Nostr glossary

A

Addressable event

An event of kind 30000–39999 that can be edited: only the newest version per author, kind and d tag counts. Articles are addressable (NIP-01).

AUTH

A relay asking your app to prove which key it is by signing a challenge (NIP-42). Private and paid relays use it.

B

Blossom

A simple way to store images and files on servers, addressed by their hash, so a picture can move between servers without its link breaking.

Bunker

A remote signer: a service that holds your private key and signs for apps that connect with a bunker:// link (NIP-46). nsec.app is one.

C

Client

A Nostr app. Every client reads the same events, so you can switch apps and keep your account.

E

EOSE

"End of stored events": what a relay sends after the events it already has, before it streams new ones (NIP-01).

Ephemeral event

An event of kind 20000–29999 that relays pass on but don't store, such as typing indicators or AUTH (NIP-01).

Event

The one data type in Nostr: a JSON object with id, pubkey, created_at, kind, tags, content and a signature. Notes, likes, profiles and follow lists are all events (NIP-01).

G

Gift wrap

An event sealed inside another event (kinds 13 and 1059) so relays can't read it or see who sent it. Private messages use it (NIP-59).

H

Hex key

A key written as 64 hexadecimal characters, the form used inside events and NIP-05 files. Public and private hex keys look alike. Convert npub ↔ hex.

K

Kind

The number that says what an event is: 0 profile, 1 text note, 3 follow list, 5 deletion request, 7 reaction, 10002 relay list, and many more (NIP-01).

N

naddr

A NIP-19 code pointing to an addressable event, like an article, by author, kind and identifier.

ncryptsec

A private key encrypted with a password (NIP-49). Safer to store than an nsec, but still only for your own backups.

nevent

A NIP-19 code pointing to one event, with relays where it can be found.

NIP

"Nostr Implementation Possibility": a numbered document describing part of the protocol. NIP-01 is the core; apps support the others as they choose (All NIPs).

NIP-05

A name like you@example.com that maps to your public key through a file on that domain. Apps show it as a verified address. Get a free one.

NIP-11

A relay's information document: JSON with its name, operator, supported NIPs, software and limits, served at the relay's own address. More in What is a relay?.

NIP-65 (relay list)

A kind 10002 event listing the relays you write to and read from, so others' apps know where to find your notes (the outbox model; NIP-65).

NIP-66

Events in which relay monitors publish what they found about relays (kind 30166), and announce themselves (kind 10166), defined in NIP-66.

Nostr

Short for "Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays": an open protocol where accounts are key pairs, posts are signed events, and relays store them. More in How Nostr works.

Note

A short text post, kind 1. As a code, note1… is the NIP-19 form of one event's id (NIP-10).

nprofile

A NIP-19 code with a public key and relays to find that profile on.

npub

Your public key in bech32 form, starting npub1. Share it: it's your address. More in Nostr keys.

nsec

Your private key in bech32 form, starting nsec1. Whoever has it can post as you; keep it in a signer. More in Nostr keys.

O

Outbox model

Reading each person's notes from the relays they say they write to (their NIP-65 list), instead of from one shared set of relays.

P

Private key

The secret half of your key pair, which signs your events. There is no reset if you lose it. More in Nostr keys.

Public key

The half of your key pair that identifies you. Derived from the private key, never the other way round. More in Nostr keys.

R

Relay

A server that stores signed events and serves them to apps over a WebSocket. Anyone can run one. More in What is a relay?.

Replaceable event

An event where only the newest one per author and kind counts: kind 0 (profile), 3 (follows) and 10000–19999 (NIP-01).

REQ

The message an app sends a relay to ask for events matching a filter, and to subscribe to new ones (NIP-01).

S

Signer

An app or extension that holds your private key and signs on request, so other apps never see it: browser extensions (NIP-07), Android signers (NIP-55), bunkers (NIP-46). More in keeping keys safe.

W

Web of trust

Using who you follow, and who they follow, to decide whose posts to show or accept. Some relays and apps filter spam this way.

Z

Zap

A Lightning payment tied to a Nostr post or profile, with a receipt event (kinds 9734 and 9735) that apps show (NIP-57).