> **For coding agents and LLMs:** This is one Social Fetch marketing page (markdown export). For API orientation start with [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt); for auth and crawl rules use [`/agents.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/agents.txt); for every operation use [`/llms-endpoints.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-endpoints.txt).

## This page

- **On-site (HTML):** <https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/hackernews/updates>
- **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** <https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/hackernews/updates.mdx>

---

# Hacker News Updates API

Poll the HN changes feed — recently touched item ids and usernames — then hydrate only what moved.

`GET /v1/hackernews/updates` returns `data.changedItemIds`, `data.changedUsernames`, and `data.fetchedAt`. Send `x-api-key`; there is no path parameter. Pair with `GET /v1/hackernews/maxitem` when you also track the high-water mark of new ids, not just mutations to existing ones.

Credit pricing for this operation comes from the API registry and appears on this page, and `meta.creditsCharged` is the billing source of truth. This route does not return full item bodies — fan out to items or users after you filter the id lists.

## Request

- **Endpoint:** `GET /v1/hackernews/updates`
- **Credits:** 1 credit
Failed requests are free
- **Full reference:** [docs](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/hackernews/updates/get)
- **Platform page:** [/platforms/hackernews](https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/hackernews)

## FAQ

### How do I poll Hacker News updates via API?

Call GET /v1/hackernews/updates with your Social Fetch API key in the x-api-key header. Read data.changedItemIds, data.changedUsernames, and data.fetchedAt. Then hydrate selected ids with items or users routes.

### How many credits does the updates poll cost?

Pricing is documented on the operation in the API registry (shown on this page). Confirm on every response with meta.creditsCharged — that field is the billing source of truth.

### Does updates return full stories or profiles?

No. It returns id and username lists only. Use GET /v1/hackernews/items/{id} or GET /v1/hackernews/users/{username} (and related routes) to hydrate payloads you care about.

### Updates vs maxitem?

Updates lists recently changed existing items and users. maxitem returns the current largest item id — useful for discovering brand-new ids. Many freshness pipelines poll both.

### How often should I poll updates?

Match your product SLA. Short intervals catch edits and new comments faster but spend more credits. Always confirm billing with meta.creditsCharged and store fetchedAt for debugging.

### Do I need a Hacker News account?

No. Social Fetch authenticates with your Social Fetch API key only. The route mirrors the public HN updates endpoint under the shared marketplace envelope.

### Can I use this for incremental sync?

Yes. Teams keep a watched set of item ids, intersect with changedItemIds each poll, and only re-fetch overlaps. Persist meta.requestId when a sync tick needs support review.