Bluesky Handle Availability: How to Check and Claim Yours

Short .bsky.social handles go quickly. Bluesky does have a way out that most networks lack: if the name you want is taken, a domain you own can be your handle instead. Below: how to check a name properly, why a "free" result can be wrong, and how to claim or change a handle.

How Bluesky handles work

A Bluesky handle is a domain name. The default is a free subdomain of bsky.social, such as mia.bsky.social. The other option is a domain you control, such as mia.com. Behind the handle, every account has a permanent ID called a DID. Followers follow the DID, which is why you can change your handle without losing anyone.

For .bsky.social handles, Bluesky's support page on handle format sets these limits:

• 3 to 18 characters before .bsky.social.
• Letters, numbers and hyphens. No underscores, spaces, periods or exclamation marks.
• Some handles are reserved for system use and return a "Reserved Handle" error.

Handles are not case-sensitive. MiaDraws and miadraws are the same handle.

How to check if a Bluesky handle is available

1. Rule out what Bluesky will refuse. If your name has an underscore or a period, or runs past 18 characters, it cannot be a .bsky.social handle. Swap underscores for hyphens.
2. Run a quick lookup. Our Bluesky handle checker asks Bluesky's public API whether a profile uses name.bsky.social and answers in about a tenth of a second.
3. Open the profile yourself. Go to bsky.app/profile/name.bsky.social. A profile means the handle is taken. An error saying the profile cannot be found means no active profile uses it.
4. Confirm in Bluesky. The sign-up form, or the Handle screen in Settings if you already have an account, is the only test that also knows about reserved and held names.

Why a free-looking handle may not be free

• Reserved names. Bluesky keeps some handles for system use and does not publish the list. They show no profile but cannot be claimed.
• Deactivated or suspended accounts. An account that is switched off can still hold its handle, even though the profile does not load.
• Old handles kept for their owner. Bluesky's domain tutorial says that when someone moves to a custom domain, their old .bsky.social handle stays reserved for them.

The reverse also happens. A handle can look taken because someone else holds it, when the person you are looking for actually uses a domain handle. Search for them by name in the Bluesky app as well.

How to claim a Bluesky handle

New account: type the handle on the sign-up screen. Bluesky checks it as you type and tells you if it is taken or not allowed.

Existing account: go to Settings, Account, Handle, type the new .bsky.social name and save. Your followers and posts stay, because they are attached to your DID. Links to your old handle in other places stop working, so update your bios. Bluesky's servers allow up to 10 handle updates every five minutes and 50 a day, which is plenty for normal use.

One caution: Bluesky documents what happens to your old handle when you move to a domain, but not when you move between two .bsky.social handles. Assume the old one could be claimed by someone else.

If the handle you want is taken

• Add a hyphen. mia-draws.bsky.social is allowed; mia_draws is not.
• Use a domain you own. This is the option most networks do not have. If mia.bsky.social is gone but you own mia.com, you can be @mia.com. Our step-by-step guide covers it: how to get a custom Bluesky handle with your own domain.
• Use a subdomain of a site you already have, such as mia.yourstudio.com.
• Report impersonation. If an account uses your name to pose as you, report it in the app. Bluesky's community guidelines do not allow impersonation.

Claim the same name on other networks

If you are setting up Bluesky, you are probably thinking about Threads and Mastodon too. Each works differently: Threads ties into your Instagram or Facebook account, and Mastodon handles only need to be unique on one server. Our guide to claiming your handle on Threads, Bluesky and Mastodon covers the order that works best.

To see where else your name is free, the WhatsMyName Apps username search checks it across 3,165+ sites at once, free and without sign-up. Treat a "Not found" as a lead, then confirm on each site's own sign-up form.

WhatsMyName Apps is not affiliated with Bluesky. Bluesky is a trademark of its owner.