How to Get a Social Media URL

Your social media URL is your brand’s digital address, and having a uniform, professional handle across all platforms is non-negotiable for building a recognizable brand. It's the first thing people see and the key to being easily found and shared online. This guide will walk you through exactly how to find your current URLs and, more importantly, how to choose, claim, and change your handles to create a cohesive presence everywhere you have an account.

Why Your Social Media URL Matters More Than You Think

Often overlooked, your social media URL - also known as your handle, username, or vanity URL - is a foundational piece of your marketing. It’s not just a technical detail, it’s a powerful branding tool. A good URL is clean, consistent, and memorable, making it effortless for your audience to find you, tag you, and tell their friends about you.

• Brand Consistency: Having the same handle - like "@yourbrand" on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook - creates a seamless experience. It signals professionalism and makes your brand instantly recognizable, no matter the platform.
• Findability: A simple, logical URL is easy for someone to guess correctly. If your business is "Minted Decor," people will intuitively search for "@minteddecor." A convoluted handle like "@minted_decor_official123" creates friction and makes you harder to discover.
• Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Think about how people share things in real life. They say, "Find them on Instagram, they're @minteddecor." Nobody remembers a complex handle filled with underscores or numbers. Make it easy for them to share you.
• Prevents Impersonation: By claiming your brand name on all major platforms, even ones you don't use yet, you stop others from taking them. This secures your brand’s identity and prevents confusion or malicious impersonation down the line.

First, Let's Find Your Current Social Media URLs

Before you overhaul your handles, you need to know what you’re currently working with. Finding your profile URL is usually simple. Here’s a quick breakdown for the most popular platforms.

Facebook (Profile & Page)

For a business page, your URL is typically www.facebook.com/YourPageUsername. If you've never set a username, it will be a long string of numbers. For a personal profile, you can set a similar vanity URL. Navigate to your page or profile and look at the browser's address bar to see your current URL.

Instagram & Threads

Your Instagram and Threads URLs are directly tied to your username. If your handle is @coolthreads, your URL will be www.instagram.com/coolthreads and www.threads.net/@coolthreads. It's that simple.

X (formerly Twitter)

Just like Instagram, your X URL is based on your handle. For the handle @coolthreads, the URL is www.twitter.com/coolthreads (or www.x.com/coolthreads).

LinkedIn (Personal Profile & Company Page)

LinkedIn allows custom URLs for both personal and company profiles.

• Personal Profile: Navigate to your profile page, and in the top-right corner, you’ll see an option to "Edit public profile & URL." Your URL will look like www.linkedin.com/in/your-name.
• Company Page: As a page admin, view your page and find the "Edit page" button. Your public URL settings are located there. The structure is www.linkedin.com/company/yourcompanyname.

TikTok

Your TikTok URL is based on your unique username. If your username is @coolthreads, your URL is www.tiktok.com/@coolthreads. The "@" sign is part of the URL structure here.

YouTube

YouTube has recently moved to a handle system, which simplifies URLs. You can find and customize your handle in YouTube Studio under Customization >, Basic Info. Your new, clean URL will look like www.youtube.com/@yourhandle.

The Art of Choosing the Perfect Social Media Handle

Once you’ve gathered your existing URLs, you can start planning a more strategic and unified identity. The ideal handle is almost always your business or brand name. If you're a creator or personality, it's your name.

Keep it Consistent

This is the golden rule. Your goal is to have the exact same handle on every single platform. Before you commit to a name, use a username availability checker like Namechk to instantly see if your desired handle is free across dozens of sites. This one step will save you a massive headache later on.

Make it Memorable and Easy to Spell

Avoid clever misspellings, internal jargon, or random numbers an audience won't understand. Your handle should pass the "radio test" - could you say it on a podcast or radio show and have someone type it in correctly without seeing it written down? For example, "@KoolKicks4U" is much harder to remember and communicate than a straightforward "@CoolKicks."

Align it Directly with Your Brand

Your social media handle should be your business name. If your company is "Starlight Digital," your target handle is "@StarlightDigital." Don't overcomplicate it. Any deviation from your primary brand name introduces a small point of friction for customers trying to find you.

Stick to Your Niche (For Personal Brands)

If your brand is built around you and your expertise, adding a niche keyword can actually help. For a designer named Maria, "@MariaDesigns" is stronger than "@MariaV_xyz" because it immediately communicates what she does.

What to Do When Your Perfect Handle is Taken

It’s going to happen. You have the perfect name, but someone - often an account that has been inactive for years - is squatting on it. Don't panic. You have good alternatives.

Start with a Simple Modification

• Add an obvious suffix: This is the cleanest approach. Think about what your brand is. Use helpers like "Agency," "App," "Brand," "Co," "Store," or "Wear." For example, if "@Apex" is taken, try "@ApexWear." A popular choice is using "HQ" (for headquarters), like "@ClickUpHQ."
• Use a prefix: Things like "The," "Get," or "Official" can work. "@TheMintedDecor" is a solid second choice if the primary handle is gone.
• Go geo-specific: If you're a local business, adding your city or region code is a great option. For instance, "@OceansideGrillHTX" for a Houston restaurant is specific and helps attract a local audience.

Use an Underscore (Carefully)

Using one underscore to separate words - like "@brand_name" - can work, especially on a visual platform like Instagram. However, avoid multiple underscores (`@my_brand_name__`) or combining them with numbers, as it can start to look unprofessional or like a bot account.

The Long Shot: Trying to Get an Inactive Handle

First, know that most social media platforms have policies against buying, selling, or privately transferring handles. Attempting this can get your account banned. However, for established businesses, there is a legitimate path for trademarks. If another account is infringing on your registered trademark, you can go through the platform's official reporting channels to claim it. This process can be long and often requires legal documentation, so it's typically a path for larger companies.

Step-by-Step: How to Change Your Social Media URL

Once you’ve decided on your new, unified handle and confirmed its availability, the process of changing it is usually very simple. Remember to update the links on your website, email signature, and business cards immediately after you change them!

Changing Your Handle on Instagram & Threads

Because they are linked through Meta, changing one will change the other.

1. Go to your profile.
2. Tap "Edit Profile."
3. Tap on the "Username" field.
4. Type in your new desired handle. Instagram will tell you if it's available.
5. Tap "Done" or the checkmark to save.

Changing Your URL on a Facebook Page

This creates your page's vanity URL (facebook.com/YourNewHandle).

1. Navigate to your Facebook Page.
2. Under your page name, click "Edit details."
3. Beside "Username," click "Edit."
4. Enter your new username. If it’s available, click "Save Changes."

Changing Your Handle on X (Twitter)

Changing your handle on X is painless and doesn't affect your followers or past posts.

1. From the navigation menu, click "More" and then "Settings and privacy."
2. Click on "Your account," then "Account information."
3. Select "Username."
4. Type in your new handle and click "Save."

Changing Your URL on LinkedIn

• Personal Profile: Go to your profile, click "Edit public profile & URL" in the top right. On the next page, under "Edit your custom URL," click the pencil icon to change it.
• Company Page: Open your page in Admin view. Go to Page Settings >, View Public URL and there you can define your custom URL slug.

Changing Your Handle on YouTube

YouTube Studio is your command center.

1. Go to YouTube Studio.
2. From the left menu, select "Customization," then "Basic info."
3. Under the "Handle" section, you can choose your unique handle. The URL will update automatically to youtube.com/@newhandle.

Changing Your Username on TikTok

Changing your TikTok username also changes your URL but comes with a special rule.

1. Go to your Profile page.
2. Tap "Edit Profile."
3. Select "Username."
4. Enter your desired new name and save it.
5. Important: You can only change your TikTok username once every 30 days, so make sure you’re happy with it before confirming.

Final Thoughts

Securing a consistent and professional social media URL across all platforms is a small task that makes a huge impact on your brand's presence. A unified handle signals cohesion and credibility, making you far easier for your audience to find, follow, and trust in a crowded digital world.

After you’ve streamlined your handles, the real work of managing those accounts begins. We built Postbase to make that part easier. Instead of jumping between all your brand’s newly-named profiles, you can plan, schedule, and analyze your content for every platform from one visual calendar. We believe managing social media should feel organized and calm, not chaotic - an idea that starts with a good handle and ends with having the right tools to build your brand.