Best Time to Post on Hacker News
Free Hacker News analytics tool that finds the best posting times. Get activity heatmaps, engagement stats, and trending keywords based on real data.
How It Works
Click Analyze
Hit the button to start. No input needed — we analyze all of Hacker News.
Data Analysis
We analyze the last 500 stories to find activity patterns and engagement trends.
Get Insights
View best posting times, engagement stats, and trending keywords.
Why Timing Matters on Hacker News
The HN Algorithm
Hacker News ranks stories using a time-decay algorithm. New posts start on the "new" page and need early upvotes to reach the front page. The faster you get upvotes after posting, the higher your story climbs. Posting when more users are active gives you a critical early-upvote advantage.
Peak Activity Windows
Hacker News traffic peaks during US business hours, with the highest activity between 9 AM and 12 PM ET (1-4 PM UTC). Weekday mornings typically see the most engagement, as the tech community browses HN during work hours. Use our heatmap to find the exact best windows.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How is the best time to post on Hacker News calculated?
We analyze the last 500 stories submitted to Hacker News to identify when stories receive the most engagement. The heatmap shows posting activity patterns by hour (UTC), highlighting optimal windows for maximum visibility.
What does the activity score mean?
The heatmap score (0-100) indicates relative posting activity compared to the busiest hour. Higher scores mean more stories are submitted and engaged with during that time slot. Posting during peak hours means more eyeballs on your submission.
How often is the Hacker News data updated?
Analytics are cached for 6 hours to ensure fresh data while maintaining performance. Each analysis samples the most recent 500 stories from Hacker News.
Why does posting time matter on Hacker News?
Hacker News uses a time-decay ranking algorithm. Stories submitted during peak hours get more initial upvotes, which keeps them on the front page longer. Timing your post right can be the difference between 5 and 500 points.
What timezone are the times displayed in?
All times are shown in UTC for consistency. Hacker News has a global audience, but activity peaks tend to align with US working hours. Convert to your local timezone for best results.
What are the trending keywords?
Trending keywords are extracted from recent story titles to show what topics the HN community is currently discussing. This helps you understand what type of content resonates and when to post related content.
Have more questions? Browse all FAQs or talk to the founder