How to Get a Twitter Handle

Your X (formerly Twitter) handle is your digital handshake, the single most important piece of your identity on the platform. It’s how people find you, mention you, and remember you. This guide will walk you through exactly how to choose a great handle and the actionable steps you can take if your first choice is already claimed.

Why Your X (Twitter) Handle Matters So Much

Before jumping into the "how," it's worth understanding the "why." Your handle, the username that starts with an "@" symbol, is the foundation of your X presence. It’s fundamentally different from your display name, which can be changed at any time and may not be unique.

• It's Your Unique Identifier: There can only be one @YourName. It’s what someone types in to find you or tag you in a conversation. An awkward or confusing handle sets up a barrier from the start.
• It Impacts Brand Recall: Memorable handles like @nytimes or @Wendys are easy to recall. A handle like @WendysOfficialStore3 breaks an immediate connection and screams inauthenticity.
• It Affects Professionalism and Credibility: A clean, professional handle builds trust faster. A name filled with random numbers or underscores can look spammy or low-effort, hurting your credibility before you even post a single character.

How to Choose the Perfect X Handle

If you're starting fresh, you have a golden opportunity to pick a handle that will serve you for years to come. Don't rush it. Think of it as naming your business or your blog - it’s that important.

Keep It Simple and Recognizable

The best handles are easy to say, spell, and type. If you have to spell out your handle for someone to find it, it's too complicated. The simplest choice is almost always your name or your business's name. If you’re a branding consultant named Jane Smith, @JaneSmith is ideal. If you run a coffee shop called "Morning Brew," @MorningBrew is the goal.

Aim to avoid underscores and excess numbers. While one underscore can sometimes be used to separate a first and last name (e.g., @john_doe), it adds a complication. A name like @john_doe_creative_89 is a nightmare for brand recall.

Aim for Cross-Platform Consistency

Your brand doesn’t just live on X. It’s on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and LinkedIn. Having the same handle across every platform makes it effortless for your audience to find you everywhere. Before you commit to a handle on X, check if it’s also available on the other platforms that matter to your brand. Using a free tool like Namechk can save you a ton of time here.

Reflect What You Do

If your personal or business name is taken, you can add a keyword that signals your expertise or industry. For example, if @JaneSmith is taken, @JaneSmithWrites or @JaneSmithRealtor immediately tells people who you are and what you do. This adds context and can help with discoverability for users searching for experts in your field.

A Quick Checklist for a Great Handle:

• ✓ Is it easy to read and say out loud?
• ✓ Is it as short as possible (under 15 characters)?
• ✓ Does it accurately represent your brand or personality?
• ✓ Is it available on other social platforms?
• ✓ Is it timeless, or will it feel dated in a year?

Get this right, and you’re setting your account up for organic growth from day one.

What to Do When Your Desired X Handle is Taken

Okay, so your perfect handle is unavailable. This is a common and frustrating problem, but don't give up. Hundreds of millions of accounts are inactive, squatted, or forgotten. You have several strategic options.

Tactic 1: Investigate the Account's Activity

First, go to the profile that has your name. Is it active? Look for these signs of an abandoned account:

• The default "egg" or blank profile picture.
• No bio or website link.
• Zero or only a few posts, all published years ago.
• Zero or a handful of followers.

If the account looks completely deserted, you have a better chance of acquiring it. X's policy defines inactivity as not logging in for at least 30 days. While the platform has paused large-scale purges of inactive usernames, an account that has clearly been abandoned for years is a prime candidate for a reclamation request - especially if you have a trademark.

Tactic 2: Get Creative with Variations

If directly acquiring the handle isn't practical, create a professional alternative that is still on-brand. Avoid random numbers. Instead, try these strategic modifications:

• Add an action word: If @BrandName is taken, try @GetBrandName, @TryBrandName, or @JoinBrandName. This is a popular and effective strategy for SaaS and tech companies. For example, the banking app Chime uses @Chime.
• Add "HQ" or an Official Identifier: For businesses, adding "HQ" can signify a primary, official account (e.g., @BasecampHQ). You could also use "Team," "App," or "Inc," depending on your brand.
• Prefix it with "The": It’s a classic for a reason. If @YourBrand isn't available, @TheYourBrand is clean, simple, and often available. News organizations like The Verge (@theverge) have used this successfully.
• Use a Geo-Modifier: If your brand is local, adding a location can work perfectly. For a bakery in Boston called Sweet Treats, @SweetTreatsBOS is clear and relevant.
• Use A Clever Acronym or Abbreviation: Does the brand name lend itself to being shortened? For example, The New York Public Radio might not snag @NYPR, so they have opted for @WNYC.

Tactic 3: Use Official Channels (With The Right Expectations)

This is where things get serious, but it's also your most powerful method if you have the documentation. Years ago, X had a simple form for requesting inactive accounts. That form is gone. Today, there are really only two formal channels for trying to claim a handle.

Route #1: The Trademark Infringement Report

This is your best - and often only - official recourse for claiming a handle that's squatting on your brand name. If you have a registered trademark for your business name, you can report the inactive account for trademark infringement.

The argument here isn't just that the account is inactive, it's that its existence is causing confusion and diluting your brand identity.

How to do it:

1. Secure your registered trademark. You need to have this legal groundwork in place first. A DBA or just a URL is not enough.
2. Visit X's official trademark reporting form. You can find this in their help center.
3. Fill out the report in detail. Provide your registered trademark information and explain clearly how the squatted handle is causing brand confusion. Be professional and stick to the facts.
4. Submit and wait. This process is not instant. It can take several weeks or longer, but it's a legitimate pathway with a high success rate for valid claims.

Route #2: The Impersonation Report

This route applies if the account isn't just inactive, but is actively pretending to be you or your brand. For example, if someone has your name and is posting content that could confuse your customers, this policy is designed for that circumstance.

The goal of an impersonation report is primarily to get the offending account suspended, not necessarily to transfer the handle to you. However, once the account is suspended for an impersonation violation, the handle can be freed up for registration.

Tactic 4: The Out-of-the-Box Approach (Approach with Caution)

What if you have no trademark and the account is just dormant? You can consider a direct, polite outreach.

Important Disclaimer: Buying or selling X usernames is explicitly against the platform's terms of service and can get both accounts suspended. Do not offer to buy a handle.

However, it's not against the rules to ask someone to relinquish a handle they aren't using. If the user's DMs are open, or if they have a link to a personal website or email in their abandoned profile, you could send a single, polite message:

"Hi there, I see you haven't used the handle @YourHandle in a while. It happens to be my personal/brand name, and I would be incredibly grateful if you'd be willing to release it. No worries if not, but I figured it was worth asking. Thanks!"

This is a long shot. Most people with abandoned accounts won't see the message. But if the opportunity presents itself, it’s a zero-cost option that might just work.

Secure Your Handle, Then Stay Active

Once you've finally landed that perfect handle, protect it. The biggest mistake you can make is letting your own account become inactive.

• Stay moderately active. A simple login once every couple of weeks is technically enough. Even better, schedule one or two relevant posts a month to show signs of life.
• Claim variations proactively. If you own @YourBrand, also grab @YourBrandHelp or @YourBrandJobs to prevent imitators or squatters from moving in next door.
• Feature it everywhere. Put your new X handle in your email signature, on your website, and in your bios on other social platforms. Solidify it as part of your core brand identity.

Final Thoughts

Securing the right X handle is an exercise in creativity, strategy, and sometimes a little bit of patience. Whether you're lucky enough to find it available on day one or need to navigate the trademark process to claim it, remember that a strong, clear, and consistent handle is a powerful long-term asset for your personal or professional brand.

Once you've landed that handle, the real fun begins: building your presence with consistent, high-quality content. We created Postbase for exactly this purpose. We designed our platform for the reality of modern creators and businesses, helping you visually plan your content, reliably schedule posts across all platforms (including Reels, Shorts, and TikToks), and manage all your comments and DMs in one simple inbox. It helps you quit juggling apps and start building your community.