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NIPs (Nostr Implementation Possibilities)

NIPs are the specification documents that define how Nostr works. They range from the core protocol to optional features.

What are NIPs?​

NIPs are standards documents hosted at github.com/nostr-protocol/nips. They define:

  • Core protocol behavior
  • Event kinds and their formats
  • Optional features and extensions
  • Best practices for implementations

NIP Categories​

Core Protocol​

NIPTitleDescription
NIP-01Basic ProtocolFundamental protocol definition
NIP-02Follow ListContact list and petnames
NIP-10Reply ThreadingConventions for replies

Identity & Keys​

NIPTitleDescription
NIP-05DNS-Based VerificationMapping identifiers to pubkeys
NIP-19Bech32 EntitiesHuman-readable key encoding
NIP-46Nostr ConnectRemote signing protocol

Content Types​

NIPTitleDescription
NIP-23Long-form ContentArticles and blog posts
NIP-30Custom EmojiCustom emoji in events
NIP-94File MetadataFile attachments

Encryption & Security​

NIPTitleDescription
NIP-04Encrypted DMsDirect messages (deprecated)
NIP-42AuthenticationClient-relay auth
NIP-44Versioned EncryptionModern encryption standard

Social Features​

NIPTitleDescription
NIP-25ReactionsLikes and emoji reactions
NIP-57ZapsLightning payments
NIP-51ListsMute lists, bookmarks, etc.

Relay Features​

NIPTitleDescription
NIP-11Relay InformationRelay metadata document
NIP-42AuthenticationRelay authentication
NIP-65Relay List MetadataUser's relay preferences

Essential NIPs​

NIP-01: Basic Protocol​

Defines the core protocol:

  • Event structure and signing
  • WebSocket message formats
  • Filter syntax
  • Relay behavior

Every implementation must support NIP-01.

NIP-19: Bech32 Entities​

Defines human-readable encodings:

npub1...  → Public key
nsec1...  → Private key (never share!)
note1...  → Event ID
nprofile1...  → Profile + relay hints
nevent1...  → Event + relay hints
naddr1...  → Replaceable event address

Example:

import { nip19 } from 'nostr-tools';

// Encode
const npub = nip19.npubEncode(pubkeyHex);

// Decode
const { type, data } = nip19.decode(npub);

NIP-05: DNS Verification​

Maps human-readable identifiers to pubkeys:

alice@example.com → looks up https://example.com/.well-known/nostr.json

{
  "names": {
    "alice": "pubkey-hex-here"
  },
  "relays": {
    "pubkey-hex-here": ["wss://relay.example.com"]
  }
}

NIP-57: Zaps (Lightning Payments)​

Enables Lightning payments integrated with events:

  1. Client creates kind 9734 zap request
  2. Sends to recipient's LNURL endpoint
  3. User pays invoice
  4. Wallet service creates kind 9735 zap receipt

NIP Statuses​

NIPs have different maturity levels:

StatusMeaning
DraftWork in progress
FinalStable, implemented
DeprecatedSuperseded by newer NIP

Implementing NIPs​

Check Requirements​

Some NIPs depend on others:

  • NIP-57 (Zaps) requires NIP-01, NIP-09
  • NIP-46 (Connect) requires NIP-01, NIP-44

Graceful Degradation​

Not all relays/clients support all NIPs:

// Check if NIP-07 extension is available
if (window.nostr) {
  const event = await window.nostr.signEvent(unsignedEvent);
} else {
  // Fallback: use local key
  const event = finalizeEvent(unsignedEvent, secretKey);
}

Feature Detection​

Query relay capabilities:

const response = await fetch('https://relay.example.com/', {
  headers: { Accept: 'application/nostr+json' }
});
const info = await response.json();
console.log(info.supported_nips); // [1, 11, 42, ...]

Common NIP Combinations​

Social Client​

Essential:

  • NIP-01 (Core)
  • NIP-02 (Follows)
  • NIP-10 (Threading)
  • NIP-19 (Encoding)

Recommended:

  • NIP-05 (Verification)
  • NIP-25 (Reactions)
  • NIP-57 (Zaps)

Chat Application​

Essential:

  • NIP-01 (Core)
  • NIP-44 (Encryption)

Recommended:

  • NIP-19 (Encoding)
  • NIP-42 (Auth)

Long-form Platform​

Essential:

  • NIP-01 (Core)
  • NIP-23 (Articles)

Recommended:

  • NIP-05 (Verification)
  • NIP-57 (Zaps)
  • NIP-94 (Media)

Keeping Up to Date​

The NIPs repository is actively developed:

# Watch the repository
gh repo star nostr-protocol/nips

Follow these resources:

See Also​