TrendRadar: The Revolutionary AI-Powered News Monitoring Tool That's Transforming Information Consumption with 26k+ GitHub Stars

In today's information-saturated world, staying on top of trending news across multiple platforms can be overwhelming. Enter TrendRadar, a groundbreaking open-source project that's revolutionizing how we consume and analyze news content. With over 26,500 GitHub stars and 14,400 forks, this Python-powered tool has become the go-to solution for intelligent news monitoring and analysis.

🎯 What Makes TrendRadar Special?

TrendRadar isn't just another news aggregator—it's an intelligent system that combines multi-platform monitoring, AI-powered analysis, and personalized filtering to deliver exactly the information you need, when you need it.

Key Features That Set It Apart:

• 35+ Platform Monitoring: Tracks trending topics across major Chinese platforms including Zhihu, Douyin, Bilibili, Wall Street News, Tieba, Baidu Hot Search, and more
• AI-Powered Analysis: Built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) server with 13 intelligent analysis tools
• Smart Filtering: Advanced keyword matching with support for required terms, exclusion filters, and quantity limits
• Multi-Channel Notifications: Supports WeChat Work, Feishu, DingTalk, Telegram, Email, ntfy, and Bark push notifications
• Zero-Code Deployment: One-click GitHub Pages deployment with Docker support
• Personalized Algorithm: Custom trending algorithm that prioritizes content based on your preferences

🚀 Quick Start Guide

Method 1: GitHub Fork Deployment (Recommended for Beginners)

The fastest way to get started with TrendRadar is through GitHub's fork mechanism:

1. Fork the Repository
   • Visit the official TrendRadar repository
   • Click the "Fork" button in the top-right corner
   • This creates your personal copy of the project
2. Configure GitHub SecretsNavigate to your forked repository: Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions → New repository secret⚠️ Important: Each configuration requires a separate secret entry with exact naming conventions.
3. Set Up NotificationsChoose your preferred notification method and configure the corresponding secrets:

WeChat Work Robot Configuration

# GitHub Secret Configuration
Name: WEWORK_WEBHOOK_URL
Secret: Your WeChat Work robot webhook URL

# Optional: Message format (default: markdown)
Name: WEWORK_MSG_TYPE  
Secret: markdown  # or 'text' for personal WeChat push

Setup Steps:

1. Open WeChat Work app → Enter target group chat
2. Tap "..." → Select "Message Push"
3. Add robot → Name it "TrendRadar"
4. Copy the webhook URL and save it as a GitHub secret

Telegram Bot Configuration

# GitHub Secret Configuration
Name: TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN
Secret: Your bot token from @BotFather

Name: TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID
Secret: Your chat ID (can be personal or group)

Setup Steps:

1. Message @BotFather on Telegram → Create new bot with /newbot
2. Get your bot token
3. Add bot to your chat and get chat ID using /start

Email Notification Configuration

# GitHub Secret Configuration
Name: EMAIL_SENDER
Secret: your-email@gmail.com

Name: EMAIL_PASSWORD
Secret: your-app-password

Name: EMAIL_RECIPIENTS
Secret: recipient1@gmail.com,recipient2@gmail.com

# Optional: Custom SMTP (auto-detected for major providers)
Name: EMAIL_SMTP_SERVER
Secret: smtp.gmail.com

Name: EMAIL_SMTP_PORT
Secret: 587

Method 2: Docker Deployment

For users who prefer containerized deployment:

# Pull the official image
docker pull wantcat/trendradar:latest

# Run with environment variables
docker run -d \
  --name trendradar \
  -e WEWORK_WEBHOOK_URL="your-webhook-url" \
  -e ENABLE_CRAWLER=true \
  -e REPORT_MODE="incremental" \
  -v $(pwd)/output:/app/output \
  wantcat/trendradar:latest

Docker Compose Configuration

version: '3.8'
services:
  trendradar:
    image: wantcat/trendradar:latest
    container_name: trendradar
    environment:
      - WEWORK_WEBHOOK_URL=your-webhook-url
      - ENABLE_CRAWLER=true
      - REPORT_MODE=incremental
      - PUSH_WINDOW_ENABLED=false
    volumes:
      - ./output:/app/output
      - ./config:/app/config
    restart: unless-stopped

⚙️ Advanced Configuration

Keyword Filtering System

TrendRadar's intelligent filtering system supports sophisticated keyword matching:

Basic Syntax

# config/frequency_words.txt

# Regular keywords (basic matching)
AI
人工智能
机器学习

# Required keywords (must appear together)
+比特币
+价格

# Exclusion filters (remove unwanted content)
!广告
!推广

# Quantity limits (v3.2.0+)
科技@5  # Show max 5 tech-related news

Advanced Configuration

# config/config.yaml

# Keyword sorting strategy
keyword_sort_by_config_order: false  # true: config order, false: popularity

# Global display limits
max_news_per_keyword: 10

# Platform-specific settings
platforms:
  zhihu: true
  douyin: true
  bilibili: true
  wallstreetcn: true
  # ... more platforms

Push Mode Configuration

TrendRadar offers three distinct push modes to suit different use cases:

# config/config.yaml
report_mode: "incremental"  # Choose: daily, current, or incremental

# Optional: Push time window control
push_window:
  enabled: false
  start_time: "09:00"
  end_time: "18:00"
  single_push_per_window: false

🤖 AI Analysis Features

One of TrendRadar's most powerful features is its built-in AI analysis system based on the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

13 Intelligent Analysis Tools

1. Basic Query Tools
   • Platform-specific news retrieval
   • Date-range filtering
   • Keyword-based search
2. Advanced Analytics
   • Trend analysis and prediction
   • Sentiment analysis
   • Cross-platform comparison
   • Topic lifecycle tracking
3. Smart Insights
   • Similar news detection
   • Historical correlation analysis
   • Intelligent summarization
   • Keyword co-occurrence analysis

MCP Client Setup

To use the AI analysis features, you'll need an MCP-compatible client:

Cherry Studio Configuration

# Add to Cherry Studio MCP settings
{
  "name": "trendradar",
  "command": "python",
  "args": ["/path/to/TrendRadar/mcp_server/server.py"],
  "env": {
    "DATA_PATH": "/path/to/TrendRadar/output"
  }
}

Claude Desktop Configuration

# ~/.claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trendradar": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["/path/to/TrendRadar/mcp_server/server.py"],
      "env": {
        "DATA_PATH": "/path/to/TrendRadar/output"
      }
    }
  }
}

AI Query Examples

Once configured, you can interact with your news data using natural language:

# Example queries you can ask:
"Show me yesterday's trending topics on Zhihu"
"Analyze Bitcoin price trends over the past week"
"Find similar news about AI developments"
"What topics are trending across all platforms today?"
"Generate a summary of tech news from the last 3 days"
"Compare discussion activity between Douyin and Bilibili"

📊 Monitoring and Analytics

GitHub Pages Dashboard

TrendRadar automatically generates beautiful web reports accessible via GitHub Pages:

1. Enable GitHub Pages in your repository settings
2. Navigate to Settings → Pages
3. Select "Deploy from a branch" → "master" branch
4. Your dashboard will be available at https://yourusername.github.io/TrendRadar

Dashboard Features:

• Mobile-responsive design
• One-click image export
• Historical data visualization
• Real-time trend tracking

Custom Trending Algorithm

TrendRadar uses a sophisticated algorithm to rank news importance:

# Algorithm weights (configurable)
ranking_weights:
  position_weight: 0.6    # Higher ranking = more important
  frequency_weight: 0.3   # Repeated appearance = sustained interest  
  quality_weight: 0.1     # Consistent high ranking = quality content

🔧 Troubleshooting Common Issues

GitHub Actions Not Running

If your automated crawling isn't working:

1. Check that GitHub Actions are enabled in your repository
2. Verify all required secrets are properly configured
3. Ensure the workflow file is in .github/workflows/crawler.yml
4. Check the Actions tab for error logs

Notification Issues

For push notification problems:

# Test your webhook URLs manually
curl -X POST "your-webhook-url" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"text": "Test message from TrendRadar"}'

Docker Deployment Issues

Common Docker problems and solutions:

# Check container logs
docker logs trendradar

# Verify environment variables
docker exec trendradar env | grep -E "(WEWORK|TELEGRAM|EMAIL)"

# Restart with fresh configuration
docker stop trendradar
docker rm trendradar
# Re-run with updated environment variables

🎯 Use Cases and Applications

For Investors and Traders

# Monitor market-related keywords
+股市
+比特币
+A股
+美股
!广告
!推广

# Use incremental mode for real-time alerts
report_mode: "incremental"

For Content Creators

# Track trending topics for content inspiration
短视频
直播
网红
热门话题

# Use current mode to see what's trending now
report_mode: "current"

For Brand Monitoring

# Monitor brand mentions and sentiment
+你的品牌名
+产品名称
!竞争对手

# Enable email notifications for team sharing
EMAIL_RECIPIENTS: "team@company.com,pr@company.com"

🔮 Advanced Features and Customization

Custom Platform Integration

TrendRadar's architecture allows for easy platform expansion:

# Add custom platforms in config.yaml
custom_platforms:
  my_platform:
    enabled: true
    api_endpoint: "https://api.myplatform.com/trending"
    parser_type: "json"
    title_field: "title"
    url_field: "link"

Webhook Customization

Create custom notification formats:

# Custom message templates
message_templates:
  slack:
    format: "json"
    template: |
      {
        "text": "📈 TrendRadar Update",
        "attachments": [
          {
            "color": "good",
            "fields": [
              {
                "title": "{{title}}",
                "value": "{{summary}}",
                "short": false
              }
            ]
          }
        ]
      }

🚀 Performance Optimization

Efficient Resource Usage

For high-frequency monitoring, optimize your configuration:

# Optimize crawling frequency
crawler:
  interval_minutes: 30  # Adjust based on your needs
  max_concurrent_requests: 5
  request_timeout: 10
  
# Limit data retention
data_retention:
  days: 30  # Keep data for 30 days
  max_files: 1000  # Maximum number of data files

Scaling for Enterprise Use

For enterprise deployments, consider:

• Database Integration: Store data in PostgreSQL or MongoDB
• Load Balancing: Distribute crawling across multiple instances
• Caching: Implement Redis for improved performance
• Monitoring: Add Prometheus metrics and Grafana dashboards

🔒 Security Best Practices

Protecting Your Webhooks

⚠️ Critical Security Warning:

• Never commit webhook URLs to your repository
• Always use GitHub Secrets for sensitive configuration
• Regularly rotate your bot tokens and webhook URLs
• Monitor access logs for suspicious activity

Safe Configuration Management

# Use environment variables in production
export WEWORK_WEBHOOK_URL="your-secure-webhook"
export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="your-secure-token"

# Avoid hardcoding in config files
# ❌ Bad
webhook_url: "https://qyapi.weixin.qq.com/cgi-bin/webhook/send?key=abc123"

# ✅ Good  
webhook_url: "${WEWORK_WEBHOOK_URL}"

🌟 Community and Contribution

Getting Help

The TrendRadar community is active and helpful:

• GitHub Issues: Report bugs and request features
• Discussions: Share use cases and get help
• Documentation: Comprehensive guides and tutorials
• WeChat Groups: Chinese-language community support

Contributing to the Project

Ways to contribute:

1. Star the Repository: Show your support
2. Report Issues: Help improve stability
3. Submit Pull Requests: Add new features
4. Improve Documentation: Help other users
5. Share Use Cases: Inspire others

🎉 Conclusion

TrendRadar represents a paradigm shift in how we consume and analyze news content. By combining intelligent aggregation, AI-powered analysis, and personalized filtering, it transforms the overwhelming flood of information into actionable insights.

Whether you're an investor tracking market sentiment, a content creator seeking inspiration, or a brand manager monitoring mentions, TrendRadar provides the tools you need to stay ahead of the curve.

The project's rapid growth to 26,500+ stars demonstrates its value to the community, and its open-source nature ensures continuous improvement and adaptation to user needs.

Ready to take control of your information consumption? Fork TrendRadar today and join thousands of users who have already revolutionized their news monitoring workflow.

For more expert insights and tutorials on AI and automation, visit us at decisioncrafters.com.

Have you implemented TrendRadar in your workflow? Share your experience and use cases in the comments below!