Relays
Understanding the backbone of the Nostr network.
What Are Relays?
Relays are servers that:
- Store your posts
- Forward messages
- Sync data across network
- Enable communication
Think of them like email servers, but for social media.
How Relays Work
- You publish a post
- Sent to your connected relays
- Relays store and broadcast it
- Others fetch from their relays
- They see your post!
Choosing Relays
Considerations:
- Speed and reliability
- Geographic location
- Privacy policies
- Storage duration
- Cost (free vs. paid)
Popular Relays:
- wss://relay.damus.io
- wss://relay.nostr.band
- wss://nos.lol
- Many more available
Managing Relays
In Nostria:
- Settings → Relays
- View connected relays
- Add new relays
- Remove slow/problematic ones
- Test connection status
Best Practices:
- Connect to 5-10 reliable relays
- Mix of popular and niche
- Include geographically diverse
- Monitor performance
- Remove dead relays
Relay Types
Public Relays
- Free to use
- Open to everyone
- May have rate limits
- Community funded
Paid Relays
- Subscription required
- Better performance
- More reliable
- Premium features
Private Relays
- Personal/invite-only
- Full control
- Maximum privacy
- Requires technical setup
Running Your Own Relay
Technically inclined users can:
- Run personal relay
- Full data control
- Maximum privacy
- Contribute to network