Kind 30009: Badge Definition

Overview

Badge Definition events (kind 30009) are used to create and define badges in the Nostr ecosystem. These events establish what a badge looks like, what it means, and who issued it. Badge definitions are created by badge issuers and can be awarded to users through Badge Award events (kind 8).

Specification

Property	Value
Kind Number	30009
Event Range	Parameterized Replaceable
Defined in	NIP-58

Content Format

The content field contains a description of the badge, explaining its purpose, how it's earned, or what it represents.

Schema

"content": "This badge is awarded to community members who demonstrate extraordinary courage and selflessness in supporting the Nostr ecosystem."

Tags

Tag Name	Description	Format	Required
d	Badge identifier	["d", "<badge-id>"]	Yes
name	Short badge name	["name", "<name>"]	Yes
description	Brief badge description	["description", "<description>"]	No
image	Badge image URL	["image", "<url>"]	Yes
thumb	Thumbnail image URL	["thumb", "<url>"]	No

Client Behavior

Clients should:

1. Parse Badge Definition events to display badges in user profiles
2. Use the image tag to show the badge graphic
3. Use the thumb tag for smaller thumbnail versions when appropriate
4. Display the badge name and description when users interact with the badge
5. Allow badge issuers to update their badge definitions (as these are parameterized replaceable events)
6. Enable badge explorers or galleries that show available badges

Relay Behavior

Relays should:

1. Handle kind 30009 events as parameterized replaceable events with the d tag as discriminator
2. Index these events to allow efficient retrieval by pubkey and d tag value
3. Return these events when queried for a specific author and badge identifier

Use Cases

• Defining community achievement badges
• Creating certification or credential badges
• Establishing membership or affiliation badges
• Designing special event participation badges
• Setting up verification or trust badges

Example

{
  "id": "c2d96e06f189309aed10f27168f059941ffa27d8bf569c9b32c8505f5ebf9f65",
  "pubkey": "3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d",
  "created_at": 1679589657,
  "kind": 30009,
  "tags": [
    ["d", "bravery"],
    ["name", "Badge of Bravery"],
    ["description", "Awarded for exceptional courage in the Nostr community"],
    ["image", "https://example.com/badges/bravery.png"],
    ["thumb", "https://example.com/badges/bravery_thumb.png"]
  ],
  "content": "This badge recognizes individuals who have shown extraordinary courage in supporting and defending the Nostr protocol and its values of freedom and decentralization.",
  "sig": "6e8f573e83e0c1f3a030f95f89a47e6c641f24f40b1189e1f6de2e49cf3cf230c9a4d304104ca1ef57a3d232bf357fba3e5aef2a537ae615c6c2e30c523a7ab2"
}

Badge System Architecture

The Nostr badge system consists of three key components:

1. Badge Definition (kind 30009) - Created by badge issuers, defines what a badge looks like and means
2. Badge Award (kind 8) - Created by badge issuers, grants a specific badge to a user
3. Profile Badges (kind 30008) - Created by badge recipients, displays chosen badges on their profile

The workflow is:

• Badge issuer creates a Badge Definition with a unique identifier
• Badge issuer awards this badge to users via Badge Award events
• Users can display badges they've received in their profiles

Badge References

Badges are referenced in other events using the a tag with the format:

["a", "30009:<pubkey>:<identifier>"]

Where:

• 30009 is the kind number
• <pubkey> is the badge issuer's public key
• <identifier> is the badge identifier from the d tag

References

• NIP-58: Badges

Related Kinds

• Kind 8: Badge Award - Awards badges to users
• Kind 30008: Profile Badges - Displays badges on user profiles

Notes

• Badge images should be hosted on reliable servers to ensure long-term availability
• Badge issuers can update their badge definitions (e.g., to fix broken image links)
• The badge identifier in the d tag should be consistent and unique for that issuer
• Clients may implement caching mechanisms for badge images to improve performance
• Badge definitions are public and can be discovered by anyone, which enables badge explorers