What Is a YouTube Handle?
YouTube handles, which start with the “@” sign, are distinct channel IDs. For instance, @vidiq is our YouTube username.
These are brief names meant to make it easier for you to locate and get in touch with other artists. You’ll notice handles in YouTube Shorts, comments, and anytime someone mentions you while you’re browsing the site.
Notably, channel names and YouTube usernames are different. Being two different names, changing one has no bearing on the other.
Additionally, your handle now determines the channel URLs. As an illustration, our new channel URL is youtube.com/@vidiq, and our username is @vidiq. That link (youtube.com/@vidiq) sends you to the home page of our YouTube channel when you paste it into a browser.
The majority of creators should have gotten an email asking them to choose a handle by November 14, 2022, however handles are being distributed gradually. If not, YouTube will choose one for you automatically.
How to Change Your YouTube Handle
Click Change Handle at youtube.com/handle.
Enter the handle of your choice or select one of the recommended handles. Press Confirm.
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Tips for Creating Your YouTube Handle
What guidelines apply while making a YouTube handle? YouTube outlines several prerequisites to bear in mind on its support page:
3 to 30 characters is the goal.
Employ a-z, 0–9, and alphanumeric characters (A–Z).
It is acceptable to use periods (. ), hyphens (-), and underscores (_).
Don’t make it look like a phone number or URL.
Ensure that it is distinct.
Verify if it complies with the community guidelines on YouTube.
What’s Happening to Legacy URLs on YouTube?
YouTube will not remove your channel’s existing URLs. Rather of that, they will reroute them to your handle URL, which leads to your channel homepage.
Any of these URLs might be linked to your account, depending on when you set up your channel.
Channel ID URL: a URL that utilizes the combination of letters and digits that make up your channel ID. YouTube.com/channel/UPTCLFA9jIKrKroO8LcyREFJ is one example.
Custom URL: Up till now, you could alter this URL when you had 100 subscribers. YouTube.com/c/vidiq is one example.
YouTube usernames were provided in the Username URL link format, which is no longer necessary. YouTube.com/user/vidiq is one example.
Any of these connections will function as intended.
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Can You Still Set a Custom URL for Your Channel?
Now that handles are in place, you are unable to create a new YouTube URL or modify an existing one. YouTube reroutes users to your handle URL when they attempt to access your channel using an outdated URL, including custom URLs.
