Nostr Key Generator
See what a Nostr key pair actually is. This makes a real npub + nsec on your own device — nothing is sent to any server — so you can look at one before you own one.
Making an identity you intend to keep? Let a client or a signer extension generate it instead. Not because this page leaks anything — it does not — but a key that has been shown in a browser tab has been somewhere a key held by a signer never goes.
Generate Your Nostr Keys
Create a secure key pair to access Nostr. Your keys are generated locally in your browser and never sent to any server.
Part of the free Nostr tools collection.
How it works
The generator uses in-browser cryptography (the open-source
nostr-tools library, the same one most Nostr apps are
built on) to create a random secp256k1 key pair on your device. Two values come out:
- npub — your public key. This is your identity on Nostr: share it so people can find and follow you.
- nsec — your secret key. It signs everything you publish and is your account. Whoever holds it controls the identity — so nobody should ever see it but you.
There is no registration step because Nostr has no central server to register with: a key pair is the whole account. That is also why the safest key is one you never see — a client or a signer extension can generate it, hold it, and sign with it without ever putting it on a screen. This page puts it on a screen deliberately, because that is the only way to show you what one is.
Before you close this tab
- Your keys never leave this page. They are generated and displayed locally — no data is sent to our servers, and we could not recover your key for you even if you asked.
- Save the nsec offline, now. Paper or a password manager both work. If the nsec is lost, the account is lost — there is no reset and no recovery, by design.
- Never share or paste the nsec anywhere except into a Nostr client (or, better, a signer extension) that you trust. The npub, on the other hand, is made for sharing.
You have keys. Now what?
Understand your keys
What npub and nsec really are, how to back them up, and the mistakes that lose accounts.
Keys & security guide (8 min) →Set up your first client
Pick an app and let it generate the key you will actually keep, then publish your first note.
Quickstart guide (5 min) →Fill your feed
A new account follows nobody. Pick from hundreds of curated accounts so your timeline is not empty.
Find people to follow →Frequently asked questions
Security Should I use this to create my real Nostr account?
Should I use this to create my real Nostr account?
Use it to see what a key pair looks like. For an identity you intend to keep, let a client (Damus, Amethyst, Primal) or a signer extension (Alby, nos2x) generate the key instead. The reason is not that this page is unsafe — the keys are made on your device by nostr-tools, the same library most clients use, and nothing is sent anywhere; you can load the page, go offline, and it still works. The reason is that a key generated inside a signer never appears on a screen, never lands in a clipboard, and never sits in a browser tab. This one does all three, and each is a place it can be seen or captured.
Security Are the keys this page makes real?
Are the keys this page makes real?
Completely. It is a genuine secp256k1 key pair and any Nostr client will accept it. That is the point of showing it rather than a fake example — but it also means the nsec on screen is a real secret from the moment it appears, not a sample. Treat it as one.
Security What is the difference between npub and nsec?
What is the difference between npub and nsec?
The npub is your public key — your identity and address on Nostr. Share it freely so people can find and follow you. The nsec is your secret key — it signs everything you publish and IS your account. Never share it, never paste it into websites you do not trust, and never post it anywhere. If the npub is your username, the nsec is a password that can never be changed.
Security What happens if I lose my nsec?
What happens if I lose my nsec?
The account is gone, permanently. Nostr has no company behind it, so there is no password reset, no recovery email, and no support desk that can restore access — that is the price of an identity nobody can take from you. Write the nsec down offline (on paper or in a password manager) the moment you generate it, and keep a second copy somewhere safe.
Want the full picture first? Read the keys & security guide.