YouTube Handle Availability Checker

Check if a YouTube @handle is already taken. If it is, see who owns it and check alternative handles with one click. Free, no sign-up required.

YouTube handle

Handle

User Guide — YouTube Handle Availability Checker

What Is This Tool?

The YouTube Handle Availability Checker tells you whether a @handle is already used by another channel. If it is taken, you can see which channel owns it and check alternative handles without retyping anything.

How to Use — Step by Step

Type the handleEnter the handle you want, with or without the @ symbol.

Click Check HandleThe tool looks the handle up and shows whether it is taken or likely available.

Review the ownerIf it is taken, you see the channel name, picture and subscriber count.

Check and verifySelect any suggested handle to check it. When one shows Likely available, select Verify to open it on YouTube and confirm.

YouTube Handle Rules

Rule	Details
Length	3 to 30 characters
Allowed characters	Letters, numbers, underscores `_`, hyphens `-` and periods `.`
Case	Handles are not case-sensitive, so `@MyChannel` and `@mychannel` are the same handle
Uniqueness	Each handle belongs to one channel

Good to Know

Likely available is not a guarantee: the tool checks existing channels only. YouTube may still refuse reserved or restricted handles.
What Verify shows: a "page not available" result on YouTube means no channel uses that handle. It still does not guarantee you can claim it, so confirm in YouTube Studio.
Confirm in YouTube Studio: go to Customization > Basic info to see whether you can claim the handle.
Suggestions are ideas: they are generated from the handle you typed. Select one to check it.
Privacy: the handle you check is sent to our server to look it up. Results may be cached briefly.

Frequently Asked Questions

A YouTube handle is the unique @name that identifies your channel. It appears in your channel URL and when people mention you in comments.

A handle must be 3 to 30 characters long and can contain letters, numbers, underscores, hyphens and periods.

No. The tool checks whether an existing channel already uses the handle. YouTube can still refuse handles that are reserved or restricted, so confirm in YouTube Studio under Customization and Basic info before you commit to a name.

Select Verify next to a handle that shows Likely available. It opens the handle on YouTube in a new tab. If YouTube says the page is not available, no channel uses that handle. You can then confirm it in YouTube Studio under Customization and Basic info.

Try one of the suggested alternatives, such as adding a word like official or hq, or a prefix like the or real. Select a suggestion and the tool checks it for you.

Yes. When a handle is taken, the tool shows the channel name, profile picture and subscriber count, with a link to open the channel on YouTube.

Yes. The handle you check is sent to our server, which looks it up using YouTube's public data. Results may be cached for a short time so repeat checks are faster.