name: hackernews-frontpage description: Scrape the Hacker News front page (titles, points, comment counts). host: news.ycombinator.com trusted: true source: human version: 1.0.0 args: [] triggers:
- scrape hacker news frontpage
- scrape hn frontpage
- get hn top stories
- latest hacker news stories
Hacker News front-page scraper
Scrapes the Hacker News (news.ycombinator.com) front page and returns the
top 30 stories as JSON. Each story has its rank, title, link URL, point count,
and comment count.
Usage
$ $B skill run hackernews-frontpage
{
"stories": [
{ "rank": 1, "title": "...", "url": "...", "points": 412, "comments": 87 },
...
],
"count": 30
}
How it works
- Navigates to
https://news.ycombinator.comvia the daemon. - Reads the page HTML.
- Parses each story row (HN's stable
tr.athingstructure) into a typedStoryrecord. - Emits a single JSON document on stdout.
Why this is the reference skill
hackernews-frontpage is the smallest interesting browser-skill: no auth,
stable HTML, deterministic output, file-fixture-friendly. Every Phase 1
component (SDK, scoped tokens, three-tier lookup, spawn lifecycle) is
exercised by $B skill run hackernews-frontpage and the bundled
script.test.ts.
When the HN HTML rotates and our selectors break, the test fails against the captured fixture before users notice. That's the point.
Overview
hackernews-frontpage is a free skill on OpenRuna. Scrape the Hacker News front page (titles, points, comment counts).
What this skill does
Looking for a dependable skill? "hackernews-frontpage" gives you a tested starting point instead of a blank prompt box. Scrape the Hacker News front page (titles, points, comment counts). It is catalogued next to similar resources on OpenRuna, so the rest of the toolkit you need is close by. Paste it straight into a chat, drop it into a system prompt, or store it as a reusable skill.
Use cases
- Keep it in a shared library as the canonical version of this skill for your organisation.
- Use "hackernews-frontpage" when you need a repeatable skill for professional work without rewriting instructions every time.
- Hand "hackernews-frontpage" to a new teammate so their skill output matches your team's quality bar from day one.
- Combine it with related tools and prompts in the same OpenRuna category to build an end-to-end workflow.
Example output
Running this skill produces output shaped like the source material below:
# Hacker News front-page scraper
Scrapes the Hacker News (`news.ycombinator.com`) front page and returns the
top 30 stories as JSON. Each story has its rank, title, link URL, point count,
and comment count.
## Usage
```
$ $B skill run hackernews-frontpage
{
"stories": [
{ "rank": 1, "title": "...", "url": "...", "points": 412, "comments": 87 },
...
],
"count": 30
}
```
## How it works
1. Navigates to `https://news.ycombinator.com` via the daemon.
2. Reads the page HTML.
3. Parses each story row (HN's stable `tr.athing` structure) into a typed
`Story` record.
4. Emits a si…
Results vary by model and temperature; treat the first response as a draft and refine it with follow-up prompts.Tips by platform
Claude
Claude works best when you paste this skill up front and ask it to outline its plan before writing. Use the artifact panel to refine structured output turn by turn.
ChatGPT
For ChatGPT, save this skill as a Custom Instruction or a saved prompt so it is one click away. Add your specifics in a follow-up rather than editing the original.
Cursor
In Cursor, lift the key instructions from this skill into .cursorrules or a SKILL.md file, then reference it in Agent mode with @ mentions. Keep the title in a comment so teammates can find it on OpenRuna.
Frequently asked questions
- What is "hackernews-frontpage"?
- It is a skill listed on OpenRuna — Scrape the Hacker News front page (titles, points, comment counts). You can copy and adapt it for ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any other AI assistant.
- Is "hackernews-frontpage" free to use?
- Most OpenRuna resources are open or CC0-licensed. Check the license shown on this page before commercial use; premium collections are clearly marked as such.
- How do I get the best results from this skill?
- Replace any placeholders, add your project context, and ask the model to confirm its assumptions first. Iterate over 2–3 follow-up turns rather than expecting a perfect first response.
- Does "hackernews-frontpage" work with both Claude and ChatGPT?
- Yes — it is model-agnostic text, so it runs on Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Cursor. The tips on this page cover each of those assistants specifically.
- Where can I find resources related to "hackernews-frontpage"?
- Scroll to the Related resources section on this page, or open the matching category hub on OpenRuna to find connected prompts, tools, agents, and datasets in the same topic area.
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