YouTube is to introduce Twitter-style handles for channels.
Creators will be invited over the coming weeks to choose an ‘@’ ID for their channel before they are allocated automatically from November 14th.
The aim is to make it easier for members of the community to find and connect with each other.
“Handles will appear on channel pages and Shorts, so they’ll be instantly and consistently recognisable,” read a company statement. “It’ll soon be simpler and faster to mention each other in comments, community posts, video descriptions and more.
“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.
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“When a creator chooses their handle, we’ll also create a matching URL (e.g. youtube.com/@handle) so creators can easily direct people to their content when they’re not on YouTube.
“If a channel already has a personalised URL, there’s no need to update links: they’ll automatically be redirected to the new, handle-based URL to create a better, more unified presence for creators on YouTube.”
Creators are to receive emails and notifications in YouTube Studio allowing them to choose their handle in a gradual rollout.