How to Claim Your YouTube Handle in 2023

Understanding the Concept of a YouTube Handle

Your YouTube handle serves as the primary identifier for your channel. Unlike your channel name, handles are unique and help to ensure that interactions are with the intended person. Having a distinctive @handle makes it easier for people to find and engage with you on your Official YouTube channel. While channel names may be similar, handles are entirely unique, providing clarity in determining the right individual. YouTube is gradually granting all channels on the platform access to select their exclusive @handle name. In case you miss the deadline of November 14th to choose your handle, YouTube will automatically assign one for you based on your channel name. Rest assured, if you’re not pleased with the assigned handle, you can change it later.

Why YouTube is Introducing Handles

The introduction of handles is part of YouTube’s efforts to promote channels and enhance recognition. Your YouTube handle will appear on both YouTube channel pages and YouTube Shorts. The purpose of handles is to simplify and expedite engagements such as mentioning others in comments, community posts, video descriptions, and more. Handles present a significant opportunity for musicians to receive shout-outs and collaborations, thereby increasing visibility and reaching new audiences. By supplementing channel names, handles enable creators to establish distinct and identifiable brands on YouTube.

How to Obtain a YouTube Handle

Yes, all YouTube channels will receive a handle! With this handle rollout, you will now be able to tag and identify any YouTube channel. This update facilitates easier discovery of your music, allowing people to tag you in a similar way to other social platforms like Instagram. Additionally, your handle will serve as a unique channel URL. Previously, only creators with over 100 subscribers were eligible for a custom URL. This update removes that requirement, empowering independent and upcoming musicians who may not have had a large following on YouTube before. As a result, all channels will possess a unique URL based on their handle, which can be used for comments, mentions, YouTube Shorts, and more.

The Process of Acquiring a YouTube Handle

Over the next month or so, YouTube will notify creators regarding their ability to choose a handle for their channel. In most cases, if a channel already has a personalized URL, it will be reserved and automatically become the default handle. Once you receive the notification in YouTube Studio, you’ll have the option to change your channel’s handle. Since handles need to be unique for all YouTube channels, it might take some time for YouTube to roll them out completely. The timing of when you gain access to the handle selection process depends on various factors, including your overall YouTube presence, subscriber count, and channel activity. During the handle selection, YouTube will also generate a matching URL for your channel. This feature benefits musicians as it allows for easy content promotion outside of YouTube. If your channel already has a personalized URL, there is no need to update your links as they will be automatically redirected to the new handle-based URL. YouTube is implementing this to create a more cohesive and unified presence for creators on the platform. It is essential to note that choosing or changing your handle will not affect your verification badge. However, if you alter your channel name, your verification badge will be removed, necessitating a reapplication. Overall, this YouTube handle update presents an exciting opportunity for independent musicians to enhance their discoverability and connect with fellow creators.

CLAIM YOUR HANDLE