node-red-contrib-nostr

A Node-RED node for integrating with the Nostr protocol. This node allows you to connect to Nostr relays, publish events, and subscribe to events in the Nostr network.

⚠️ Security Note

A private key is only required if you want to:

• Publish events to relays
• Send encrypted direct messages
• Perform any action that requires signing

For just listening to relays or subscribing to events, no private key is needed.

If you do need to publish events, follow these security guidelines:

1. Generate a separate key pair specifically for your Node-RED automation using services like:

   • nsec.app
   • Alby
   • Nostr.band

2. Keep the scope of this automation key limited:

   • Only give it permissions it actually needs
   • Consider it like a "bot account"
   • Regularly rotate the key if possible

3. Store the private key securely:

   • Use Node-RED's encrypted credentials
   • Never share or expose the key
   • Don't commit it to version control

Description

This package provides nodes for interacting with Nostr relays, allowing you to:

• Connect to multiple relays simultaneously
• Monitor specific NPUBs for events
• Filter events by type (text notes, DMs, etc.)
• Post events to relays (using a dedicated automation key)
• Support for multiple NIPs (see Supported NIPs section)
• TypeScript support with full type definitions
• Secure credential management
• Automatic reconnection handling

Technical Architecture

Module System

This package uses a hybrid approach to module systems to ensure maximum compatibility:

• Built as CommonJS for Node-RED compatibility
• Handles ESM dependencies through dynamic imports
• Supports both modern and legacy Node.js environments

WebSocket Management

Built on nostr-websocket-utils for enterprise-grade reliability:

• Automatic Reconnection: Smart backoff strategy for connection drops
• Connection Health: Built-in heartbeat monitoring
• Type Safety: Full TypeScript support
• Error Resilience: Comprehensive error handling
• Memory Efficient: Proper cleanup of resources
• Debug Support: Detailed logging

Install

From npm (Recommended)

Run the following command in your Node-RED user directory - typically ~/.node-red

npm install node-red-contrib-nostr

From Source

cd ~/.node-red
git clone https://github.com/HumanjavaEnterprises/node-red-contrib-nostr.git
cd node-red-contrib-nostr
npm install
npm run build

Using Docker

git clone https://github.com/HumanjavaEnterprises/node-red-contrib-nostr.git
cd node-red-contrib-nostr
docker compose up -d

Nodes

1. Nostr Relay Config Node

Configuration node for managing relay connections:

• Multiple relay support
• Secure private key storage
• Automatic reconnection handling
• Connection status monitoring
• Dynamic import of ESM dependencies

2. Nostr Filter Node

Specialized node for event filtering:

• Filter by event kinds
• Filter by authors (NPUBs)
• Filter by tags
• Time-based filtering
• Custom filter combinations
• Real-time event processing

3. Nostr NPUB Filter Node

Dedicated node for NPUB-based filtering:

• Monitor specific NPUBs
• Filter by event types
• Real-time NPUB event tracking
• Automatic hex key conversion

Example Flows

Basic Event Monitoring

{
    "id": "basic-monitor",
    "type": "nostr-filter",
    "relay": "wss://relay.example.com",
    "filterType": "kind",
    "eventKinds": [1],
    "wires": [["debug"]]
}

NPUB Tracking

{
    "id": "npub-track",
    "type": "nostr-npub-filter",
    "relay": "wss://relay.example.com",
    "npubValue": "npub1...",
    "eventKinds": [1, 6],
    "wires": [["debug"]]
}

Error Handling

The nodes implement comprehensive error handling:

• Invalid private key detection
• Relay connection failures
• Message parsing errors
• NPUB validation
• WebSocket connection issues

Development

Building from Source

npm install
npm run build

Running Tests

npm test

Test coverage includes:

• Unit tests for all nodes
• WebSocket connection handling
• Event filtering logic
• Error handling

Docker Development

docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml up

Supported NIPs

NIP	Description	Status
NIP-01	Basic Protocol	✅ Implemented
NIP-02	Contact List and Petnames	✅ Implemented
NIP-03	OpenTimestamps Attestations	🚧 Planned
NIP-04	Encrypted Direct Messages	🚧 Planned
NIP-09	Event Deletion	🚧 Planned
NIP-11	Relay Information Document	✅ Implemented
NIP-15	End of Stored Events Notice	✅ Implemented
NIP-20	Command Results	✅ Implemented
NIP-28	Public Chat	🚧 Planned
NIP-40	Expiration Timestamp	🚧 Planned

Legend:

• ✅ Implemented: Fully supported
• 🚧 Planned: On the roadmap
• ❌ Not Planned: Not currently planned for implementation

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'feat: add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Node-RED Specific Tags

This module provides nodes for working with Nostr protocol in Node-RED.

Node Properties

• Category: network
• Name: node-red-contrib-nostr
• Types: nostr-relay-config, nostr-filter, nostr-npub-filter
• Description: Node-RED nodes for interacting with Nostr protocol
• Author: Vveerrgg
• Keywords: node-red,nostr,websocket,relay,filter,npub
• Dependencies: @humanjavaenterprises/nostr-tools,nostr-websocket-utils
• Node-RED: >= 2.0.0