YouTube wants creators to @ it

Starting this week, YouTube will look a little more like Twitter.

The platform announced today that all creators will soon have an @-style handle that replaces the default channel URL.

The handles are “a new way for creators to identify their YouTube channel and interact with their viewers across Shorts and channel pages, video descriptions, comments and more,” a YouTube spokesperson tells Tubefilter.

Every channel will get its own unique handle eventually, but YouTube is beginning the rollout gradually.

“The timing of when a creator will get access to the handles selection process depends on a number of factors, including overall YouTube presence, subscriber count and whether the channel is active or inactive,” it says.

Once a channel has a handle, its default URL will be replaced. YouTube.com/Tubefilter will become YouTube.com/@tubefilter, for example. Handles can also be mentioned/tagged in comments, just like on Twitter, as well as community posts and in places like video descriptions.

“For example, creators can be shouted out in a mention in comments or tagged in the title of a recent collab, helping them increase visibility and reach with new audiences,” YouTube says.

Once a creator has access to handles, YouTube will notify them, it says. It adds that “in most cases,” if a YouTube channel already has a custom URL, that will automatically become the channel’s new @ handle. But creators are also able to change that handle in YouTube Studio. The only thing to keep in mind is @ handles must be unique—so if someone gives up their handle, they should be prepared to maybe not get it back if another channel snags it.

The overall point of this change is to “ensure creators can craft an identity as unique as their content, while giving viewers the confidence that they are interacting with their favorite creators,” YouTube says.