Tutorial · Python
How to scrape Hacker News search results with Python (2026)
A Python walkthrough for GET /v1/hackernews/search. Copy the snippet, run it, then read the JSON.
GET /v1/hackernews/search · 1 credit per successful request.
In this tutorial
You'll search Hacker News for a phrase and see the results you get back.
Example job: find Hacker News results for a phrase, then open the URLs you keep.
Step 1
Get ready
Get a Social Fetch API key and a Python environment ready. New accounts include 100 free credits.
API key. Create a Social Fetch account and copy an API key. New accounts include 100 free credits.
Python setup. Python 3 with requests installed (pip install requests). Export SOCIALFETCH_API_KEY.
When you're done, SOCIALFETCH_API_KEY is set in your shell.
Step 2
Make the request
Copy the Python snippet, set SOCIALFETCH_API_KEY, and call GET /v1/hackernews/search with the x-api-key header. Example: /v1/hackernews/search?query=socialfetch.
You should see HTTP 200, then response.json() with data and meta. Call raise_for_status() before parsing.
Step 3
Read the response
JSON with data (the search results) and meta (creditsCharged, requestId). Sample below is illustrative — field docs live on the endpoint page. Credits charge on completed lookups, not transport failures.
Check data.lookupStatus when present. Keep meta.requestId if a row looks wrong.
Watch out
keep query and filters stable when paginating. Full-text search — ranked digests without a keyword use GET /v1/hackernews/feeds/{feed}.
Step 4
You finished
Same path and credits in playground, docs, and production. Pick a next step below.
FAQ
Common questions
Do I need an official Hacker News developer account?
No. Social Fetch authenticates with your Social Fetch API key. You call GET /v1/hackernews/search and we handle upstream access. You still need to follow each platform's terms for how you use public data.
What does the hacker news search endpoint return?
A JSON envelope with data (the search results) and meta (creditsCharged, requestId). Shape details and field docs live on the endpoint page and in the OpenAPI docs.
Hacker News search vs ranked feeds?
Use this route for keyword and filter-led monitoring. Use GET /v1/hackernews/feeds/{feed} for top, new, best, ask, show, or jobs digests without a query string.
Is an empty Hacker News search page a failed request?
No. An empty hits array with no further pages is a completed empty result. Check transport errors separately (non-2xx). Keep filters unchanged across pages.
How much does a successful request cost?
1 credit per successful request.
Is this okay for production?
Yes — same production API as everywhere else: typed errors, requestId on every response, credits charged only on completed lookups. New accounts get 100 free credits.
Any Python-specific tips for this request?
Yes. Call response.raise_for_status() before response.json(), set a timeout on requests.get, and keep response.json()["meta"]["requestId"] when a row looks wrong.
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