YouTube introduces handles, a new way for people to easily find and interact with YouTube creators and each other.

What is YouTube Handle?

YouTube Handles are unique identifiers designed to assist users in finding, connecting to, and tagging people on the streaming platform. The company recently began sending emails to YouTube users requesting that they create unique handles.

Every YouTube channel will have its own handle, making it easier for fans to discover new content and interact with their favorite creators.

YouTube handles will appear on channel pages and Shorts, and will soon be easier and faster to mention one another in comments, community posts, video descriptions, and other places. Creators, for example, can be shouted out in a comment or tagged in the title of a recent collab, increasing their visibility and reaching new audiences. Handles are a new way to identify a YouTube channel, but unlike channel names, handles are truly unique to each channel, allowing creators to further establish their distinct presence and brand on YouTube.

Guidelines for YouTube Handle name

Note: YouTube reserves the right to change, reclaim, or remove a handle at any time.

Your YouTube handle must follow the below guidelines:

• The handle should be between 3-30 characters
• It should be made up of alphanumeric characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9)
• Your handle can also include: underscores (_), hyphens (-), periods (.)
• The handle should not be URL-like or phone number-like
• Handle must be unique and is not already being used
• It should follow YouTube’s Community Guidelines

How to choose a YouTube Handle?

You will be notified (via email and in YouTube Studio) that it’s time to choose a handle, go to youtube.com/handle to do so. If you do not select a handle by November 14th, YouTube will assign one based on your channel name. If creators want to change their handle, they can do so at youtube.com/handle!

When creators are able to choose a handle for their channel, YouTube will notify them. In most cases, if a channel already has a personalized URL, that will become their default handle, or they can choose to change their channel’s handle as soon as the notification in YouTube Studio arrives.

Because handles must be unique, and every channel on YouTube will have one, YouTube is gradually rolling them out. When a creator will be granted access to the handles selection process is determined by a number of factors, including the creator’s overall YouTube presence, subscriber count, and whether the channel is active or inactive.

When a creator selects their handle, YouTube will create a matching URL (ex: youtube.com/@handle) so they can easily direct people to their content when they’re not on YouTube. There is no need to update links if a channel already has a personalized URL: they will be automatically redirected to the new, handle-based URL to create a better, more unified presence for creators on YouTube.

YouTube wants to make sure that creators can create an identity that is as distinct as their content, while also giving viewers the assurance that they are interacting with their favorite creators.

READ THIS: How to change YouTube Channel name?

How do you get a YouTube handle?

• Sign in to YouTube Studio.
• From the left Menu, select Customization and then Basic info.
• You will find a new section called “Handle,” you can choose a unique handle by adding letters and numbers.

Note: You can change your handle back again within 14 days.

Does the YouTube channel have a handle?

Yes, Channel names are unique identifiers for each YouTube channel. While multiple YouTube channels can have the same channel name, each YouTube channel’s handle should be completely unique. As a result of the most recent update, your channel now has a channel name (common), a handle (unique), and a URL (unique).

How long can a YouTube handle be?

YouTube handles are limited to 30 characters (it can be alphanumeric) and must follow the Community Guidelines.

Which channels are eligible for a handle?

Every YouTube channel will have a handle! In order to comment on YouTube, you must first create a YouTube channel; this means that even if you only watch and comment on YouTube, you will have a handle.

You don’t need to become a creator or upload videos on YouTube to get the YouTube handle.

READ THIS: YouTube Shorts Monetization Update.

Will I lose my verification badge if I change my handle?

No, your verification badge will not be removed if you choose or change your handle!

However, if you change your channel name, your verification badge will be removed and you will need to reapply. This has always been the case to prevent impersonation.

Where my YouTube handle will appear?

Over the next few weeks, YouTube handles will be gradually added to all channels. Your handle will begin to appear in a few places across YouTube (and more over time) once it has been rolled out to all channels, including the Shorts player, Search results, your channel page, comments & mentions, and more. Find the full details here…