diff --git a/appview/ingester.go b/appview/ingester.go
index 7a3c22a8..adc21796 100644
--- a/appview/ingester.go
+++ b/appview/ingester.go
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ func (i *Ingester) Ingest() processFunc {
 				err = i.ingestSpindleMember(e)
 			case tangled.SpindleNSID:
 				err = i.ingestSpindle(e)
+			case tangled.StringNSID:
+				err = i.ingestString(e)
 			}
 			l = i.Logger.With("nsid", e.Commit.Collection)
 		}
@@ -549,3 +551,57 @@ func (i *Ingester) ingestSpindle(e *models.Event) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (i *Ingester) ingestString(e *models.Event) error {
+	did := e.Did
+	rkey := e.Commit.RKey
+
+	var err error
+
+	l := i.Logger.With("handler", "ingestString", "nsid", e.Commit.Collection, "did", did, "rkey", rkey)
+	l.Info("ingesting record")
+
+	ddb, ok := i.Db.Execer.(*db.DB)
+	if !ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to index string record, invalid db cast")
+	}
+
+	switch e.Commit.Operation {
+	case models.CommitOperationCreate, models.CommitOperationUpdate:
+		raw := json.RawMessage(e.Commit.Record)
+		record := tangled.String{}
+		err = json.Unmarshal(raw, &record)
+		if err != nil {
+			l.Error("invalid record", "err", err)
+			return err
+		}
+
+		string := db.StringFromRecord(did, rkey, record)
+
+		if err = string.Validate(); err != nil {
+			l.Error("invalid record", "err", err)
+			return err
+		}
+
+		if err = db.AddString(ddb, string); err != nil {
+			l.Error("failed to add string", "err", err)
+			return err
+		}
+
+		return nil
+
+	case models.CommitOperationDelete:
+		if err := db.DeleteString(
+			ddb,
+			db.FilterEq("did", did),
+			db.FilterEq("rkey", rkey),
+		); err != nil {
+			l.Error("failed to delete", "err", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to delete string record: %w", err)
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/appview/middleware/middleware.go b/appview/middleware/middleware.go
index e427eb29..2d63282a 100644
--- a/appview/middleware/middleware.go
+++ b/appview/middleware/middleware.go
@@ -167,16 +167,6 @@ func (mw Middleware) RepoPermissionMiddleware(requiredPerm string) middlewareFun
 	}
 }
 
-func StripLeadingAt(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
-	return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
-		path := req.URL.EscapedPath()
-		if strings.HasPrefix(path, "/@") {
-			req.URL.RawPath = "/" + strings.TrimPrefix(path, "/@")
-		}
-		next.ServeHTTP(w, req)
-	})
-}
-
 func (mw Middleware) ResolveIdent() middlewareFunc {
 	excluded := []string{"favicon.ico"}
 
@@ -188,6 +178,8 @@ func (mw Middleware) ResolveIdent() middlewareFunc {
 				return
 			}
 
+			didOrHandle = strings.TrimPrefix(didOrHandle, "@")
+
 			id, err := mw.idResolver.ResolveIdent(req.Context(), didOrHandle)
 			if err != nil {
 				// invalid did or handle
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/strings/fragments/form.html b/appview/pages/templates/strings/fragments/form.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2badb23e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/strings/fragments/form.html
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+{{ define "strings/fragments/form" }}
+  <form
+    {{ if eq .Action "new" }}
+      hx-post="/strings/new"
+    {{ else }}
+      hx-post="/strings/{{.String.Did}}/{{.String.Rkey}}/edit"
+    {{ end }}
+    hx-indicator="#new-button"
+    class="p-6 pb-4 dark:text-white flex flex-col gap-2 bg-white dark:bg-gray-800 drop-shadow-sm rounded"
+    hx-swap="none">
+    <div class="flex flex-col md:flex-row md:items-center gap-2">
+      <input
+        type="text"
+        id="filename"
+        name="filename"
+        placeholder="Filename with extension"
+        required
+        value="{{ .String.Filename }}"
+        class="md:max-w-64 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white dark:border-gray-600 dark:placeholder-gray-400 px-3 py-2 border rounded"
+        >
+      <input
+        type="text"
+        id="description"
+        name="description"
+        value="{{ .String.Description }}"
+        placeholder="Description ..."
+        class="flex-1 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white dark:border-gray-600 dark:placeholder-gray-400 px-3 py-2 border rounded"
+      >
+    </div>
+    <textarea
+      name="content" 
+      id="content-textarea"
+      wrap="off"
+      class="w-full dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white dark:border-gray-600 dark:placeholder-gray-400"
+      rows="20"
+      placeholder="Paste your string here!"
+      required>{{ .String.Contents }}</textarea>
+    <div class="flex justify-between items-center">
+      <div id="content-stats" class="text-sm text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400">
+        <span id="line-count">0 lines</span>
+        <span class="select-none px-1 [&:before]:content-['·']"></span>
+        <span id="byte-count">0 bytes</span>
+      </div>
+      <div id="actions" class="flex gap-2 items-center">
+        {{ if eq .Action "edit" }}
+          <a class="btn flex items-center gap-2 no-underline hover:no-underline p-2 group text-red-500 hover:text-red-700 dark:text-red-400 dark:hover:text-red-300 "
+             href="/strings/{{ .String.Did }}/{{ .String.Rkey }}">
+            {{ i "x" "size-4" }}
+            <span class="hidden md:inline">cancel</span>
+            {{ i "loader-circle" "w-4 h-4 animate-spin hidden group-[.htmx-request]:inline" }}
+          </a>
+        {{ end }}
+        <button
+          type="submit"
+          id="new-button"
+          class="w-fit btn-create rounded flex items-center py-0 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white dark:hover:bg-gray-600 group"
+          >
+          <span class="inline-flex items-center gap-2">
+            {{ i "arrow-up" "w-4 h-4" }}
+            publish
+          </span>
+          <span class="pl-2 hidden group-[.htmx-request]:inline">
+            {{ i "loader-circle" "w-4 h-4 animate-spin" }}
+          </span>
+        </button>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+    <script>
+      (function() {
+        const textarea = document.getElementById('content-textarea');
+        const lineCount = document.getElementById('line-count');
+        const byteCount = document.getElementById('byte-count');
+        function updateStats() {
+          const content = textarea.value;
+          const lines = content === '' ? 0 : content.split('\n').length;
+          const bytes = new TextEncoder().encode(content).length;
+          lineCount.textContent = `${lines} line${lines !== 1 ? 's' : ''}`;
+          byteCount.textContent = `${bytes} byte${bytes !== 1 ? 's' : ''}`;
+        }
+        textarea.addEventListener('input', updateStats);
+        textarea.addEventListener('paste', () => {
+          setTimeout(updateStats, 0);
+        });
+        updateStats();
+      })();
+    </script>
+    <div id="error" class="error dark:text-red-400"></div>
+  </form>
+{{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/strings/put.html b/appview/pages/templates/strings/put.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a086715f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/strings/put.html
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{{ define "title" }}publish a new string{{ end }}
+
+{{ define "topbar" }}
+  {{ template "layouts/topbar" $ }}
+{{ end }}
+
+{{ define "content" }}
+  <div class="px-6 py-2 mb-4">
+    {{ if eq .Action "new" }}
+      <p class="text-xl font-bold dark:text-white">Create a new string</p>
+      <p class="">Store and share code snippets with ease.</p>
+    {{ else }}
+      <p class="text-xl font-bold dark:text-white">Edit string</p>
+    {{ end }}
+  </div>
+  {{ template "strings/fragments/form" . }}
+{{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/state/router.go b/appview/state/router.go
index 490aeaf9..af9ff994 100644
--- a/appview/state/router.go
+++ b/appview/state/router.go
@@ -68,9 +68,6 @@ func (s *State) Router() http.Handler {
 func (s *State) UserRouter(mw *middleware.Middleware) http.Handler {
 	r := chi.NewRouter()
 
-	// strip @ from user
-	r.Use(middleware.StripLeadingAt)
-
 	r.With(mw.ResolveIdent()).Route("/{user}", func(r chi.Router) {
 		r.Get("/", s.Profile)
 
diff --git a/appview/state/state.go b/appview/state/state.go
index 4696c2ca..484fcfa3 100644
--- a/appview/state/state.go
+++ b/appview/state/state.go
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ func Make(ctx context.Context, config *config.Config) (*State, error) {
 			tangled.ActorProfileNSID,
 			tangled.SpindleMemberNSID,
 			tangled.SpindleNSID,
+			tangled.StringNSID,
 		},
 		nil,
 		slog.Default(),
diff --git a/knotserver/file.go b/knotserver/file.go
index 8a5c0298..5da5171b 100644
--- a/knotserver/file.go
+++ b/knotserver/file.go
@@ -10,13 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/types"
 )
 
-func (h *Handle) listFiles(files []types.NiceTree, data map[string]any, w http.ResponseWriter) {
-	data["files"] = files
-
-	writeJSON(w, data)
-	return
-}
-
 func countLines(r io.Reader) (int, error) {
 	buf := make([]byte, 32*1024)
 	bufLen := 0
@@ -52,5 +45,4 @@ func (h *Handle) showFile(resp types.RepoBlobResponse, w http.ResponseWriter, l
 
 	resp.Lines = lc
 	writeJSON(w, resp)
-	return
 }