# Hacker News Scraper — Search Stories & Comments (`puskin/hn-scraper`) Actor Search and retrieve Hacker News stories, comments, and user info via the free Algolia Search API. No API key required — filter by points, date, tags, and more. - **URL**: https://apify.com/puskin/hn-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Giovanni Bucci](https://apify.com/puskin) (community) - **Categories:** Developer tools, News - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## HN Scraper Search and retrieve Hacker News stories, comments, and user data via the free Algolia Search API — **no API key required**. ### Features - **Search Stories** — Full-text search across all HN stories. Filter by tags (story, show_hn, ask_hn, front_page), minimum points, and date range - **Get Story** — Fetch a single story with its full comment tree (nested threads preserved) - **Get User** — List all stories submitted by a specific HN user ### Input | Field | Type | Default | Description | |------------|---------|--------------|--------------------------------------------------| | mode | select | `searchStories` | `searchStories`, `getStory`, `getUser` | | query | string | — | Keyword for story search | | storyId | int | — | Story ID for getStory mode | | username | string | — | HN username for getUser mode | | sort | select | `byDate` | `byDate` (newest) or `byRelevance` | | tags | string | `story` | Comma-separated tags: story, comment, ask_hn, show_hn, poll, front_page | | minPoints | int | 0 | Minimum points filter | | limit | int | 20 | Max results (1–100) | ### Output Each result is pushed as a JSON record to the Apify dataset. **searchStories / getUser** — objectID, title, url, author, points, num_comments, created_at, story_text **getStory** — type ("story" or "comment"), id, title/author, text, points, created_at, depth (for nested comments), parent_id, story_id ### Use Cases - Track mentions of your product, brand, or technology - Find popular Show HN launches in your space - Monitor competitor discussions and sentiment - Build datasets for NLP or trend analysis - Research what's trending in tech ### Automation & Integration - **Schedule daily searches** via Apify's built-in scheduler — track keywords over time - **Connect to Make.com, Zapier, or n8n** via Apify integrations - **Export to Google Sheets, Slack, or Discord** from the Apify dataset - **Alert on mentions** by combining scheduled runs with webhook outputs ### Technical - Built with Python + httpx - Uses Algolia Search API at `hn.algolia.com/api/v1` - Comment trees are flattened with depth markers for easy analysis - The Algolia API is free, no authentication required # Actor input Schema ## `mode` (type: `string`): What to scrape from Hacker News ## `query` (type: `string`): Keyword or phrase to search for (used in searchStories mode) ## `storyId` (type: `integer`): Hacker News story ID (used in getStory mode — fetches story + full comment tree) ## `username` (type: `string`): Hacker News username (used in getUser mode) ## `sort` (type: `string`): Sort results by date or relevance (searchStories mode only) ## `tags` (type: `string`): Filter by tag type: story, comment, ask_hn, show_hn, poll, front_page. Comma-separated for AND logic. ## `minPoints` (type: `integer`): Only return stories with at least this many points (searchStories mode only) ## `limit` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of results to return (1–100) ## Actor input object example ```json { "mode": "searchStories", "query": "Rust programming", "storyId": 33786502, "username": "pg", "sort": "byDate", "tags": "story,show_hn", "minPoints": 0, "limit": 20 } ```` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "mode": "searchStories", "query": "", "storyId": 0, "username": "", "sort": "byDate", "tags": "story", "minPoints": 0, "limit": 20 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("puskin/hn-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "mode": "searchStories", "query": "", "storyId": 0, "username": "", "sort": "byDate", "tags": "story", "minPoints": 0, "limit": 20, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("puskin/hn-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "mode": "searchStories", "query": "", "storyId": 0, "username": "", "sort": "byDate", "tags": "story", "minPoints": 0, "limit": 20 }' | apify call puskin/hn-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=puskin/hn-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Hacker News Scraper — Search Stories & Comments", "description": "Search and retrieve Hacker News stories, comments, and user info via the free Algolia Search API. No API key required — filter by points, date, tags, and more.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "V7JbHQGdcOiI83bD8" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/puskin~hn-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-puskin-hn-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/puskin~hn-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-puskin-hn-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/puskin~hn-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-puskin-hn-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "mode": { "title": "Search Mode", "enum": [ "searchStories", "getStory", "getUser" ], "type": "string", "description": "What to scrape from Hacker News", "default": "searchStories" }, "query": { "title": "Search Query", "type": "string", "description": "Keyword or phrase to search for (used in searchStories mode)" }, "storyId": { "title": "Story ID", "type": "integer", "description": "Hacker News story ID (used in getStory mode — fetches story + full comment tree)" }, "username": { "title": "Username", "type": "string", "description": "Hacker News username (used in getUser mode)" }, "sort": { "title": "Sort Order", "enum": [ "byDate", "byRelevance" ], "type": "string", "description": "Sort results by date or relevance (searchStories mode only)", "default": "byDate" }, "tags": { "title": "Story Tags (comma-separated)", "type": "string", "description": "Filter by tag type: story, comment, ask_hn, show_hn, poll, front_page. Comma-separated for AND logic." }, "minPoints": { "title": "Minimum Points", "minimum": 0, "type": "integer", "description": "Only return stories with at least this many points (searchStories mode only)", "default": 0 }, "limit": { "title": "Max Results", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 100, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of results to return (1–100)", "default": 20 } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```