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Pipeworx hackernews
by
Bruce Gutman
· GitHub ↗
· v1.0.0
· MIT-0
110
Downloads
0
Stars
0
Active Installs
1
Versions
Install in OpenClaw
/install pipeworx-hackernews
Description
Search and browse Hacker News — top stories, keyword search via Algolia, and individual item lookup
Usage Guidance
This skill seems to be a wrapper that sends your search queries to an external Pipeworx gateway rather than calling Algolia/Firebase directly. Before installing, consider whether you trust pipeworx.io to receive the text of your searches and any item IDs you fetch. Note the SKILL.md's "Connect" snippet uses `npx mcp-remote@latest` but the metadata only lists curl as a required binary — you may need node/npx if you plan to use that connection method. If you need stronger privacy or want to avoid sending queries to a third party, prefer a skill that calls Algolia/Firebase directly or confirm Pipeworx's privacy policy and the gateway's behavior (what they log/retain). If you proceed, test with non-sensitive queries first and verify network endpoints and their owners.
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill
Name: pipeworx-hackernews
Version: 1.0.0
The skill bundle provides documentation and configuration for accessing a Hacker News API via a remote MCP gateway (gateway.pipeworx.io). It uses the standard 'mcp-remote' utility via npx to proxy requests, which is consistent with its stated purpose of searching and browsing Hacker News stories. No malicious code, data exfiltration patterns, or prompt injection attempts were found in SKILL.md or _meta.json.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
Name/description match the functionality (search HN, top stories, fetch items). However, instead of calling Algolia or the Firebase API directly, the example and 'Connect' guidance route requests through https://gateway.pipeworx.io and via an npx-launched mcp-remote. That is a reasonable design choice (a remote wrapper) but it is not reflected in the metadata (no remote endpoint declared) and the SKILL.md claims direct use of Algolia/Firebase while providing only a Pipeworx gateway example.
Instruction Scope
Runtime instructions (example curl and the 'Connect' block) instruct the agent to POST user queries to gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp. This will transmit user query text and any arguments to an external service (privacy risk). The SKILL.md does not instruct reading local files or extra env vars, but it omits mention of npx/node even though the Connect snippet requires running npx mcp-remote@latest.
Install Mechanism
Instruction-only skill with no install spec and no code files — low installation risk. The only declared required binary is curl which is consistent with the provided curl example.
Credentials
The skill requests no environment variables or credentials, which is appropriate. However, it relies on an external gateway (pipeworx) to process queries; there is no declared env var or configuration pointing to that gateway, and the Connect snippet requires npx/node even though npx is not listed in required binaries.
Persistence & Privilege
always is false and there is no install-time persistence or modification of other skill settings. The skill does not request elevated or permanent presence.
How to Use
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install pipeworx-hackernews - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/pipeworx-hackernews - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v1.0.0
Initial release
Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pipeworx hackernews?
Search and browse Hacker News — top stories, keyword search via Algolia, and individual item lookup. It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 110 downloads so far.
How do I install Pipeworx hackernews?
Run "/install pipeworx-hackernews" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is Pipeworx hackernews free?
Yes, Pipeworx hackernews is completely free, licensed under MIT-0. You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does Pipeworx hackernews support?
Pipeworx hackernews is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).
Who created Pipeworx hackernews?
It is built and maintained by Bruce Gutman (@brucegutman); the current version is v1.0.0.
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