📚 Getting Started Guide
Creating Your First Party Room
Getting started with Party Buttons is incredibly simple. No
registration, no downloads, no complicated setup. Just follow these
steps:
-
Visit the Homepage
Navigate to partybuttons.com and click the "Create a new Party"
button
-
Configure Your Room (Optional)
Choose a party name (or let us generate one), set a password if you
want privacy, and select the maximum number of participants (2-100)
-
Share the Link
Copy your unique party room URL and share it with friends via text,
email, or social media
-
Start Having Fun
Once everyone joins, you can chat, play sounds, share images, and
enjoy real-time interactions
💡 Pro Tip: Create your party room 5-10 minutes
before guests arrive to test your audio, customize settings, and
prepare any soundboard favorites you want to use.
🎯 Features Deep Dive
💬 Real-Time Chat
Basic Usage:
- Type messages in the text box at the bottom of the screen
- Press Enter to send
- Messages appear instantly for all participants
Advanced Features:
-
Markdown Support: Use **bold**, *italic*,
~~strikethrough~~ in your messages
-
Link Embedding: Paste YouTube links, images, or
websites for auto-preview
-
Emoji Conversion: Type Discord-style emoji codes
like :smile: :fire: :heart:
-
Message Reactions: Click the 😊+ button on any
message to add quick reactions
-
Typing Indicators: See when others are typing in
real-time
🎵 Soundboard System
Playing Sounds:
- Click any sound button to play it for everyone in the room
-
Sounds are synchronized - everyone hears them at the same time
- Search for specific sounds using the search bar
- Sounds are sourced from MyInstants library
Right-Click Menu Options:
-
Preview Sound: Hear it privately before playing
for everyone
-
Set as Notification: Use this sound for incoming
messages
-
Add to Favorites: Quick access to sounds you use
frequently
-
Block Sound: Hide sounds you don't want to see or
hear
Audio Controls:
-
Volume Slider: Adjust playback volume (saved
locally)
-
Stable Volume Mode: Normalize sound levels for
consistent playback
- Mute Button: Quickly silence all sounds
🖼️ Image Sharing
Three Ways to Share Images:
-
Camera Button: Click 📷 to select an image file
from your device
-
Paste (Ctrl+V): Copy an image and paste directly
into the message box
-
Drag & Drop: Drag image files directly onto the
chat area
Technical Details:
-
Images are automatically compressed to max 800px and optimized to
under 1MB
- Supported formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP
- Images are stored for 24 hours then automatically deleted
- Click any image to view full size in a new tab
⚙️ Settings & Customization
Available Settings:
| Setting |
Description |
Location |
| Nickname |
Set your display name (1-30 characters) |
Settings menu |
| Dark Mode |
Toggle dark/light theme |
Settings menu |
| Stable Volume |
Normalize sound levels across all effects |
Settings menu |
| Notification Sound |
Choose which sound plays for new messages |
Right-click any sound button |
| Favorites |
Quick access to frequently used sounds |
Right-click any sound button |
| Blocked Sounds |
Hide unwanted sound buttons |
Right-click any sound button |
All settings are saved locally on your device and
persist across sessions.
🔒 Privacy & Security Features
Password-Protected Rooms:
- Set a password (4-30 characters) when creating a party
- Passwords are encrypted using bcrypt
- Authentication tokens expire when the room is deleted
- Only people with the password can join
Data Privacy:
- No user accounts or registration required
- Messages are stored temporarily in memory only
- Chat history clears when you leave the room
- Images auto-delete after 24 hours
- Rooms auto-delete after 6 hours of inactivity
- We don't track, store, or sell user data
🔧 Troubleshooting Common Issues
🔴 Problem: Can't connect to party room
Solution:
- Verify you're using the correct party link
- Check if the room has reached maximum capacity
-
If it's a private room, ensure you have the correct password
- Clear browser cache and cookies, then try again
- Try a different browser or device
- Check your internet connection stability
🔴 Problem: No sound playing
Solution:
- Check if volume slider is set to zero or muted
- Verify your device volume is turned up
-
Click anywhere on the page to allow audio (browser autoplay
restrictions)
- Check if the sound is in your blocked list
- Try playing a different sound to test
- Close and reopen the party room
🔴 Problem: Messages not sending
Solution:
- Check your internet connection
-
Verify connection status indicator shows "Connected" (green)
- Refresh the page and rejoin the room
- Ensure message is not empty (spaces only don't send)
- Check if message exceeds 1000 character limit
🔴 Problem: Images not uploading
Solution:
-
Verify image is under 1MB (we automatically compress, but very
large images may fail)
- Check file format is supported (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP)
- Ensure stable internet connection
- Try compressing the image manually before uploading
- Check browser console for specific error messages
🔴 Problem: Party room expired
Explanation:
Party rooms automatically delete after 6 hours of having zero active
participants. This is by design to keep the platform clean and
performant.
Solution:
- Simply create a new party room
-
To prevent expiration, keep at least one person in the room at all
times
-
Consider scheduling when everyone can be available simultaneously
Browser Compatibility
Party Buttons works best on modern browsers:
| Browser |
Minimum Version |
Notes |
| Chrome |
90+ |
Recommended ✅ |
| Firefox |
88+ |
Fully supported ✅ |
| Safari |
14+ |
Fully supported ✅ |
| Edge |
90+ |
Fully supported ✅ |
| Mobile Safari |
iOS 14+ |
Fully supported ✅ |
| Mobile Chrome |
Android 8+ |
Fully supported ✅ |
✨ Best Practices & Tips
For Hosts
- Create the room 10 minutes early to test everything
- Set up your favorite sounds in advance
-
Communicate the party link clearly (consider using a URL shortener)
- Establish basic ground rules if hosting a large group
- Have a backup plan if technical issues occur
- Consider recording screen/audio for memories (with consent)
For Participants
- Test your audio before the party starts
- Set a nickname so others can identify you
- Use headphones to prevent echo/feedback
- Be mindful of sound spam - timing matters!
- Participate in chat to keep energy high
- Use reactions to engage without interrupting
For Maximum Fun
- Create themed playlists of sounds for your event
- Use the soundboard strategically for comedic timing
- Combine sounds with images for maximum impact
- Establish inside jokes with specific sounds
- Use typing indicators to build anticipation
- Screenshot funny moments to share later
⚙️ Technical Specifications
System Architecture
- Backend: NestJS (Node.js) with TypeScript
-
Real-time Communication: Socket.IO over WebSocket
protocol
- Deployment: Docker containers on AWS EC2
-
Storage: In-memory (Redis-like) with automatic
cleanup
Performance Metrics
- Message Latency: < 50ms typical
- Sound Synchronization: < 100ms variance
- Maximum Room Size: 100 participants
-
Room Lifetime: 6 hours after last participant
leaves
- Image Retention: 24 hours
-
Cache Duration: 30 minutes for soundboard data
Security Features
- Password Encryption: bcrypt with salt rounds
-
Input Sanitization: DOMPurify for XSS prevention
-
Validation: Server-side validation pipes for all
inputs
-
Rate Limiting: Automatic throttling on suspicious
activity
-
CORS Configuration: Restricted to allowed origins
only
Supported Media Formats
Images:
- JPEG/JPG (recommended for photos)
- PNG (recommended for graphics)
- GIF (animated supported)
- WebP (modern format, smaller sizes)
Audio:
- MP3 (via MyInstants proxy)
- Web Audio API for playback and processing
- Real-time pitch adjustment (detune)
- Volume normalization algorithm
❓ Need More Help?
For additional questions and answers, check out our comprehensive
FAQ section
on the homepage.
Want ideas and inspiration? Visit our
blog
for guides, tips, and creative party ideas.
Learn more about the platform and our mission on the
About page.