YouTube Handles

Oct 23, 2022

Handles are coming to YouTube. They are a unique, short-channel identifier which is separate from the Youtube channel name and start with an '@' symbol. For example, @youtubedesigner.

YouTube Handles will add an easy way to find and connect with creators and each other. They will be unique to your channel and will become the new way that people mention you in comments, community posts, etc. You can even use your handle to direct traffic to your channel from websites outside of Youtube.

If you don't select a handle by 14 November 2022, YouTube will automatically assign you one which you can change at any point and your existing channel URL(s) will continue to work.

Some handles may not be available because another channel is using it, or it doesn’t meet the handle guidelines. If that is the case, you can select one of the automatically generated handles provided by YouTube or choose an available one.

Handle guidelines:?

• Between 3 and 30 characters
• Made up of alphanumeric characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9)
• Your handle can also include: underscores (_), hyphens (-), full stops (.)
• Is not already being used

Where will my handle appear? YouTube handles will appear in a few places across YouTube, including:

• The Shorts tab
• Search results
• Comments and mentions

YouTube says that Handles may also appear alongside your channel name on your channel page and even in more places across YouTube.

Things you can do with a handle:

• Get noticed in Shorts
• Identify yourself in a unique way
• People can tag you in videos
• Let others find you on YouTube
• Connect with others in the YouTube community

For more information on YouTube Handles go to https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/introducing-handles-a-new-way-to-identify-your-youtube-channel/