What’s a YouTube Handle? Step-By-Step Guide to Create It

It feels like every other day there is a new social media feature. Although, this one has a great benefit: To help your YouTube channel be found easier on their platform. Introducing – Youtube Handles! It’s no shock the platform grew tremendously throughout the past decade. Consequently, there were many accounts duplicating popular YouTube channel names in an attempt to ride on the coat-tails of already well-known channels. Handles are a unique identifier, just like on Twitter or Instagram. Now, channels have the ability to create a YouTube handle to easily identify themselves. 

How to Create a YouTube Handle: 

Your first step to creating a unique youtube handle for your channel is to go to https://www.youtube.com/Handle. You’ll soon see a page, similar to below, prompting you to choose or change your handle. 

To change your handle, click the button prompt and enter your new identifier in the handle field below. If that handle is available, you’ll be able to confirm your selection. If the handle is not available, that means another user already claimed that name. In that case, you will have to change or add to your selection before saving. 

If you have not yet changed your YouTube handle, one may have automatically been chosen for you. For brand consistency purposes, be sure to make necessary updates! 

What Should I Change My YouTube Handle To? 

Your Youtube handle should represent your channel. If your channel is promoting your business, opt for your business name. If your channel is a depiction of your life, opt for your name. Whatever feels like it aligns best with the content and brand you are looking to portray. However, It’s important to keep your brand consistent across platforms. So, be sure to keep that in mind when choosing a handle. 

According to YouTube’s guidelines, your handle must follow the below: 

• Must be between 3-30 characters
• Must be made up of alphanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9)
  • Your handle can also include underscores, hyphens and periods. 
• Cannot be URL-like or phone number-like
• Cannot be an already existing handle name
• Must follow YouTube’s Community Guidelines

YouTube Handles are a great way to make your channel more easily found and reduce the risk of having your content lost in the YouTube algorithm. Creating a handle is easy and only takes a few minutes. This is a great way to build branding for your business on social media. 

If you need help with the process or want more tips on how to grow your YouTube channel, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.