diff --git a/api/endpoints.go b/api/endpoints.go
index cf53b3c..c42e7f9 100644
--- a/api/endpoints.go
+++ b/api/endpoints.go
@@ -90,6 +90,14 @@ func (server *ApiServer) loadEndpoints() {
 			c.AbortWithStatus(http.StatusBadRequest)
 		}
 	})
+
+	server.engine.Any("/ws", func(c *gin.Context) {
+		err := server.ws.Handle(c.Writer, c.Request)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("Error handing websocket connection from %s: %v", c.RemoteIP(), err)
+			c.AbortWithStatus(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 type ServerInfo struct {
diff --git a/api/main.go b/api/main.go
index df54eb8..8324eae 100644
--- a/api/main.go
+++ b/api/main.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package api
 
 import (
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+	"zomo.dev/largehadroncollider/api/ws"
 	"zomo.dev/largehadroncollider/db"
 	"zomo.dev/largehadroncollider/ttv"
 	"zomo.dev/largehadroncollider/util"
@@ -9,8 +10,12 @@ import (
 
 func InitApiServer(conf *util.Config, dbConn *db.DBConn, twitchConn *ttv.TwitchConn) (*ApiServer, error) {
 	engine := gin.Default()
+	wsServer, err := ws.InitWSServer(dbConn, twitchConn)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
-	apiServer := &ApiServer{engine, conf, dbConn, twitchConn}
+	apiServer := &ApiServer{engine, wsServer, conf, dbConn, twitchConn}
 
 	apiServer.loadEndpoints()
 
@@ -19,6 +24,7 @@ func InitApiServer(conf *util.Config, dbConn *db.DBConn, twitchConn *ttv.TwitchC
 
 type ApiServer struct {
 	engine *gin.Engine
+	ws	   *ws.WSServer
 	conf   *util.Config
 	db     *db.DBConn
 	twitch *ttv.TwitchConn
diff --git a/api/ws/commands.go b/api/ws/commands.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa303ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/ws/commands.go
@@ -0,0 +1,234 @@
+package ws
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+type Command struct {
+	Command string
+	Args []string
+}
+
+type parser struct {
+	cmd *Command
+	r *strings.Reader
+	arg string
+	args []string
+}
+
+type parserQuote rune
+const (
+	parserQuoteSingle parserQuote = '\''
+	parserQuoteDouble parserQuote = '"'
+)
+
+type parserBracket rune
+const (
+	parserBracketCurly parserBracket = '{'
+	parserBracketSquare parserBracket = '['
+	parserBracketTriangle parserBracket = '<'
+)
+var parserClosingBracket = map[parserBracket]rune{
+	parserBracketCurly: '}',
+	parserBracketSquare: ']',
+	parserBracketTriangle: '>',
+}
+
+func parseCommand(msg string) (*Command, error) {
+	cmd := &Command{}
+	r := strings.NewReader(msg)
+	parser := &parser{cmd: cmd, r: r}
+	return cmd, parser.parse()
+}
+
+func (p *parser) parse() error {
+	err := p.stateBase()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	p.args = append(p.args, p.arg)
+
+	filteredArgs := []string{}
+	for _, arg := range p.args {
+		if arg != "" {
+			filteredArgs = append(filteredArgs, arg)
+		}
+	}
+	
+	if len(p.args) >= 1 {
+		p.cmd.Command = p.args[0]
+	}
+	
+	if len(p.args) >= 2 {
+		p.cmd.Args = p.args[1:]
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *parser) consume() (rune, bool, error) {
+	b := make([]byte, 1)
+	_, err := p.r.Read(b)
+	if err == io.EOF {
+		return 0, true, nil 
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, false, err
+	}
+	return rune(b[0]), false, nil
+}
+
+func (p *parser) push(r rune) {
+	p.arg += string(r)
+}
+
+func (p *parser) flush() {
+	p.args = append(p.args, p.arg)
+	p.arg = ""
+}
+
+func (p *parser) stateBase() error {
+	for {
+		ch, eof, err := p.consume()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if eof {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		switch ch {
+		case '\\':
+			err := p.stateEscape()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		
+		case rune(parserQuoteDouble): fallthrough
+		case rune(parserQuoteSingle):
+			err := p.stateQuote(parserQuote(ch))
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		
+		// special case, if the arg starts with a { then parse it with rough object mode
+		case rune(parserBracketCurly): fallthrough
+		case rune(parserBracketSquare): fallthrough
+		case rune(parserBracketTriangle):
+			if p.arg != "" {
+				p.push(ch)
+			} else {
+				err := p.stateBracket(parserBracket(ch))
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+
+		case '\n': fallthrough
+		case '\t': fallthrough
+		case ' ':
+			p.flush()
+
+		default:
+			p.push(ch)
+		}
+
+	}
+}
+
+func (p *parser) stateQuote(quote parserQuote) error {
+	for {
+		ch, eof, err := p.consume()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if eof {
+			return errors.New("missing closing quote")
+		}
+
+		switch ch {
+		case '\\':
+			err := p.stateEscape()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		
+		case rune(quote):
+			return nil
+		
+		default:
+			p.push(ch)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (p *parser) stateBracket(bracket parserBracket) error {
+	p.push(rune(bracket))
+	for {
+		ch, eof, err := p.consume()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if eof {
+			return errors.New("missing closing bracket")
+		}
+
+		switch ch {
+		case '\\':
+			err := p.stateEscape()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		
+		case rune(parserQuoteDouble): fallthrough
+		case rune(parserQuoteSingle):
+			p.push(ch)
+			err := p.stateQuote(parserQuote(ch))
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			p.push(ch)
+
+		case rune(parserBracketCurly): fallthrough
+		case rune(parserBracketSquare): fallthrough
+		case rune(parserBracketTriangle):
+			err := p.stateBracket(parserBracket(ch))
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+		case parserClosingBracket[bracket]:
+			p.push(ch)
+			return nil
+
+		default:
+			p.push(ch)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (p *parser) stateEscape() error {
+	ch, eof, err := p.consume()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if eof {
+		return errors.New("invalid escape sequence before end of file")
+	}
+	
+	switch ch {
+	case 'n':
+		p.arg += "\n"
+	
+	case 't':
+		p.arg += "\t"
+	
+	default:
+		p.push(ch)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/api/ws/main.go b/api/ws/main.go
index b0e58af..9a60603 100644
--- a/api/ws/main.go
+++ b/api/ws/main.go
@@ -1,17 +1,68 @@
 package ws
 
 import (
+	"log"
+	"net/http"
+
+	"github.com/gobwas/ws"
+	"github.com/gobwas/ws/wsutil"
 	"zomo.dev/largehadroncollider/db"
 	"zomo.dev/largehadroncollider/ttv"
 )
 
-func InitWSServer(dbConn db.DBConn, twitchConn ttv.TwitchConn) (WSServer, error) {
-	return WSServer{}, nil
+func InitWSServer(dbConn *db.DBConn, twitchConn *ttv.TwitchConn) (*WSServer, error) {
+	return &WSServer{}, nil
 }
 
 type WSServer struct {
 }
 
-func (wsServer *WSServer) Listen() {
-	// start web server itself
+type WSConn struct {
+	events []string
+}
+
+func (wsServer *WSServer) Handle(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
+	conn, _, _, err := ws.UpgradeHTTP(r, w)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	authrorization := ""
+
+	go func() {
+		defer conn.Close()
+
+		for {
+			msg, _, err := wsutil.ReadClientData(conn)
+			if err != nil {
+				// TODO handle error better, print more conn info
+				log.Printf("Error reading data from ws connection %v", err)
+				continue
+			}
+
+			cmd, err := parseCommand(string(msg))
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Printf("Error parsing command data from ws connection %v", err)
+				continue
+			}
+
+			log.Printf("%+v", cmd)
+
+			if authrorization == "" {
+				// TODO authorize connection
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// TODO run with cmd
+
+			// TODO errors will be responded to the client
+			// if the response errors, log and exit the loop
+		}
+	}()
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func runCommand(cmd *Command) {
+
 }
diff --git a/test/main.go b/test/main.go
index af5abb3..bac039e 100644
--- a/test/main.go
+++ b/test/main.go
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 package main
 
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"time"
-)
+
 
 func main() {
-	now := time.Now()
-	fmt.Println("Now:", now)
-	fmt.Println("Truncated:", now.Truncate(5*time.Minute).Add(5*time.Minute).Sub(now))
+	// cmd, err := parseCommand("abc \\\"def ghi\"\" [abc][] {\"abc\":'def'}")
+	// if err != nil {
+	// 	fmt.Printf("ERROR: %v\n", err)
+	// 	return
+	// }
+	// fmt.Printf("cmd: %s\n", cmd.Command)
+	// for _, arg := range cmd.Args {
+	// 	fmt.Printf("arg: %s\n", arg)
+	// }
 }