AI

Hacker News works with the most popular AI clients.

These are the most popular clients, each with a step-by-step guide: one link, set up once, with governance and visibility built in. And because everything runs on the MCP standard, the same connection also works in any other compatible client — nothing to rebuild.

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

You don't need a client to put Hacker News to work: the same hosted connection plugs into your own applications and agent code, with the same governance on every request. Build with it, chat with it — one connection for both.

Observed, not estimated

924ms average. Fast in production.

Hacker News is checked daily against the live service.

Daily averagePeak 1071ms

Oct 3Today

Fastest day: 757ms
Slowest day: 1071ms
14-day trend: Stable-2%

Connect your client

One URL. Every client.

Activate the Connector, copy your link, and paste it into the client you already use. 10 capabilities arrive ready to run.

Preview access · not provider authentication

The vk_preview_* token belongs to Vinkius preview infrastructure. It lets Claude discover and display the capabilities of Hacker News, so you can see the experience inside your AI.

It does not authenticate your account with Hacker News. Actions requiring credentials or live account data may not run until you activate the Connector and authorize the service.

Hacker News Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_vDlTapZpwBOfy8YVPjPvW0Pp97m80WazZplkvCAt/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
3Click Add and start a new chat — Hacker News capabilities are ready to use.

Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hacker-news-alternative-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_vDlTapZpwBOfy8YVPjPvW0Pp97m80WazZplkvCAt/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Claude
ChatGPT
Cursor
VS Code
Windsurf
Claude Code
JetBrains
Cline

Step-by-step instructions for each client are in the guide. How to connect

Guided setup for Claude? Set up Hacker News in Claude and other AIs

See all the AI clients this connector works with ↑

Who it's for

Built for the work Hacker News owners hand off.

This MCP is built for technical professionals who need community-driven insights without switching tabs.

01
Developers
They hand off the task of monitoring new libraries and framework shifts to their agent.
02
Researchers
They use the agent to analyze community sentiment and trending tech topics.
03
Tech Enthusiasts
They rely on the agent to catch viral posts or significant product launches.

FAQ

Questions Hacker News owners ask.

01
Do I need an API key for Hacker News?
No, this MCP uses the public Hacker News API, so no personal API key is required.
02
Which AI clients can use this MCP?
You can use this with any MCP-compatible client, including Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf.
03
Can I see specific comments from a story?
Yes, you can use the get_item capability with a specific story ID to see its details and comments.
04
How many stories can the agent fetch at once?
The capabilities allow you to fetch up to 500 stories for top, best, and new feeds.
05
Is the data real-time?
Yes, the MCP provides access to the latest items and profile changes as they happen on the site.
06
How can I get the full text of a specific Hacker News comment or story?
Use the get_item capability with the unique integer ID of the item. The agent will return the title, text, author, and other metadata associated with that ID.
07
Can I see the latest projects launched by the community?
Yes! Use the get_show_stories capability to retrieve the latest 'Show HN' posts where developers share their recent work and projects.
08
Is there a way to track what has changed recently on the site?
The get_updates capability provides a list of recently changed items and user profiles, allowing you to stay on top of the latest activity.

Explore

More in Developer Tools

Connect Hacker News to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

We ship only the actions that matter.

01-04

Get updates

Get new stories

Get show stories

Get top stories

05-07

Get ask stories

Get best stories

Get item

08-10

Get job stories

Get max item

Get user

What teams actually run

Library Monitoring

Sentiment Analysis

Job Hunting

User Research

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

Hacker News Connector

Claude Desktop

Developers

Researchers

Tech Enthusiasts

Do I need an API key for Hacker News?

Which AI clients can use this MCP?

Can I see specific comments from a story?

How many stories can the agent fetch at once?

Is the data real-time?

How can I get the full text of a specific Hacker News comment or story?

Can I see the latest projects launched by the community?

Is there a way to track what has changed recently on the site?

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