How to use Claude to track job applications
A local tracker connects Claude Code through MCP to extract job details, search missing salary information and modify the app during use.
news.ycombinator.com
Prompt to try
Editorial adaptation, not the source author’s exact prompt. Replace bracketed inputs and review tool permissions first.
Create a local job tracker in [project directory] using [MCP environment]. For [job posting URL], extract company, role, location and salary; search market data if salary is missing and find the headquarters address. Keep data locally and support [requested field or sort].
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See placements →What happened
The author built a local tracker storing data in JSON and flat files, with Claude-powered information collection and source edits that normally appear without a refresh.
Reported by zotimer on Hacker NewsHow the agent did it
- Built a local job application tracker connected to Claude Code through MCP.
- Used Claude to scrape company, position, location and salary from posting URLs.
- Used Claude to search market salary data when a posting omitted salary.
Where a person stepped in
The post does not describe review steps; the author describes the local tracker and its live editing behavior.
A person guided the agent closely as it worked.
The author built a local job application tracker that uses Claude Code for collecting information and changing the application itself. A user pastes a job posting URL, and Claude extracts the company, position, location and salary. When the posting omits salary, it searches for market data instead. It also finds the company's headquarters address.
An MCP server connects Claude Code to the application and acts as its app server. The tracker runs in the Frictionless environment, with Lua handling presentation and application logic. HTML templates use reactive bindings, and the author describes hot reloading designed to preserve state. Data stays on the user's machine in JSON and flat files, with Fossil SCM providing version control.
Claude Code also has access to the application's source. The author says users can request changes such as a recruiter-name field or salary-based sorting while using the tracker. Code edits normally appear without refreshing the page or restarting the backend. Who it's for: job seekers who want a local application record and are comfortable using a coding agent to adapt their tools.
Prompt
Suggested prompt (written by Agents In Use, not the author's)
Source: Hacker News · zotimer
Frequently asked questions
What happens when a posting lacks salary?
The author says Claude searches for market salary data when salary is absent from the job posting.
Can the tracker change while being used?
The post says Claude Code can edit the app source to add fields or change sorting, with changes normally appearing without a page refresh or backend restart.
More details
Remaining steps
- Used Claude to find company headquarters addresses.
About this account
Claude collects posting information and can edit the tracker’s source in response to feature requests.
Platform: Hacker News. Attribution: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46899065. Prompt: Suggested (written by Agents In Use, not the author's). Sourced by the Agents In Use pipeline.
Credit: zotimer on Hacker News
Source published 5 Feb 2026
Source checked 14 Oct 2026
Tools and topics
Claude Code · Frictionless · MCP · Lua · Fossil SCM
Job search · Local-first · MCP
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.