Handles overview

Handles are a way for you to find and connect with creators on YouTube. Handles are unique and short channel identifiers that are distinct from channel names and they start with the '@' symbol. For example, @youtubecreators.

All channels will have an associated handle that can be used to find and interact with other users – both creators and viewers. Your handle will also automatically become the new YouTube URL for your channel that will make it easy for people to discover you. For example, youtube.com/@youtubecreators. You can use this URL to direct people to your channel when they're not on YouTube. Each channel can only have one handle.

You'll see handles in places like comments, mentions and Shorts. Your handle will show in more places over time. You can also use your handle outside YouTube to promote your channel.

Handles on YouTube

Handle naming guidelines

Your handle must follow these guidelines:

• Be between 3–30 characters (see exceptions below)
• Use alphabet letters or numbers from one of our 75 supported languages
  • Your handle can also include: underscores (_), hyphens (-), full stops (.), Latin middle dots (·).
  • Mixed scripts are only allowed in certain circumstances. Left-to-right scripts cannot be mixed with right-to-left scripts in a single handle, except when numbers are added to the end of the handle.
• Not be URL-like or phone number-like
• Not already be in use
• Follow YouTube's Community Guidelines

Best practices for choosing a handle

Select a handle that best represents your public identity on YouTube. Note that handles aren't case-sensitive.

Considerations when choosing handles in some languages

If your handle includes characters other than the letters A–Z, numbers 0–9 or separators [_-.], there are two potential considerations:

• People searching for you: people may not be able to easily type your handle to search for you if they do not have the relevant keyboard for your handle.
• Sharing links on apps and websites outside YouTube: some apps and websites outside YouTube may not properly display or support your youtube.com/@myHandle link, making it appear broken or preventing it from directing to your channel page. This is because internationalisation is not uniformly supported across apps and websites on the Internet. These issues can occur with both typed links and copied links from the YouTube app or website.

Hide your handle

If you want to hide your handle, you can delete or hide your channel.

Search using handles

Viewers and creators can search for your channel directly on YouTube using the '@' symbol followed by your handle. Handles can be copied on the channel page or profile card.

Share using a handle URL

A handle URL is a YouTube URL that includes an '@' symbol followed by a channel's handle. You can share a channel page using the handle URL by:

• Clicking or tapping Share .

Or

• Copying and pasting the URL directly from your browser's address bar.

 View or change handle

If your preferred handle isn't available, it's usually because:

• Another channel already selected that handle.

Or

• It didn't meet our handle naming guidelines.