New to iStory? This guide will walk you through creating your first voice journal entry in just a few minutes.
What You’ll Build By the end of this guide, you’ll have:
✅ Connected your account
✅ Recorded your first story using voice
✅ Enhanced it with AI
✅ Saved it permanently with encryption
Sign In to iStory
iStory supports two authentication methods: Option 1: Google OAuth (Recommended for beginners) Click the “Start Journaling — Free” button on the homepage: // Authentication happens via Supabase const { signInWithGoogle } = useAuth (); await signInWithGoogle ();
You’ll be redirected to Google’s OAuth consent screen. After authorization, you’ll be automatically redirected back to iStory. Option 2: Web3 Wallet Connect your MetaMask or compatible wallet: app/api/auth/nonce/route.ts
// 1. Client fetches a nonce const response = await fetch ( `/api/auth/nonce?address= ${ address } ` ); const { nonce , message } = await response . json (); // 2. Sign the message containing the nonce const signature = await signMessageAsync ({ message }); // 3. Submit signature for verification await fetch ( '/api/auth/login' , { method: 'POST' , body: JSON . stringify ({ address , signature , message }) });
Security Note: Wallet authentication uses server-generated nonces with 5-minute expiry to prevent signature replay attacks.
After signing in, you’ll see your profile info in the top right corner.
Navigate to Record Page
Click the “Record New Story” button or navigate to /record. You’ll see the recording interface with:
🎙️ Microphone button for voice recording
📝 Text editor for transcription
✨ AI enhancement tools
💾 Save options
Record Your Story
Start Recording Click the microphone button to start recording: app/record/RecordPageClient.tsx
const startRecording = async () => { const stream = await navigator . mediaDevices . getUserMedia ({ audio: { echoCancellation: true , noiseSuppression: true , sampleRate: 16000 , }, }); const mediaRecorder = new MediaRecorder ( stream ); mediaRecorder . start (); setIsRecording ( true ); };
Just talk naturally about:
Your day
A memory or experience
Something on your mind
A realization or insight
The recording duration will be displayed while you speak. Click Stop when you’re done. Transcribe Your Audio After stopping, your audio is automatically transcribed using ElevenLabs Scribe: const transcribeAudio = async ( audioBlob : Blob ) => { const formData = new FormData (); formData . append ( 'audio' , audioBlob , 'recording.webm' ); const response = await fetch ( '/api/ai/transcribe' , { method: 'POST' , headers: await getAuthHeaders (), body: formData , }); const { text } = await response . json (); setTranscribedText ( text ); };
Pro tip: You can also type directly into the text editor if you prefer writing to speaking.
Response Example { "text" : "Today was really interesting. I had a long conversation with my friend about the future of AI and how it might change the way we work. It made me think about what skills will be valuable in 10 years." }
Enhance with AI (Optional)
Click the “Enhance with AI” button to polish your text: const enhanceText = async () => { const response = await fetch ( '/api/ai/enhance' , { method: 'POST' , headers: { 'Authorization' : `Bearer ${ token } ` , 'Content-Type' : 'application/json' }, body: JSON . stringify ({ text: transcribedText }), }); const { text : enhanced } = await response . json (); setTranscribedText ( enhanced ); };
AI enhancement provides:
✍️ Grammar and spelling corrections
🎨 Improved clarity and flow
💡 Better sentence structure
Before/After is saved: Your original text is preserved so you can undo changes if needed.
Before Enhancement today was really interesting i had conversation with friend about ai and future and it made me think about skills
After Enhancement Today was incredibly insightful. I had a deep conversation with a friend about artificial intelligence and its implications for the future. It prompted me to reflect on which skills will remain valuable a decade from now.
Save Your Story
Before saving, you can add:
Title (auto-generated if blank)Mood (happy, reflective, anxious, etc.)Tags (topics, themes)Visibility (public/private)Date (can backdate entries) Click Save app/api/journal/save/route.ts
export async function POST ( request : NextRequest ) { // 1. Validate authentication const authenticatedUserId = await validateAuthOrReject ( request ); // 2. Get user's wallet address const { data : user } = await admin . from ( "users" ) . select ( "wallet_address" ) . eq ( "id" , authenticatedUserId ) . single (); // 3. Insert story into database const { data : story } = await admin . from ( "stories" ) . insert ({ author_id: authenticatedUserId , author_wallet: user . wallet_address , title: title || `Journal Entry ${ new Date (). toLocaleDateString () } ` , content , mood: mood || 'neutral' , tags: tags || [], has_audio: !! hasAudio , audio_url: audioUrl || null , }) . select () . single (); // 4. Trigger AI analysis (background) fetch ( '/api/ai/analyze' , { method: 'POST' , body: JSON . stringify ({ storyId: story . id , storyText: content }), }); return NextResponse . json ({ success: true , data: story }); }
Cloud Storage Your story is saved to Supabase (PostgreSQL) with full encryption
Local Vault Optionally encrypted client-side using AES-256-GCM in IndexedDB
What Happens After Save?
Story saved to database with your author IDAI analysis triggered (extracts themes, emotions, entities)Audio uploaded to Supabase Storage (if you recorded)Local vault copy created (if vault is unlocked)CRE verification queued (blockchain attestation) Success! Your story is now permanently saved. You’ll see a success message and can view it in your Library.
Explore Your Story
Navigate to Library (/library) to see your saved stories. View AI Insights Click on any story to see AI-generated insights: components/StoryInsights.tsx
const fetchMetadata = async () => { const res = await fetch ( `/api/stories/ ${ storyId } /metadata` ); const { metadata } = await res . json (); // metadata includes: // - themes: ["growth", "career", "technology"] // - emotional_tone: "reflective" // - life_domain: "professional_development" // - entities: { people: [], places: [], times: [] } // - significance_score: 7.5 setMetadata ( metadata ); };
Insights Include
🧠 Themes : Key topics extracted from your story
💭 Emotional Tone : Detected mood (hopeful, reflective, joyful)
🏷️ Life Domains : Categories (relationships, work, health, etc.)
👥 Entities : People, places, and times mentioned
⭐ Significance Score : AI-rated importance (0-10)
{ "themes" : [ "technology" , "future-planning" , "skill-development" ], "emotional_tone" : "contemplative" , "life_domain" : "professional_development" , "entities" : { "people" : [ "friend" ], "places" : [], "times" : [ "today" , "10 years" ] }, "significance_score" : 7.2 , "word_count" : 142 , "reading_time_minutes" : 1 }
Next Steps
Explore Features Learn about AI patterns, vault encryption, and blockchain verification
Set Up Local Vault Enable client-side encryption for maximum privacy
Share Stories Make stories public and engage with the community
API Reference Integrate iStory with your own applications
Common Questions
How long does transcription take?
Transcription typically takes 2-5 seconds using ElevenLabs Scribe. The API processes audio at high speed with 95%+ accuracy.
Yes, if you record audio, it’s uploaded to Supabase Storage and linked to your story. You can play it back anytime from the Library or Story detail page.
Can I edit a story after saving?
Yes! Click on any story in your Library and select “Edit” to modify the title, content, mood, tags, or visibility.
What if I close the page while recording?
Your draft is auto-saved to sessionStorage every 500ms. If you reload the page, you’ll see a “Restored unsaved draft” message.
From the Library, click the three-dot menu on any story card and select “Delete”. This action is permanent.
Technical Details Authentication Flow Recording Flow Ready to dive deeper? Check out the Features Overview to learn about AI patterns, social features, and blockchain permanence.
