Overview

When browsing Hacker News through your MCP server, you'll encounter three primary story feeds: Top, New, and Best. Each feed serves a distinct purpose and surfaces different content based on specific criteria. Understanding these differences will help you access the most relevant information for your needs.

Top Stories

Top stories represent what's currently trending on Hacker News' front page. This feed shows submissions that have recently gained significant upvotes and engagement from the community. The algorithm considers both the number of votes and how recently those votes were received, creating a dynamic list that changes throughout the day.

Use the top stories feed when you want to know what's capturing the tech community's attention right now. These stories typically reflect breaking news, interesting technical articles, or thought-provoking discussions that resonate with the community. Since top stories change frequently, checking this feed multiple times per day keeps you current with real-time trends.

New Stories

The new stories feed displays the most recently submitted content to Hacker News, ordered chronologically. Unlike top stories, this feed doesn't filter by popularity or votes—it simply shows what users have just posted, regardless of engagement.

This feed is valuable when you want to discover content early, before the community has voted it to prominence. You'll find fresh perspectives, breaking news as it happens, and niche topics that might not make it to the front page but could be relevant to your specific interests. Keep in mind that not all new submissions are high quality, as this feed includes everything without curation.

Best Stories

Best stories represent the highest-quality content according to Hacker News' ranking algorithm. This feed considers factors beyond immediate popularity, including sustained engagement over time, comment quality, and historical voting patterns. The result is a more refined selection of content that has demonstrated lasting value.

Choose the best stories feed when you want thoroughly vetted, substantive content. These stories have proven their worth through community engagement and tend to be more thoughtful, in-depth pieces rather than quick news items. This feed changes more slowly than the top stories feed, making it ideal for periodic check-ins rather than minute-by-minute monitoring.

Choosing the Right Feed

Select Top Stories for real-time awareness of trending topics and timely news. Choose New Stories for early discovery and comprehensive coverage. Use Best Stories for high-quality, well-vetted content with lasting relevance. Your choice depends on whether you prioritize timeliness, comprehensiveness, or quality in your Hacker News browsing experience.