Hacker News Thread Generator
The Hacker News Thread Generator recreates a news.ycombinator.com item page exactly as it renders on a phone: the #ff6600 header with the boxed Y logo and wrapping nav links, the Verdana story title with its grey (domain) sitebit, the points-by-user subtext with hide, past, favorite and comment-count links, the comment textarea and add comment button, and the nested comment tree with grey upvote triangles, [–] collapse toggles, root, parent, prev and next links and underlined reply links. Write link posts or Ask HN text posts, build replies up to eight levels deep, then export a crisp high-resolution PNG. Everything runs in your browser, with no account and no uploads.
48 / 80 characters
Shown in grey after the title. Leave empty to hide.
HN never groups thousands (1007, not 1,007). Ages read “N hours ago”, “N days ago”, “N months ago” or “on Sept 10, 2025”.
Nav links (root · parent · prev · next) and “[N more]” are computed from the thread. Text: blank line = paragraph, *word* = italic, two-space indent = code, URLs become clipped links.
Hacker News Thread Generator features
Measured from the live site
Font sizes, greys, the 12px-per-level indent, the triangle vote arrows and the orange header were taken from Hacker News's own stylesheet and checked against real phone captures.
Real nested comment tree
Add, reply to, indent, outdent and reorder comments, and the root, parent, prev and next navigation links are worked out automatically from each comment's position, just like HN.
Every comment state
Collapse a comment to show [N more], mark it upvoted to swap the arrow for unvote, fade it like a downvoted reply, give it a green new-user name, or turn it into a server-collapsed [flagged] row.
Link and text posts
Switch between a link story with its (domain) sitebit and an Ask HN or Tell HN text post with grey body text, a visited-grey title, italics, code blocks and clipped URLs.
Browser-accurate chrome
Pick an iOS Safari, older iOS or desktop Chrome comment box, switch between logged-out and logged-in headers, and toggle the black memorial bar and the YC footer.
How to make a hacker news thread mockup
- 1
Write the story
Choose a link or text post, then enter the title, domain or body, points, submitter, age and comment count.
- 2
Build the thread
Add comments with usernames, ages and text, then reply, indent or outdent them to create the nested tree.
- 3
Set comment states
Collapse, upvote, fade or flag individual comments, and pick the browser style, viewer and footer options.
- 4
Export your PNG
Check the live preview, choose a content-fit or story frame, then download a high-resolution PNG.
What you can use it for
- Planning a Show HN launch and previewing how the thread might look
- Startup pitch decks and investor updates that reference community buzz
- Developer memes and satire about tech-industry discourse
- Blog posts and newsletters illustrating a typical HN comment debate
- Design comps and case studies for developer-facing products
- Conference talk slides about open-source launches and feedback
Frequently asked questions
Is the Hacker News Thread Generator free?
Yes. It is completely free with no login, no account and no export limits. A Pro option removes the watermark and doubles the export resolution.
Is it safe and legal to make a fake Hacker News thread?
Clearly fictional mockups are fine for slides, blog posts, launch planning and satire. Never use one to impersonate a real user, fake traction for a product or mislead anyone, and respect Y Combinator's trademarks.
Does it have a dark mode?
No, because Hacker News itself has no dark mode. The generator reproduces the real light page with its beige background and orange header.
How deep can comment replies go?
Replies can nest up to eight levels deep. Each level adds the same 12px indent Hacker News uses on phones, and a reply can only be one level deeper than the comment above it.
Can I show collapsed or flagged comments?
Yes. Collapsing a comment hides its replies and shows the [N more] count, and a flagged comment becomes a server-collapsed row with no vote arrow and a grey [flagged] body.
Why is there no avatar upload?
Hacker News doesn't show profile pictures, so the generator doesn't either. Usernames, ages and the green new-account colour are all you need for an authentic thread.