As defined by YouTube:

“Handles are a brand new distinctive identifier (instance @youtubecreators) & ALL YouTube channels may have one. Your distinctive @deal with will assist folks discover & work together with you & your YouTube channel. And since handles are distinctive (in contrast to channel names), it’s simple to verify should you’re partaking with the correct individual or not.”

As you may see on this instance, your @deal with, which shall be distinctive to your channel (in contrast to Channel names), will immediately join folks to your content material, prefer it does on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and many others.

Your deal with may even operate as a singular channel URL, offering one other branding alternative. Up until now, customized channel URLs have solely been out there to creators with 100 subscriptions, however now, YouTube’s making the choice out there to all customers within the app.

As proven within the above instance, @handles may even make it simpler and quicker to say channels in feedback, group posts and video descriptions.

“For instance, creators might be shouted out in a point out in feedback or tagged within the title of a current collab, serving to them enhance visibility and attain with new audiences.”

A part of the thought right here is to raised promote channels, in alignment with ordinary developments, with a key consideration possible being Shorts and serving to to maximise Shorts channel progress by making it simpler to comply with creators.

However one other component that YouTube’s seeking to sort out is the rise of copycat channels, the place scammers create channels that look much like widespread YouTubers’, typically by utilizing the identical channel identify.

Again in June, YouTube introduced that it could now not permit channels to cover subscriber counts, in an effort to supply extra transparency, and restrict the influence of this strategy, whereas it additionally introduced that particular characters would now not be allowed in channel names, one other course of that scammers use replicate channels.

By making certain that every channel has a singular @deal with, which they will promote direct, that can make it tougher to create duplicate channels, and trick customers with uploads and scams.

It’s replace – however it is usually value noting that you just’ll need to soar onto your distinctive YouTube @deal with quick.

“Over the following few weeks, we’ll slowly open entry for all YouTube channels to decide on a singular @deal with. When you don’t select one by November 14th, we’ll start assigning handles routinely based mostly in your channel identify (which you’ll change!).”

So you may change it, however should you take no motion, YouTube will begin doling out its personal handles, based mostly in your present channel identify, from November 14th.

Your @deal with will turn into your URL (until you have already got a customized URL), whereas any earlier URLs on your YouTube presence will routinely be re-directed to your new channel identify.

YouTube says that it’ll be letting channels know after they can replace their URL over the following few weeks.