What you need
- Multimeter for macOS 13 or later, $19.99 once.
- Your Hacker News username. It is case sensitive.
Set it up
- Check it in Terminal:Terminal
curl -s https://hacker-news.firebaseio.com/v0/user/pg.json - Add a Web Address meter with your username and the key path
karma.Web addresshttps://hacker-news.firebaseio.com/v0/user/USERNAME.json - Refresh every 5 minutes.
Multimeter settings
In Customize This Meter… (from the meter’s menu):
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Source | Web Address |
| Web address | https://hacker-news.firebaseio.com/v0/user/USERNAME.json |
| Key path | karma |
| Refresh every | 5 minutes |
| Label | HN |
| Face | Sparkline, LCD Readout |
Tested: Run on October 29, 2026 for pg: 157,316.
More on this source, including every format it reads, in the Web Address guide.
Limits
- The API has no published rate limit; every 5 minutes is polite.
Variations
Points on one story
Use https://hacker-news.firebaseio.com/v0/item/ITEM_ID.json with the key path score (or descendants for the comment count). The id is in the story’s address.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No number found in the response | The key path doesn’t match the reply. | Run curl -s with the address and read the JSON. Dots walk into objects, numbers pick array items (items.0.count). |
| Couldn’t reach the address | No network, a typo in the host, or the service is down. | Open the address in your browser. Multimeter tries again at the next refresh. |
| No number found in the response | The reply is null: the username doesn’t exist with that capitalization. | Copy the username exactly from your profile page. |
Questions
Can I track a story while it’s on the front page?
Yes, with the item address in Variations. Use the Sparkline face to see how fast the points come in.