YouTube recently announced that they will launch handles for YouTube channels. Whether you’ve just heard of them or you’ve already received an email from YouTube telling you it’s time to pick one up, you’re probably wondering what they are and how they differ from YouTube channel names.
In this guide, we’ll go over what a YouTube handle is and answer a few questions about them so you can better understand what they are and be better prepared to choose one when it’s presented to you.
What is a YouTube handle?
YouTube tags are another way to identify your YouTube channel, but they are separate from the YouTube channel name. They look similar to the usernames you’ve seen on Twitter and TikTok. Example: @DigitalTrends. Once created, YouTube handles also come with a corresponding URL that follows this format: youtube.com/@[handle name].
In addition to handles, all YouTube channels will have one, along with a custom URL, regardless of how many subscribers the channel has. Once the handles rollout is complete, the handles will start appearing in places like search results, the Shorts tab, comments, and mentions.
Are they different from YouTube channel names?
That. Channel names are unique identifiers for a particular YouTube channel. While multiple YouTube channels can have the same channel name, YouTube handles should be completely unique for each YouTube channel. So with this latest update, your channel will have a channel name, tag and URL. The tag is expected to help make your channel easier to find and connect with the right creator.
When can users select a handle?
YouTube officially announced the launch of its handles on October 10, and one of the announcements said that YouTube will roll out the ability to choose a handle for users “over the next few weeks.” When YouTube is ready for you to choose a manager for your channel, it will notify you via email and YouTube Studio. You will then be allowed to select one. Then you will have until November 14 to choose a handle. According to the help guide on the matter, if you don’t choose one by then, YouTube will automatically assign one to you “based on your channel name.”
How do you choose a handle?
You’ll have to wait until YouTube notifies you (via email and YouTube Studio) that it’s ready for you to select a handle. When this happens, you can go to youtube.com/handle and select a directory for your channel.
There are guidelines that your chosen handle must meet:
- It must contain numbers and letters. They can be uppercase or lowercase. A tag can also have dashes, underscores, or periods.
- Another channel cannot download the directory already. Remember, they must be unique.
- Must not violate YouTube Community Guidelines.
- It cannot resemble a URL or phone number.
- It should be between three and 30 characters.
Note: YouTube said that typically, if your channel already has a personalized URL, your YouTube creator will default to the “unique part” of that URL. But YouTube will still let you change that tag if you want.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn