diff --git a/blossom.go b/blossom.go
index b5e6e75..45a5eaa 100644
--- a/blossom.go
+++ b/blossom.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 
-	"fiatjaf.com/nostr"
 	"fiatjaf.com/nostr/keyer"
 	"fiatjaf.com/nostr/nipb0/blossom"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v3"
@@ -38,11 +37,11 @@ var blossomCmd = &cli.Command{
 				var client *blossom.Client
 				pubkey := c.Args().First()
 				if pubkey != "" {
-					if pk, err := nostr.PubKeyFromHex(pubkey); err != nil {
+					pk, err := parsePubKey(pubkey)
+					if err != nil {
 						return fmt.Errorf("invalid public key '%s': %w", pubkey, err)
-					} else {
-						client = blossom.NewClient(c.String("server"), keyer.NewReadOnlySigner(pk))
 					}
+					client = blossom.NewClient(c.String("server"), keyer.NewReadOnlySigner(pk))
 				} else {
 					var err error
 					client, err = getBlossomClient(ctx, c)
diff --git a/count.go b/count.go
index 662baf7..48bcaa4 100644
--- a/count.go
+++ b/count.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ var count = &cli.Command{
 		&PubKeySliceFlag{
 			Name:     "author",
 			Aliases:  []string{"a"},
-			Usage:    "only accept events from these authors (pubkey as hex)",
+			Usage:    "only accept events from these authors",
 			Category: CATEGORY_FILTER_ATTRIBUTES,
 		},
 		&cli.IntSliceFlag{
diff --git a/encode.go b/encode.go
index 59c5a58..d15bf90 100644
--- a/encode.go
+++ b/encode.go
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ var encode = &cli.Command{
 			DisableSliceFlagSeparator: true,
 			Action: func(ctx context.Context, c *cli.Command) error {
 				for target := range getStdinLinesOrArguments(c.Args()) {
-					id, err := nostr.IDFromHex(target)
+					id, err := parseEventID(target)
 					if err != nil {
 						ctx = lineProcessingError(ctx, "invalid event id: %s", target)
 						continue
diff --git a/flags.go b/flags.go
index 7e4e32d..671e2d2 100644
--- a/flags.go
+++ b/flags.go
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ func (t pubkeyValue) Create(val nostr.PubKey, p *nostr.PubKey, c struct{}) cli.V
 func (t pubkeyValue) ToString(b nostr.PubKey) string { return t.pubkey.String() }
 
 func (t *pubkeyValue) Set(value string) error {
-	pk, err := nostr.PubKeyFromHex(value)
-	t.pubkey = pk
+	pubkey, err := parsePubKey(value)
+	t.pubkey = pubkey
 	t.hasBeenSet = true
 	return err
 }
@@ -147,8 +147,8 @@ func (t idValue) Create(val nostr.ID, p *nostr.ID, c struct{}) cli.Value {
 func (t idValue) ToString(b nostr.ID) string { return t.id.String() }
 
 func (t *idValue) Set(value string) error {
-	pk, err := nostr.IDFromHex(value)
-	t.id = pk
+	id, err := parseEventID(value)
+	t.id = id
 	t.hasBeenSet = true
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/helpers.go b/helpers.go
index de5da1b..02d30ed 100644
--- a/helpers.go
+++ b/helpers.go
@@ -464,6 +464,50 @@ func askConfirmation(msg string) bool {
 	}
 }
 
+func parsePubKey(value string) (nostr.PubKey, error) {
+	pk, err := nostr.PubKeyFromHex(value)
+	if err == nil {
+		return pk, nil
+	}
+
+	if prefix, decoded, err := nip19.Decode(value); err == nil {
+		switch prefix {
+		case "npub":
+			if pk, ok := decoded.(nostr.PubKey); ok {
+				return pk, nil
+			}
+		case "nprofile":
+			if profile, ok := decoded.(nostr.ProfilePointer); ok {
+				return profile.PublicKey, nil
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nostr.PubKey{}, fmt.Errorf("invalid pubkey (\"%s\"): expected hex, npub, or nprofile", value)
+}
+
+func parseEventID(value string) (nostr.ID, error) {
+	id, err := nostr.IDFromHex(value)
+	if err == nil {
+		return id, nil
+	}
+
+	if prefix, decoded, err := nip19.Decode(value); err == nil {
+		switch prefix {
+		case "note":
+			if id, ok := decoded.(nostr.ID); ok {
+				return id, nil
+			}
+		case "nevent":
+			if event, ok := decoded.(nostr.EventPointer); ok {
+				return event.ID, nil
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nostr.ID{}, fmt.Errorf("invalid event id (\"%s\"): expected hex, note, or nevent", value)
+}
+
 var colors = struct {
 	reset    func(...any) (int, error)
 	italic   func(...any) string
diff --git a/outbox.go b/outbox.go
index fc916f0..82fc775 100644
--- a/outbox.go
+++ b/outbox.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
-	"fiatjaf.com/nostr"
 	"fiatjaf.com/nostr/sdk"
 	"fiatjaf.com/nostr/sdk/hints/bbolth"
 	"github.com/fatih/color"
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ var outbox = &cli.Command{
 					return fmt.Errorf("expected exactly one argument (pubkey)")
 				}
 
-				pk, err := nostr.PubKeyFromHex(c.Args().First())
+				pk, err := parsePubKey(c.Args().First())
 				if err != nil {
 					return fmt.Errorf("invalid public key '%s': %w", c.Args().First(), err)
 				}
diff --git a/req.go b/req.go
index bd410a4..554f0db 100644
--- a/req.go
+++ b/req.go
@@ -276,13 +276,13 @@ var reqFilterFlags = []cli.Flag{
 	&PubKeySliceFlag{
 		Name:     "author",
 		Aliases:  []string{"a"},
-		Usage:    "only accept events from these authors (pubkey as hex)",
+		Usage:    "only accept events from these authors",
 		Category: CATEGORY_FILTER_ATTRIBUTES,
 	},
 	&IDSliceFlag{
 		Name:     "id",
 		Aliases:  []string{"i"},
-		Usage:    "only accept events with these ids (hex)",
+		Usage:    "only accept events with these ids",
 		Category: CATEGORY_FILTER_ATTRIBUTES,
 	},
 	&cli.IntSliceFlag{