Hacker News Scraper API
Hacker News API: 4 endpoints for story search, single stories, full threaded comment trees, and user profiles. Every call costs 1 credit; 100 free credits on signup, no card. One x-api-key and the same JSON envelope you already use for Reddit, GitHub, and X — no separate Algolia or Firebase integration to wire up.
TL;DR
The Hacker News API by SocialCrawl returns Hacker News data as structured JSON — 4 endpoints behind one x-api-key, from 1 credit per call. It shares one unified schema with 41 other platforms, so the same client code works everywhere.
Where to find SocialCrawl
Try the Hacker News API in your browser
Type a real handle, run a real request, see the JSON SocialCrawl returns. No signup, no key — same response shape you get in production.
Try the Hacker News Search API
See real data before writing a single line
What data does the Hacker News API return?
Every endpoint returns structured JSON with a unified schema. Computed fields like engagement rate and content category come standard.
Last updated June 2026
How do you scrape social media data in seconds?
The fastest social media scraping API for developers. Scrape profiles, posts, comments, and analytics from 42 platforms covering 10B+ monthly active users.
One schema, every platform
Query 42 platforms with identical response structures. Write your integration once.
Computed fields, not just scraped
Every response includes engagement_rate, estimated_reach, content_category, and language — ready to use.
See your data before you code
Visual Data Explorer — paste any URL, get rich result cards, sortable tables, CSV export.
import requests
response = requests.get(
'https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/tiktok/profile',
params={'handle': 'charlidamelio'},
headers={'x-api-key': 'sc_YOUR_API_KEY'}
)
data = response.json(){
"success": true,
"platform": "tiktok",
"data": {
"author": {
"username": "charlidamelio",
"followers": 152400000
},
"engagement": {
"likes": 12400000000,
"engagement_rate": 0.087
},
"metadata": {
"language": "en",
"content_category": "lifestyle"
}
}
}How does SocialCrawl handle 42 different platforms?
Social media scraping is hard. Schema normalization, authentication, rate limits, pagination — we handle it all before your data arrives.
Write once, query them all.
42 platforms return 42 different JSON shapes. We normalize every response into one consistent structure.
Metrics ready before you ask.
Engagement rate, estimated reach, content category, language — calculated on every response automatically.
One cursor, every platform.
Every platform paginates differently. We give you one consistent cursor-based system.
Live data, never cached.
Every request hits the actual platform. No stale data, no cache lag.
Auth, proxies, and rate limits — handled.
Platform authentication, IP rotation, rate limit management — abstracted away. Just send a GET request.
How does SocialCrawl compare to Official HN Firebase API + Algolia for Hacker News data?
Same Hacker News data, two very different paths. Auth, rate limits, schema, and cost — side by side.
| Feature | SocialCrawl | Official HN Firebase API + Algolia |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | One x-api-key shared across 42 platforms | No key needed, but two separate APIs to learn |
| Setup | One GET request in the same envelope as your other sources | Firebase for items, Algolia for search — two clients, two response shapes |
| Rate limits | Handled upstream as part of the service | Generous but unspecified; you build your own backoff |
| Response schema | Unified data.items shape shared with Reddit, GitHub, and X | Firebase returns raw items one ID at a time; Algolia uses its own hit format |
| Pricing | 1 credit per call; 100 free credits, no card | Free |
| Data coverage | Search, story, full threaded comment tree, and profile in four calls | Full item coverage, but comment trees mean one request per comment ID |
Authentication
Setup
Rate limits
Response schema
Pricing
Data coverage
How much does Hacker News scraping cost?
SocialCrawl uses credit-based pricing: you pay per API call, and most Hacker News endpoints cost just a few credits. Every account starts with 100 free credits — no subscriptions, no compute units, no credit card required.
See pricingIs Hacker News scraping legal?
SocialCrawl returns publicly available Hacker News data. Courts have generally upheld scraping public data — most notably in hiQ v. LinkedIn — but compliance depends on your use case and jurisdiction. You are responsible for following applicable laws and platform terms.
Have a question? We got answers
Find answers to frequently asked questions about SocialCrawl's API, pricing, and capabilities.
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