Nostr Glossary

Learn the terminology and concepts you need to navigate the Nostr ecosystem.

  • Boost / Repost

    Sharing someone else's note to your followers (Kind 6 event).

  • Censorship Resistance

    The ability to publish content without being blocked by a central authority. A core Nostr feature.

    Read the Censorship Resistance guide

  • Client

    An application that connects to Nostr relays, allowing users to read and publish notes. Examples: Primal, Damus, Amethyst, Iris.

    Read the Client guide

  • DM

    Direct Message. Encrypted private messages between Nostr users. Modern clients use NIP-17; the older NIP-04 is deprecated because it reveals who is messaging whom.

    Read the DM guide

  • Event

    The basic unit of data in Nostr. Can be a note (post), metadata, contact list, reaction, or other types.

    Read the Event guide

  • Feed

    A chronological stream of posts from accounts you follow, displayed in your Nostr client.

    Read the Feed guide

  • Follow List

    A list of public keys you follow, stored as a special event (Kind 3) on relays.

    Read the Follow List guide

  • Hashtag

    Topics or keywords prefixed with # to categorize content and make it discoverable.

    Read the Hashtag guide

  • Kind

    A number indicating the type of an event. Kind 1 is a text note (regular post), Kind 0 is metadata, etc.

    Read the Kind guide

  • Lightning Address

    A human-readable identifier for receiving Lightning payments (like name@domain.com).

    Read the Lightning Address guide

  • LNURL

    Lightning Network URL. A standard for Lightning Network payment interactions.

    Read the LNURL guide

  • Mention

    Referencing another user in a note using their npub or NIP-05 identifier.

    Read the Mention guide

  • NIP

    Nostr Implementation Possibility. A document describing how to implement specific Nostr features. NIP-01 is the basic protocol.

    Read the NIP guide

  • NIP-05

    A standard for human-readable identifiers (like username@domain.com) mapped to Nostr public keys.

    Read the NIP-05 guide

  • Nostr

    Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays. A decentralized protocol for social media and other applications.

    Read the Nostr guide

  • Nostr Address

    A NIP-05 identifier that looks like an email address (username@domain.com) mapped to your npub.

    Read the Nostr Address guide

  • npub

    Your public key (public identifier) in Nostr. Safe to share with anyone. Looks like npub1...

    Read the npub guide

  • npub (format)

    Bech32-encoded public key format. Starts with "npub1" and is safe to share publicly.

    Read the npub (format) guide

  • nsec

    Your private key (secret key) in Nostr. Never share this with anyone! Looks like nsec1...

    Read the nsec guide

  • nsec (format)

    Bech32-encoded private key format. Starts with "nsec1" and should be kept secret.

    Read the nsec (format) guide

  • Pubkey

    Short for public key. Your identifier on the Nostr network, derived from your private key.

    Read the Pubkey guide

  • Reaction

    A simple emoji response to a note (Kind 7 event). Usually a like (❤️).

  • Relay

    A server that stores and forwards Nostr events. Users connect to relays to publish and receive content.

    Read the Relay guide

  • Relay List

    A list of relays you use, stored as a special event (Kind 10002 with NIP-65).

    Read the Relay List guide

  • Thread

    A series of connected notes (replies) forming a conversation.

  • Zap

    A Bitcoin Lightning payment attached to a Nostr note or profile. The money travels over the Lightning Network and Nostr records a public receipt. Used to tip or support other users.

    Read the Zap guide

Quick Reference

npub

Public key - Safe to share

nsec

Private key - Keep secret!

NIP-01

Basic protocol

Kind 1

Text note (post)