# How to integrate Hackernews MCP with Autogen ```json { "title": "How to integrate Hackernews MCP with Autogen", "toolkit": "Hackernews", "toolkit_slug": "hackernews", "framework": "AutoGen", "framework_slug": "autogen", "url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/autogen", "markdown_url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/autogen.md", "updated_at": "2026-05-12T10:14:33.217Z" } ``` ## Introduction This guide walks you through connecting Hackernews to AutoGen using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Hackernews agent that can summarize today's top hacker news stories, find recent posts about ai startups, show comments from this frontpage post through natural language commands. This guide will help you understand how to give your AutoGen agent real control over a Hackernews account through Composio's Hackernews MCP server. Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved. ## Also integrate Hackernews with - [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk) - [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/claude-agents-sdk) - [Claude Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/claude-code) - [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/claude-cowork) - [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/codex) - [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/openclaw) - [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/hermes-agent) - [CLI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/cli) - [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/google-adk) - [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/langchain) - [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/ai-sdk) - [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/mastra-ai) - [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/llama-index) - [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/crew-ai) ## TL;DR Here's what you'll learn: - Get and set up your OpenAI and Composio API keys - Install the required dependencies for Autogen and Composio - Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Hackernews - Wire that MCP URL into Autogen using McpWorkbench and StreamableHttpServerParams - Configure an Autogen AssistantAgent that can call Hackernews tools - Run a live chat loop where you ask the agent to perform Hackernews operations ## What is AutoGen? Autogen is a framework for building multi-agent conversational AI systems from Microsoft. It enables you to create agents that can collaborate, use tools, and maintain complex workflows. Key features include: - Multi-Agent Systems: Build collaborative agent workflows - MCP Workbench: Native support for Model Context Protocol tools - Streaming HTTP: Connect to external services through streamable HTTP - AssistantAgent: Pre-built agent class for tool-using assistants ## What is the Hackernews MCP server, and what's possible with it? The Hackernews MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to the Hacker News platform. It provides structured and secure access to top tech stories, user profiles, and community discussions, so your agent can fetch trending posts, search for news, analyze user activity, and surface the latest updates on your behalf. - Frontpage highlights and trending tech stories: Instantly get the current frontpage posts so your agent can summarize or monitor what's hot in tech right now. - Smart post search and discovery: Search Hacker News posts by keyword, filter results, and explore relevant discussions tailored to your interests. - Real-time updates on new posts: Let your agent fetch the latest or today's posts, keeping you in the loop on breaking news and emerging trends. - In-depth post and comment analysis: Retrieve detailed information about any specific Hacker News item, including stories and comment threads, for deeper insights. - User profile lookup and insights: Access details about any Hacker News user, helping you analyze activity, contributions, or community reputation. ## Supported Tools | Tool slug | Name | Description | |---|---|---| | `HACKERNEWS_GET_ASK_STORIES` | Get Ask HN Story IDs | Get up to 200 latest Ask HN story IDs from Hacker News. Returns an array of item IDs for Ask HN posts in ranked order. | | `HACKERNEWS_GET_BEST_STORIES` | Get Best HackerNews Stories | Get up to 500 best story IDs from HackerNews ranked by score. Returns story IDs only. Use the returned IDs with get_item_with_id action to fetch full story details. | | `HACKERNEWS_GET_ITEM_WITH_ID` | Get Hacker News Item | Tool to get a Hacker News item by its unique ID from the Firebase API. Use when you need to retrieve details about a specific story, comment, job, poll, or pollopt. | | `HACKERNEWS_GET_ITEM_WITH_ID` | Get Hackernews Item | Get a specific item from Hacker News using its ID. Limits response size to prevent context overflow. | | `HACKERNEWS_GET_JOB_STORIES` | Get Job Story IDs | Get up to 200 latest job story IDs from Hacker News. Returns an array of item IDs for job postings that can be used to fetch full job details. | | `HACKERNEWS_GET_LATEST_POSTS` | Get Latest Hackernews Posts | Get the latest posts from Hacker News based on optional filters. Results can be limited using the size parameter. | | `HACKERNEWS_GET_MAX_ITEM_ID` | Get Max Item ID | Tool to get the current largest item ID from Hacker News. Use when you need to discover the most recent items or iterate through all items in the system by walking backward from this ID. | | `HACKERNEWS_GET_NEW_STORIES` | Get New Hacker News Stories | Get up to 500 newest story IDs from Hacker News. Returns an array of item IDs sorted by recency (most recent first). Use these IDs with the Get Item action to retrieve full story details. | | `HACKERNEWS_GET_SHOW_STORIES` | Get Show HN Stories | Tool to retrieve up to 200 latest Show HN story IDs from Hacker News. Use when you need to find recent Show HN posts where people share their projects, products, or creations. | | `HACKERNEWS_GET_TOP_STORIES` | Get Top HackerNews Stories | Get up to 500 top story IDs from HackerNews including jobs. Returns story IDs sorted by front page position. Use the returned IDs with get_item_with_id action to fetch full story details. | | `HACKERNEWS_GET_UPDATES` | Get Hacker News Updates | Get recently changed items and user profiles from Hacker News. Use this to monitor recent activity or updates on the platform. | | `HACKERNEWS_GET_USER` | Get Hacker News User | Retrieve a Hacker News user's public profile by their username. Returns the user's username, karma score, and optional bio/about text. Use this to look up information about HN community members. | | `HACKERNEWS_GET_USER_BY_USERNAME` | Get HackerNews User by Username | Tool to get a user profile by their case-sensitive username from the HackerNews Firebase API. Use when you need detailed user information including creation date, karma, bio, and submission history. Only users with public activity are available. | | `HACKERNEWS_SEARCH_POSTS` | Search Hackernews Posts | Search Hacker News posts using full-text search powered by Algolia. Use this action to find stories, comments, and discussions on Hacker News matching specific keywords. Supports filtering by post type (story, comment, show_hn, ask_hn) and by author. | ## Supported Triggers None listed. ## Creating MCP Server - Stand-alone vs Composio SDK The Hackernews MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agents and assistants directly to Hackernews. Instead of manually wiring Hackernews APIs, OAuth, and scopes yourself, you get a structured, tool-based interface that an LLM can call safely. With Composio's managed implementation, you don't have to create your own developer app. For production, if you're building an end product, we recommend using your own credentials. The managed server helps you prototype fast and go from 0-1 faster. ## Step-by-step Guide ### 1. Prerequisites You will need: - A Composio API key - An OpenAI API key (used by Autogen's OpenAIChatCompletionClient) - A Hackernews account you can connect to Composio - Some basic familiarity with Autogen and Python async ### 1. Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio OpenAI API Key - Go to the [OpenAI dashboard](https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/api-keys) and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models, or you can connect to another model provider. - Keep the API key safe. Composio API Key - Log in to the [Composio dashboard](https://dashboard.composio.dev?utm_source=toolkits&utm_medium=framework_docs). - Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key. - Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication. ### 2. Install dependencies Install Composio, Autogen extensions, and dotenv. What's happening: - composio connects your agent to Hackernews via MCP - autogen-agentchat provides the AssistantAgent class - autogen-ext-openai provides the OpenAI model client - autogen-ext-tools provides MCP workbench support ```bash pip install composio python-dotenv pip install autogen-agentchat autogen-ext-openai autogen-ext-tools ``` ### 3. Set up environment variables Create a .env file in your project folder. What's happening: - COMPOSIO_API_KEY is required to talk to Composio - OPENAI_API_KEY is used by Autogen's OpenAI client - USER_ID is how Composio identifies which user's Hackernews connections to use ```bash COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your-composio-api-key OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key USER_ID=your-user-identifier@example.com ``` ### 4. Import dependencies and create Tool Router session What's happening: - load_dotenv() reads your .env file - Composio(api_key=...) initializes the SDK - create(...) creates a Tool Router session that exposes Hackernews tools - session.mcp.url is the MCP endpoint that Autogen will connect to ```python import asyncio import os from dotenv import load_dotenv from composio import Composio from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent from autogen_ext.models.openai import OpenAIChatCompletionClient from autogen_ext.tools.mcp import McpWorkbench, StreamableHttpServerParams load_dotenv() async def main(): # Initialize Composio and create a Hackernews session composio = Composio(api_key=os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")) session = composio.create( user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"), toolkits=["hackernews"] ) url = session.mcp.url ``` ### 5. Configure MCP parameters for Autogen Autogen expects parameters describing how to talk to the MCP server. That is what StreamableHttpServerParams is for. What's happening: - url points to the Tool Router MCP endpoint from Composio - timeout is the HTTP timeout for requests - sse_read_timeout controls how long to wait when streaming responses - terminate_on_close=True cleans up the MCP server process when the workbench is closed ```python # Configure MCP server parameters for Streamable HTTP server_params = StreamableHttpServerParams( url=url, timeout=30.0, sse_read_timeout=300.0, terminate_on_close=True, headers={"x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")} ) ``` ### 6. Create the model client and agent What's happening: - OpenAIChatCompletionClient wraps the OpenAI model for Autogen - McpWorkbench connects the agent to the MCP tools - AssistantAgent is configured with the Hackernews tools from the workbench ```python # Create model client model_client = OpenAIChatCompletionClient( model="gpt-5", api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY") ) # Use McpWorkbench as context manager async with McpWorkbench(server_params) as workbench: # Create Hackernews assistant agent with MCP tools agent = AssistantAgent( name="hackernews_assistant", description="An AI assistant that helps with Hackernews operations.", model_client=model_client, workbench=workbench, model_client_stream=True, max_tool_iterations=10 ) ``` ### 7. Run the interactive chat loop What's happening: - The script prompts you in a loop with You: - Autogen passes your input to the model, which decides which Hackernews tools to call via MCP - agent.run_stream(...) yields streaming messages as the agent thinks and calls tools - Typing exit, quit, or bye ends the loop ```python print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end the conversation.\n") print("Ask any Hackernews related question or task to the agent.\n") # Conversation loop while True: user_input = input("You: ").strip() if user_input.lower() in ["exit", "quit", "bye"]: print("\nGoodbye!") break if not user_input: continue print("\nAgent is thinking...\n") # Run the agent with streaming try: response_text = "" async for message in agent.run_stream(task=user_input): if hasattr(message, "content") and message.content: response_text = message.content # Print the final response if response_text: print(f"Agent: {response_text}\n") else: print("Agent: I encountered an issue processing your request.\n") except Exception as e: print(f"Agent: Sorry, I encountered an error: {str(e)}\n") ``` ## Complete Code ```python import asyncio import os from dotenv import load_dotenv from composio import Composio from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent from autogen_ext.models.openai import OpenAIChatCompletionClient from autogen_ext.tools.mcp import McpWorkbench, StreamableHttpServerParams load_dotenv() async def main(): # Initialize Composio and create a Hackernews session composio = Composio(api_key=os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")) session = composio.create( user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"), toolkits=["hackernews"] ) url = session.mcp.url # Configure MCP server parameters for Streamable HTTP server_params = StreamableHttpServerParams( url=url, timeout=30.0, sse_read_timeout=300.0, terminate_on_close=True, headers={"x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")} ) # Create model client model_client = OpenAIChatCompletionClient( model="gpt-5", api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY") ) # Use McpWorkbench as context manager async with McpWorkbench(server_params) as workbench: # Create Hackernews assistant agent with MCP tools agent = AssistantAgent( name="hackernews_assistant", description="An AI assistant that helps with Hackernews operations.", model_client=model_client, workbench=workbench, model_client_stream=True, max_tool_iterations=10 ) print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end the conversation.\n") print("Ask any Hackernews related question or task to the agent.\n") # Conversation loop while True: user_input = input("You: ").strip() if user_input.lower() in ['exit', 'quit', 'bye']: print("\nGoodbye!") break if not user_input: continue print("\nAgent is thinking...\n") # Run the agent with streaming try: response_text = "" async for message in agent.run_stream(task=user_input): if hasattr(message, 'content') and message.content: response_text = message.content # Print the final response if response_text: print(f"Agent: {response_text}\n") else: print("Agent: I encountered an issue processing your request.\n") except Exception as e: print(f"Agent: Sorry, I encountered an error: {str(e)}\n") if __name__ == "__main__": asyncio.run(main()) ``` ## Conclusion You now have an Autogen assistant wired into Hackernews through Composio's Tool Router and MCP. From here you can: - Add more toolkits to the toolkits list, for example notion or hubspot - Refine the agent description to point it at specific workflows - Wrap this script behind a UI, Slack bot, or internal tool Once the pattern is clear for Hackernews, you can reuse the same structure for other MCP-enabled apps with minimal code changes. ## How to build Hackernews MCP Agent with another framework - [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk) - [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/claude-agents-sdk) - [Claude Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/claude-code) - [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/claude-cowork) - [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/codex) - [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/openclaw) - [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/hermes-agent) - [CLI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/cli) - [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/google-adk) - [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/langchain) - [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/ai-sdk) - [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/mastra-ai) - [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/llama-index) - [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/hackernews/framework/crew-ai) ## Related Toolkits - [Supabase](https://composio.dev/toolkits/supabase) - Supabase is an open-source backend platform offering scalable Postgres databases, authentication, storage, and real-time APIs. It lets developers build modern apps without managing infrastructure. - [Codeinterpreter](https://composio.dev/toolkits/codeinterpreter) - Codeinterpreter is a Python-based coding environment with built-in data analysis and visualization. It lets you instantly run scripts, plot results, and prototype solutions inside supported platforms. - [GitHub](https://composio.dev/toolkits/github) - GitHub is a code hosting platform for version control and collaborative software development. It streamlines project management, code review, and team workflows in one place. - [Ably](https://composio.dev/toolkits/ably) - Ably is a real-time messaging platform for live chat and data sync in modern apps. It offers global scale and rock-solid reliability for seamless, instant experiences. - [Abuselpdb](https://composio.dev/toolkits/abuselpdb) - Abuselpdb is a central database for reporting and checking IPs linked to malicious online activity. 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It delivers high-quality screenshots on demand for automation, monitoring, or reporting. - [Apiverve](https://composio.dev/toolkits/apiverve) - Apiverve delivers a suite of powerful APIs that simplify integration for developers. It's designed for reliability and scalability so you can build faster, smarter applications without the integration headache. - [Appcircle](https://composio.dev/toolkits/appcircle) - Appcircle is an enterprise-grade mobile CI/CD platform for building, testing, and publishing mobile apps. It streamlines mobile DevOps so teams ship faster and with more confidence. - [Appdrag](https://composio.dev/toolkits/appdrag) - Appdrag is a cloud platform for building websites, APIs, and databases with drag-and-drop tools and code editing. It accelerates development and iteration by combining hosting, database management, and low-code features in one place. - [Appveyor](https://composio.dev/toolkits/appveyor) - AppVeyor is a cloud-based continuous integration service for building, testing, and deploying applications. It helps developers automate and streamline their software delivery pipelines. - [Backendless](https://composio.dev/toolkits/backendless) - Backendless is a backend-as-a-service platform for mobile and web apps, offering database, file storage, user authentication, and APIs. It helps developers ship scalable applications faster without managing server infrastructure. - [Baserow](https://composio.dev/toolkits/baserow) - Baserow is an open-source no-code database platform for building collaborative data apps. It makes it easy for teams to organize data and automate workflows without writing code. - [Bench](https://composio.dev/toolkits/bench) - Bench is a benchmarking tool for automated performance measurement and analysis. It helps you quickly evaluate, compare, and track your systems or workflows. - [Better stack](https://composio.dev/toolkits/better_stack) - Better Stack is a monitoring, logging, and incident management solution for apps and services. It helps teams ensure application reliability and performance with real-time insights. - [Bitbucket](https://composio.dev/toolkits/bitbucket) - Bitbucket is a Git-based code hosting and collaboration platform for teams. It enables secure repository management and streamlined code reviews. - [Blazemeter](https://composio.dev/toolkits/blazemeter) - Blazemeter is a continuous testing platform for web and mobile app performance. It empowers teams to automate and analyze large-scale tests with ease. - [Blocknative](https://composio.dev/toolkits/blocknative) - Blocknative delivers real-time mempool monitoring and transaction management for public blockchains. Instantly track pending transactions and optimize blockchain interactions with live data. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Hackernews MCP? With a standalone Hackernews MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Hackernews tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Hackernews and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint. ### Can I use Tool Router MCP with Autogen? Yes, you can. Autogen fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Hackernews tools. ### Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Hackernews while using Tool Router? Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Hackernews scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do. ### How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router? All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Hackernews data and credentials are handled as safely as possible. --- [See all toolkits](https://composio.dev/toolkits) ยท [Composio docs](https://docs.composio.dev/llms.txt)