# HN Reader for Obsidian

Browse [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com) top stories directly inside Obsidian. Save interesting links to your reading list with one click.

Website: https://hn.jsdev.space/plugins/obsidian/

![Plugin screenshot](./plugin-screenshot.png)

## Features

- Browse **Top, New, Best, Ask HN, Show HN, Jobs** feeds
- Open as a **sidebar panel** or a **new tab**
- **Save stories** to a reading list note with one click
- Optional **site favicons** next to story titles
- **Daily notes mode** — creates a new file per day with YAML frontmatter
- **Tags** — automatically append tags to every saved story
- Configurable number of stories (10 / 20 / 30 / 50)
- Respects Obsidian's light and dark themes

## Installation

### Community plugin

HN Reader is available in the Obsidian community plugin directory:

https://community.obsidian.md/plugins/hn-reader

1. Open **Settings → Community plugins** in Obsidian.
2. Disable **Restricted mode** if needed.
3. Click **Browse**, search for **HN Reader**, then install and enable it.

### Manual installation

You can also install a release manually.

1. Download the latest release from the [Releases](https://github.com/anliberant/hn-obsidian-plugin/releases) page:
   - `main.js`
   - `manifest.json`
   - `styles.css`

2. In your vault, create the folder:
   ```
   <your-vault>/.obsidian/plugins/hn-reader/
   ```

3. Copy the three downloaded files into that folder.

4. In Obsidian go to **Settings → Community plugins**, disable **Restricted mode**, then find **HN Reader** in the list and enable it.

### BRAT

[BRAT](https://github.com/TfTHacker/obsidian42-brat) is a plugin that lets you install and auto-update plugins that are not yet in the official list.

1. Install **BRAT** from the Obsidian community plugin list.
2. Open **Settings → BRAT → Add Beta Plugin**.
3. Paste this URL:
   ```
   https://github.com/anliberant/hn-obsidian-plugin
   ```
4. Click **Add Plugin** — BRAT will install it automatically.

## Settings

| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Display mode | Open in sidebar panel or new tab |
| Default feed | Feed shown when plugin opens (Top / New / Best / Ask / Show / Jobs) |
| Stories per page | How many stories to load: 10, 20, 30, or 50 |
| Show site favicons | Toggle small favicons next to story titles |
| Save mode | Single file or a new daily note per day |
| File path | Path to the reading list note (single file mode) |
| Daily notes folder | Folder for daily HN notes, named `YYYY-MM-DD-hn.md` |
| Add tags | Toggle to append tags to every saved story |
| Tags | Space-separated tags, e.g. `#hn #reading` |

## Usage

- Click the **HN icon** in the left ribbon to open the reader
- Use **Ctrl+P** → `Open HN Reader` to open via command palette
- Switch feeds with the **Top / New / Best / Ask / Show / Jobs** buttons
- Click **🔖** next to any story to save it to your reading list
- Click **↻** to refresh stories

## Release notes

### 1.0.1

- Added the **Jobs** feed.
- Added optional site favicons next to story titles.

## Reading List format

**Single file mode:**
```markdown
# HN Reading List

- [ ] [Story title](https://example.com) | 312 pts | [HN](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=...) | 2026-05-28
```

**Daily note mode** (`HN/2026-05-28-hn.md`):
```markdown
---
date: 2026-05-28
tags: [hn, reading]
---

# HN Reading List 2026-05-28

- [ ] [Story title](https://example.com) | 312 pts | [HN](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=...) | 2026-05-28 #hn #reading
```

## License

MIT