AO3 News

Tutorial: changing your username

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Published:
2010-03-16 19:54:53 UTC
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We know how annoying it is when you suddenly think of the perfect username two days after you've signed up for an account, or when you belatedly realise you would have preferred to have your username start with a capital letter. Now we've made it possible for you to rename your account!

Before you rush into changing your username, though, there are a few things you should bear in mind.

  • We won't forward links from your old username. Links to your individual works won't break, because your username doesn't appear in the address. But any links you or others have posted on other sites to your dashboard, profile, user works page, series page and so on will. Please weigh that up before you change your username!
  • Your former username won't be reserved; it will be possible for another user to claim it.
  • Usernames have to be unique, so you can't change your username to one currently being used by someone else.
  • You can, however, change the capitalisation of your existing username. In other words, if you currently have the username "superfangirl10", you can rename your account to "Superfangirl10", "SuperFangirl10", or even "SuPeRfAnGiRl10" if you want.

If you're certain you want to change your username, here's how to go about it!

  1. Go to your Preferences page, which you can reach from the bottom of the sidebar on your My Home page.
  2. In the options available at the top right, there is a new link: "Change My Username". It will take you to the edit username page.
  3. To change your username, enter the new username you want in the "Desired Username" field. You'll be warned if you choose a username which has already been taken by someone else. You will also need to enter your password for security reasons.
  4. When you click "Change", your username will be changed.

We hope you'll enjoy this new feature! If you have any questions or run into any problems, please contact our Support team using the Support and Feedback form.