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Basics

Nostr, without the fog.

This is the clean front door to Nostr: what your key means, why clients and relays are separate, how signed events move, and what a new reader needs before the rest of the ecosystem gets loud.

Start with the ideaSet up safelyDecode the words

Mental model

  1. KeyYour identity begins as a public/private key pair.
  2. ClientThe app is a window, not the network itself.
  3. RelayRelays carry and store signed events.
  4. NIPShared standards let different tools understand each other.

Core words

Open the four terms that make the rest of Nostr readable.

Start with key, client, relay and NIP before the ecosystem turns into apps, wallets, zaps, relay policy and standards numbers.

01

Key

Public identity, private signing power, npub and nsec formats, signers, backups and the risk of treating a root key like a normal password.

Open key guide 02

Client

The app surface, not the network. Clients choose signing flows, relay sets, ranking, media handling and what the same signed events feel like.

Open client guide 03

Relay

The server layer that carries events. Relay choice affects reach, history, spam, missing replies, policy and whether portability feels reliable.

Open relay guide 04

NIP

The standards layer. NIPs explain how independent clients, relays, signers and wallets agree on the same kinds of Nostr data.

Open NIP guide

Read first

Start with the model before the tools.

Begin here when Nostr still feels like a knot of keys, relays, clients and acronyms. The pages below build the model in a human order, then point you to Apps, Relays, Wallets, Privacy and NIPs when you are ready.

What is Nostr? icon 01 What is Nostr? A plain-language map of the protocol: keys sign events, clients render them, relays carry them, and no single app owns the whole account. Getting Started with Nostr icon 02 Getting Started with Nostr A first-week path that keeps the dangerous parts visible: key custody, signers, first client, relay settings, small tests and what not to paste into a random web app. Why Nostr Matters icon 03 Why Nostr Matters The reason Nostr matters is not another timeline. It is portable identity, replaceable clients, relay choice and a social layer that can connect publishing, payments and communities. Nostr Glossary icon 04 Nostr Glossary A working vocabulary for readers, not a protocol dump: npub, nsec, signer, relay hint, event kind, zap, NIP, gift wrap and the words that change risk. The First Nostr Click icon 05 The First Nostr Click The onboarding moment where the app stops being the account: what to click first, what to ignore and how to know which layer is failing. Portable Social Graph icon 06 Portable Social Graph What actually travels when you switch tools: identity, follows, relay hints, lists, reputation signals and the limits people usually skip in slogans. Nostr vs ActivityPub icon 07 Nostr vs ActivityPub A calm comparison of key-based Nostr and server-based federation: identity, delivery, moderation, migration and why the home server question matters. Nostr vs Bluesky icon 08 Nostr vs Bluesky Nostr and ATProto compared without team sport: keys versus account services, simple relays versus PDS/AppView layers and where each model feels stronger.
A protocol stack as a visual cue for the Basics route.
A mobile city scene as a visual cue for client choice.
A community scene as a visual cue for the social graph.
A calm open horizon as a visual cue for portability.
A group scene as a visual cue for people using open identity.

First route

Read this in order when Nostr is still new.

Start with the idea, set up carefully, then use the glossary whenever the protocol words start crowding the page.

  1. 01Understand the modelKey, client, relay, event and NIP.Open What is Nostr?
  2. 02Set up without key mistakesUse a signer, choose a client and learn relays gently.Open Getting started
  3. 03Know why it mattersSee the platform problem Nostr is trying to change.Open Why Nostr matters
  4. 04Decode the vocabularyReturn when npub, NIP, zap or signer appears.Open the glossary
A protocol stack as a visual cue for the Basics route.
A mobile city scene as a visual cue for client choice.
A community scene as a visual cue for the social graph.
A calm open horizon as a visual cue for portability.
A group scene as a visual cue for people using open identity.

After Basics

The next shelf depends on your question.

PrivacyKeys, signers, direct messages and trust.AppsClients, tools, signers and product surfaces.RelaysInfrastructure, policy, discovery and availability.NIPsStandards translated into product consequences.