1UP

High score------people asking · press start

Free play

MCP / 2026-10-18

An MCP server for lead generation that doesn't spam

AskHound is an MCP server your agent can call to find public posts where people ask for a tool, an alternative, or help with a job. It returns them ranked by an intent hint, with links. The remote server (zero install) searches Stack Exchange and Bluesky. The local server (npx … mcp) also searches Hacker News and GitHub from your machine. There is no Reddit source and no X source. AskHound never posts. A human approves every disclosed reply.

Try it now (free, no signup)

Player 1 · type a product, rival or job

Level select:

What a call returns (real run)

On 2026-10-18 at 17:20 IDT, we called the remote server with the free tier and no key: find_conversations {"query":"looking for beta testers","days":14}

It fetched 26 posts, matched 24, and returned the top 10 (the free cap). Each result came with its source, URL, author, date and an intent score (the same query, re-scored with our stricter 2026-10-18 tagger, ranks results from 7 down to 3). One example is a writer asking for testers of an eBook app (Oct 11). The response also included the reply policy: "Human-approved, disclosed replies only."

The tools

Server	Tools	Sources	Limits
Remote `https://askhound.haullabs.dev/api/mcp` (Streamable HTTP)	`find_conversations`, `build_intent_queries`, `run_intent_pack`, `reply_policy`	Stack Exchange (incl. Software Recommendations), Bluesky	Free: 10 results per call, 20 calls a day per IP. Solo key: 50 per call, no daily cap. Pro: 100
Local `npx -y https://askhound.haullabs.dev/askhound-0.1.5.tgz mcp`	`find_conversations`, `run_pack`, `mark_conversation`, `list_packs`, `reply_policy`	Hacker News, GitHub, Stack Exchange, Bluesky	Free; uses your own GitHub/Stack Exchange quotas

Claude Code setup: claude mcp add --transport http askhound https://askhound.haullabs.dev/api/mcp

Why there's no Reddit (and what to use if you need it)

AskHound's docs say plainly that Reddit and X are not covered: their APIs need commercial agreements and AskHound doesn't scrape. If Reddit is where your buyers are, AskHound alone is the wrong tool. Tools that list Reddit and also offer MCP access include:

Syften: MCP on its PRO plan, $119.95/mo
Octolens: "full API access, webhooks, and an MCP server on all plans", Pro $159/mo billed annually ($199 paid monthly)

Both prices are from their own pages on 2026-10-18. AskHound fits when your users ask on developer communities and you want a free or low-cost way in.

A safe agent workflow

build_intent_queries from your product description (competitor alternatives, switching, export, pricing pain)
run_intent_pack daily; mark_conversation what you've handled (local) so the agent never brings up the same thread twice
The agent summarizes the thread and drafts a reply that answers the question first, discloses who you are, and names alternatives
You approve and post it by hand. On Hacker News, write it yourself: HN's guidelines say "Don't post generated text or AI-edited text."

Continue?

Add it to your agent in one line.

The remote MCP is free to try (10 results per call). Add a Solo key ($19/mo) for 50 results per call and no daily cap, plus 3 hosted watches.

Start Solo, $19/mo ▶Pro, $49/mo Get the free CLI / MCP

FAQ

Does the AskHound MCP search Reddit?

No. There is no Reddit source, remote or local, and no X source either.

Which sources does the remote MCP cover?

Stack Exchange and Bluesky. Hacker News and GitHub need the local MCP, which runs on your machine.

Can the agent post replies or DMs automatically?

No. AskHound has no posting tools, and its reply policy requires a human to approve every reply.

Is it free?

The remote MCP is free up to 10 results per call and 20 calls a day. The local MCP and CLI are free and uncapped.

Guides: where your users ask

Sources

Live call to https://askhound.haullabs.dev/api/mcp (tools/list, find_conversations), 17:20 IDT
https://askhound.haullabs.dev/docs and /llms.txt
https://syften.com/ (PRO plan includes MCP)
https://octolens.com/pricing (FAQ: API, webhooks and MCP on all plans)
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Cartridges

Give it to your agent

Remote MCP

zero install · Stack Exchange + Bluesky, from our server

Free: 10 results per call, 20 calls a day. A key lifts the cap and returns 50 to 100.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "askhound": { "url": "https://askhound.haullabs.dev/api/mcp" }
  }
}

Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http askhound https://askhound.haullabs.dev/api/mcp

Local MCP

all 4 sources · runs on your machine · Node 18+

HN and GitHub are queried with your own access.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "askhound": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "https://askhound.haullabs.dev/askhound-0.1.5.tgz", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}

CLI

one file · zero dependencies

npx -y https://askhound.haullabs.dev/askhound-0.1.5.tgz \
  search "otter.ai alternative" --context meeting,transcript

# save a pack, run it daily, new results only
askhound pack save mine --competitor Otter.ai \
  --competitor Fireflies --category "transcript export"
askhound pack run --md today.md

Honest-reply policy (built into every tool response): a human approves every public reply; never auto-post or mass-DM; disclose that you build the product; answer the question first and name alternatives; follow each community's rules. Hacker News, for example, does not allow AI-generated or AI-edited comments, so replies there must be written by you. AskHound finds the conversation. You decide whether you have something useful to say.

Insert coin

Pricing: select your player

Free is for looking around. Paid plans are for not missing anyone: watches re-run your searches on our server and send you only people you haven't seen yet. Hosted searches cover Stack Exchange and Bluesky (the sources whose terms allow server-side use). Hacker News and GitHub run in the free CLI on your machine. No Reddit, no X.

FreeP1 · free play

$0forever

Browser search: 3 a day, last 7 days, top 10
Remote MCP: 10 results per call, 20 calls a day
Free CLI + local MCP: HN, GitHub, Stack Exchange, Bluesky
Local reply-state

Install ▶

Most picked

Solo1 player

$19/ month

$149/ yearsave $79 · 2 months+ free

3 always-on watches
Daily email digest of new askers only (beta, not sending yet)
Search 90 days back, every result
Remote MCP: 50 results per call, no daily cap
Cloud reply-state sync

Start Solo ▶Start Solo yearly ▶

Pro3 players

$49/ month

$390/ yearsave $198 · 2 months+ free

15 watches
Hourly checks (beta, see note)
Slack, Discord or any webhook, plus email
Remote MCP: 100 results per call
3 seats sharing reply-state

Start Pro ▶Start Pro yearly ▶

Agency10 players

$149/ monthmonthly only

Everything in Pro
50 watches (one set per client)
White-label client reports (Markdown/HTML)
10 seats

Start Agency ▶

Beta, plainly: email digests are in beta and not sending yet: our email sender isn't switched on. A new email watch is saved now and starts sending the day the sender goes live. Slack, Discord and webhooks on Pro deliver today. Hourly checks are in beta too: an external hourly scheduler was added on 2026-10-18, and the label stays until we've confirmed hourly runs in production. Your license key appears right after checkout. Cancel anytime: reply to your Stripe receipt and we cancel it. Full refund within 14 days if it isn't useful to you.