YouTube handle vs custom URL vs channel ID: what each one is and which link to share
Published: · 7 min read
A YouTube handle is the unique name that starts with @, such as @youtubecreators, and gives your channel the address youtube.com/@youtubecreators. A custom URL (youtube.com/c/…) is the older system that handles replaced: you can no longer create or change one, but existing ones still work. The channel ID is the permanent code that starts with UC (youtube.com/channel/UC…); it never changes, even when you rename your channel or change your handle.
In short: share your @handle where people need to read or remember it, and use the channel ID link wherever the link has to keep working for years. The rest of this page explains each format, compares them in a table and covers the cases where the choice matters. YouTube rules quoted here were checked against YouTube Help in November 2026.
What is a YouTube handle?
A handle is a unique identifier for a channel, shown with an @ in front of it. YouTube introduced handles so that every channel, big or small, has a short, readable name that nobody else can use. A channel has exactly one handle, and handles cannot be sold or transferred.
Your handle does three jobs:
- It creates your handle URL, youtube.com/@yourhandle, automatically.
- It lets people mention you in comments, descriptions and community posts.
- It identifies you in places where the display name would be ambiguous, because two channels can share a name but not a handle.
According to YouTube's handles overview, a handle is 3 to 30 characters in most languages, made of letters and numbers, and may include underscores, hyphens and periods, but not at the start or end. Handles are not case-sensitive, so @MyChannel and @mychannel are the same handle.
To see your own handle, sign in to YouTube Studio and open Customization > Profile, or visit youtube.com/handle, which lists every URL connected to your channel.
What is a YouTube custom URL?
Before handles, channels that met certain requirements could claim a custom URL in the form youtube.com/c/YourName, and some channels also had a youtube.com/YourName version. YouTube's channel URL article now says new custom URLs can no longer be set up or changed, that any custom URLs you already have continue to work, and that all legacy URLs redirect to your handle-based channel URL.
So if you have an old /c/ link printed somewhere, it still leads to your channel. You just cannot create a new one, and you cannot edit the one you have. When people search for "how to get a YouTube custom URL" today, the answer is: choose a handle. That is the modern custom URL.
What is a legacy username URL?
Channels created under YouTube's oldest system may have a youtube.com/user/Name address. YouTube says usernames are no longer required, existing usernames cannot be changed, and the /user/ link still sends viewers to your channel. Newer channels do not have one, and that is fine.
What is a YouTube channel ID?
The channel ID is a 24-character code that starts with UC, for example UCUZHFZ9jIKrLroW8LcyJEQQ (the YouTube Creators channel, as used in YouTube Help). It forms the standard channel URL, youtube.com/channel/UCUZHFZ9jIKrLroW8LcyJEQQ.
The channel ID is assigned when the channel is created and stays the same for its whole life. It does not change when you rename the channel or change your handle. That makes it the most stable way to point at a channel.
To find yours, sign in on youtube.com, click your profile picture, choose Settings, then Advanced settings: your channel ID is listed there (you need to be the channel's primary owner). How to find your YouTube channel link covers this and the app steps in detail.
Handle vs custom URL vs channel ID: comparison table
| Handle URL | Custom URL (legacy) | Username URL (legacy) | Channel ID URL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example | youtube.com/@youtubecreators | youtube.com/c/YouTubeCreators | youtube.com/user/YouTube | youtube.com/channel/UCUZHFZ9jIKrLroW8LcyJEQQ |
| Who has one | Every channel that has chosen a handle | Only channels that claimed one before handles | Only very old channels | Every channel |
| Can you create one now? | Yes | No | No | Created automatically |
| Can you change it? | Yes, twice within 14 days | No | No | Never changes |
| Still works? | Yes, as long as you keep the handle | Yes, redirects to your handle URL | Yes | Yes, always |
| Easy to read and say | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Breaks if you change your handle? | Yes, after 14 days | No | No | No |
Sources: YouTube Help articles on channel URLs, the handles overview and changing your handle (old handles are held for 14 days, then released). Checked November 2026.
Which link format should you share?
It depends on how long the link has to live and whether you can edit it later.
Use your @handle URL when people read or type the link. It is short, matches the name people see on your videos, and looks trustworthy in a bio. Good for: your Instagram and TikTok bio, video descriptions, a slide at the end of a talk.
Use the channel ID URL when the link has to outlive a rename. Good for: QR codes, business cards, merch, a guest post on someone else's site, a press kit, anything you cannot easily update. If you ever change your handle, these keep working.
Don't create new links with /c/ or /user/. They still redirect, but there is no reason to share them in new places: your handle URL is where they lead anyway.
Video links are a separate thing. A video, Short or playlist link uses its own ID, not your handle, so a handle change never breaks it.
Thinking about changing your handle?
Read how to change your YouTube handle first. The short version: you can change it twice within a 14-day period, your old handle URL keeps working for 14 days, and then the old handle is released for anyone to claim. Any @oldhandle links still in your bios after that will no longer reliably reach your channel.
A readable link that also survives changes
The handle URL is readable but can change; the channel ID URL is permanent but hard to read. A short link lets you have both: put the long channel ID address behind a short one that you can say out loud.
With Ytgo, you paste your channel link (handle, channel ID or custom URL) into the YouTube channel link shortener and get a short link and a QR code, free and without expiry. The short link points at the exact address you pasted, so shortening the channel ID version gives you a link that keeps working after a handle change. When the link is tapped inside Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, it asks the phone to open the channel in the YouTube app instead of the in-app browser. On Pro you can also change where a short link points later, while the short link and its QR code stay the same.
Frequently asked questions
What is a handle on YouTube?
A handle is a unique channel name that starts with @, such as @youtubecreators. It gives your channel a URL (youtube.com/@youtubecreators) and lets people mention you. Each channel has one handle, and no two channels can share one.
Is a YouTube handle the same as a custom URL?
Not quite. The handle replaced the custom URL as the way to get a readable channel address. Old custom URLs (youtube.com/c/…) still work and redirect to the handle URL, but YouTube no longer lets anyone create or change them.
Does the YouTube channel ID ever change?
No. The channel ID, the code starting with UC, is fixed for the life of the channel. Renaming the channel or changing the handle does not affect it, which is why youtube.com/channel/UC… links never break.
What is my YouTube handle?
Open YouTube Studio and go to Customization, then Profile, and look under Handle. You can also visit youtube.com/handle while signed in, or open your channel in the app, where the handle is shown under your channel name.
Which YouTube link should I put in my bio?
The @handle URL is the most readable choice for a bio you can edit at any time. If you plan to change your handle, or the link will be printed or placed where you cannot update it, use the channel ID link, or a short link you can repoint later.
Can two channels have the same name but different handles?
Yes. Channel names (display names) do not have to be unique, but handles do. That is why the handle, not the name, is the reliable way to tell channels apart.