hn_search
Search Hacker News stories and comments (Algolia HN index): by relevance or newest first, with date range, story/comment/Ask HN/Show HN filter, author and minimum points. Returns title, URL, points, comment count, author, time, comment text and HN links. Price: $0.01 USDC per successful call (x40...
This record as markdown: /tools/com-it-scorptech-x402/hn-search.md
What hn_search does on ScorpTech x402 API
AI agents call hn_search to retrieve information from ScorpTech x402 API without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
to | string | — | Created on/before YYYY-MM-DD |
from | string | — | Created on/after YYYY-MM-DD |
page | integer | — | Page number (0-49) |
sort | string | — | relevance (default) or date (newest first) |
type | string | — | all (default), story, comment, ask_hn, show_hn or poll |
exact | boolean | — | Disable typo tolerance (default true when sort=date, false otherwise) |
limit | integer | — | Results per page (1-50, default 20) |
query | string | Yes | Search text |
author | string | — | HN username |
minPoints | integer | — | Minimum points |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why hn_search is rated Low
Even though hn_search only reads data, uncontrolled read access leaks sensitive information and racks up API costs: an agent caught in a retry loop can make thousands of calls a minute without anyone noticing.
Risk signalsHigh parameter count (10 properties)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs hn_search safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and ScorpTech x402 API, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For hn_search, this is the rule to start with:
hn_search is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect ScorpTech x402 API, apply this rule, and every hn_search call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about hn_search
Search Hacker News stories and comments (Algolia HN index): by relevance or newest first, with date range, story/comment/Ask HN/Show HN filter, author and minimum points. Returns title, URL, points, comment count, author, time, comment text and HN links. Price: $0.01 USDC per successful call (x402, Solana). Same tool over HTTPS: GET https://scorptech.it.com/api/x402/v1/hn-search. It is categorised as a Read tool in the ScorpTech x402 API MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
hn_search accepts 10 parameters: to, from, page, sort, type, exact, limit, query, author, minPoints. Required: query. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the ScorpTech x402 API MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for hn_search: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches ScorpTech x402 API. Nothing to install.
hn_search is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the hn_search rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for hn_search. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
hn_search is provided by the ScorpTech x402 API MCP server (https://scorptech.it.com/api/x402/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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