WEBSITE ROAST
news.ycombinator.com website review
First screen on desktop and phone, checked October 5, 2026.
FIRST IMPRESSION
Needs work ð§0/100
First look at this site
THE ROAST
âHacker News looks like a beige spreadsheet escaped a 1998 intranet and brought thirty headlines as its entire onboarding strategy.â
3 fixes. Zero fluff.
- 1
Explain the site's value.
The page drops visitors into headlines without saying what Hacker News is or why these stories matter.
TRY THISAdd a concise intro below the navigation: "A community-curated feed of technology news and discussion."
Seen: No visible introduction; headlines begin immediately
- 2
Tame the mobile header.
On phone, navigation wraps into two lines and crowds the brand before the news begins.
TRY THISKeep the logo and brand on one row; move secondary links into a compact menu.
Seen: Phone header wraps links across two rows
- 3
Separate stories from metadata.
Tiny, low-contrast points and comment details blur into each headline, making the long list harder to scan.
TRY THISIncrease metadata contrast and spacing; visually group each headline with its points and discussion link.
Seen: Small gray points, timestamps, and comment links
REPORT CARD
Tap a row to see why.
The orange masthead and dense headline list communicate a news feed, but little else.
Story titles are specific, but the page never explains its purpose to newcomers.
Navigation offers clear destinations, though no prominent action guides first-time visitors.
The desktop list is orderly, but tiny metadata and a cramped mobile header weaken scanning.
Named submitters and source domains add context, but no visible explanation establishes credibility.
WHAT NOW?
Fix the three things above, then check again and watch the number move.
How does your website do? Same check, free.
Roast my websiteThis is an AI-generated opinion about the first screen of news.ycombinator.com at the time of the check. It is meant as honest, light-hearted feedback, not as a statement of fact about the company or its product.