# Techmeme API

> Techmeme returns leading technology stories and linked coverage, available as a workflow and API.

Techmeme returns leading stories in page order with original articles and linked coverage; omit the date for its live front page. List top stories accepts an optional date and maximum result count; past dates return the evening archive.

- Page: https://fous.com/tools/techmeme
- Handle: `@techmeme`
- Category: [News](https://fous.com/tools/category/news)
- Source website: https://techmeme.com
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026

## Methods

### List top stories

Operation `list_top_stories`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.

List Techmeme's leading stories in page order with their original articles and linked coverage. Today uses the live front page; earlier dates use the evening archive. Story posting times are often not displayed, so time_added may be null.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `date` | string | no | `"2005-09-12"` | Day of stories, for example 2026-09-28. Omit for the live front page. |
| `max_results` | integer | no | `2` | Maximum number of top stories to return, for example 20. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "date": {
      "type": "string",
      "format": "date",
      "description": "Day of stories, for example 2026-09-28. Omit for the live front page.",
      "examples": [
        "2005-09-12",
        "2026-09-28"
      ]
    },
    "max_results": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 20,
      "maximum": 50,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Maximum number of top stories to return, for example 20.",
      "x-fous-developer": true,
      "examples": [
        2,
        3
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {},
    {
      "date": "2005-09-12",
      "max_results": 2
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-09-28",
      "max_results": 3
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `stories` | array |  |  |
| `stories[].author` | string or null | `"Maxwell Zeff"` |  |
| `stories[].summary` | string | `"Model dubbed GPT-6.1 Astra was due to make its debut inside ChatGPT and Codex in October  —  OpenAI is scrapping the re` |  |
| `stories[].headline` | string | `"OpenAI scraps plans to publicly launch a model dubbed GPT-6.1 Astra, saying it didn't quite meet its safety bar; it had` |  |
| `stories[].time_added` | string or null |  |  |
| `stories[].article_link` | string | `"https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openai-chatgpt-model-release-cancel-safety-5a2f9f42?st=u6jQPM"` |  |
| `stories[].related_coverage` | array |  |  |
| `stories[].source_publication` | string | `"Wall Street Journal"` |  |

**Example input**

```json
{}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "stories": [
    {
      "author": "Maxwell Zeff",
      "summary": "Model dubbed GPT-6.1 Astra was due to make its debut inside ChatGPT and Codex in October  —  OpenAI is scrapping the release …",
      "headline": "OpenAI scraps plans to publicly launch a model dubbed GPT-6.1 Astra, saying it didn't quite meet its safety bar; it had been targeting an October release",
      "time_added": null,
      "article_link": "https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openai-chatgpt-model-release-cancel-safety-5a2f9f42?st=u6jQPM",
      "related_coverage": [
        {
          "link": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/28/openai-reportedly-ditches-model-over-safety-concerns/",
          "publication_name": "TechCrunch"
        },
        {
          "link": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm5y5nynl75ko",
          "publication_name": "BBC"
        }
      ],
      "source_publication": "Wall Street Journal"
    },
    {
      "author": "Echo Wang",
      "summary": "Anthropic is making a massive bet that AI will transform the global economy more profoundly than industrialization …",
      "headline": "IPO prospectus: Anthropic reports a net loss of $42B in 2025, with operating losses of $8B+; revenue grew 12x to ~$4.6B, ~25% of which came from two customers",
      "time_added": null,
      "article_link": "https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/anthropics-ipo-prospectus-shows-sweeping-ai-vision-surging-costs-2026-09-28/",
      "related_coverage": [
        {
          "link": "https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/anthropics-confidential-filing-reveals-customer-concentration",
          "publication_name": "The Information"
        },
        {
          "link": "https://www.ft.com/content/c7685a7e-7745-4cbc-8053-4958d0ea449b",
          "publication_name": "Financial Times"
        }
      ],
      "source_publication": "Reuters"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Quick start

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with a Fous API key. To create one, open Developers at the bottom of Fous Studio, turn on Developer mode, then go to API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys). Change the values in `input` to run the same tool on new data.

```bash
curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 180 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "api": "@techmeme",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "list_top_stories",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {},
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'
```

```python
# Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed.
import json
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"

body = json.loads("{\n  \"api\": \"@techmeme\",\n  \"visibility\": \"public\",\n  \"operation\": \"list_top_stories\",\n  \"version\": 1,\n  \"input\": {},\n  \"response\": {\n    \"format\": \"json\"\n  }\n}")
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.fous.com/v1/query",
    data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    method="POST",
)
try:
    with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=180) as response:
        result = json.load(response)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
    raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {error.code}: {error.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace')}") from error
if result.get("success") is False:
    raise RuntimeError(result.get("error", {}).get("message", "Request failed"))
print(json.dumps(result["data"]["output"], indent=2))
```

```typescript
// Save as fous.mts and run with npx tsx fous.mts.
const apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(180_000),
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "api": "@techmeme",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "list_top_stories",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {},
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}),
});
type ApiResult = { success: boolean; data?: { output: unknown }; error?: { message: string } };
const result: ApiResult = await response.json();
if (!response.ok || result.success === false) {
  throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`);
}
if (!result.data) throw new Error("Missing API response data");
console.log(result.data.output);
```

## Use from an AI assistant

Connect this tool to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and any MCP client as its own MCP server. Each method is a typed tool whose arguments are the method’s input.

- Server URL: `https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/techmeme`
- Authorization: `Authorization: Bearer <Fous API key>`

**Tools**

- `list_top_stories`: List top stories. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.
- `fous_get_run`: the result of a run that was still going, by its `request_id`. Free.

Claude Code:

```bash
claude mcp add --scope user --transport http fous-techmeme https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/techmeme --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}"
```

To give the assistant every tool, connect `https://api.fous.com/mcp`: it finds one with `fous_search_tools` and runs it with `fous_run_tool`. Setup for other clients: https://fous.com/llms-full.txt.

## Use cases

- Track leading technology stories and their linked coverage
- Review archived top stories for a selected day
- Compare original articles with related coverage

## FAQ

### Can I run it with my own inputs?

Yes. Change the inputs in Studio and press Run, or send new inputs from your code, or ask a connected AI assistant.

### Can I call this Techmeme tool as an API?

Yes. Send a POST request to /v1/query with your Fous API key and the inputs, and get JSON back.

### How much does it cost?

Each completed run costs 1 credit. Failed runs without a completed receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. With pay as you go, a credit costs 1¢. Monthly plans cost less per credit.

### Do I need a Techmeme account?

No. You only need a Fous account.

### How current is the data?

Fous gets the data from techmeme.com when you run it. Some results are reused for up to 24 hours, and results that use your account or key are never reused. It was last verified on Sep 29, 2026.

### What are Techmeme’s leading stories today?

Use List top stories and omit the date to get the live front page.

### What were Techmeme’s top stories on a particular day?

Use List top stories with a date to get that day’s evening archive.

### Which articles and publications are linked to a story?

List top stories returns each story’s original article link, related coverage, and source publication.

## Related

- [The Verge API](https://fous.com/tools/the-verge.md): The Verge provides technology, science, entertainment, and policy headlines and searchable articles, including public stories and older archives, with search limited to the first 100 matches.
- [TechCrunch API](https://fous.com/tools/techcrunch.md): TechCrunch returns latest section headlines, keyword search results of up to 50 articles per page, public article text with available live updates, and recent startup funding stories with clearly announced amounts.
- [Hacker News API](https://fous.com/tools/hacker-news.md): Hacker News provides current ranked story lists, searchable stories and comments, discussion threads with up to 500 visible comments excluding deleted or flagged ones, and monthly hiring posts with details when stated.
- [Google News API](https://fous.com/tools/google-news.md): Google News returns recent publisher articles, up to 100 per search, current top stories by topic, country, and language, and local stories by city or region when available.
- [AP News API](https://fous.com/tools/ap-news.md): AP News provides reporting, up to 50 public-page headlines, searchable articles visible in its search, and full text when accessible.
- [The New York Times API](https://fous.com/tools/the-new-york-times.md): The New York Times provides current section headlines and summaries, keyword-matched public listings with dates, authors, sections and links, and Best Sellers lists for the latest issue or dates within a week.
- [The Wall Street Journal API](https://fous.com/tools/the-wall-street-journal.md): The Wall Street Journal provides news-section headlines and searchable public article headlines and summaries, with available story details and publication dates for search filtering.
- [The Guardian API](https://fous.com/tools/the-guardian.md): The Guardian provides news, sport, culture and opinion, ordered headlines, keyword-search results that may omit older or less prominent stories, and article details with available text; live blogs show the latest entries.
- [All News tools](https://fous.com/tools/category/news)