Change your username or display name
Update your username or how your name shows across the site — with a note on how often a username can change.
Reviewed regularly to match the current app.
Overview
Your username is your handle across GS Poetry — it’s what shows on your poems, comments, and profile by default. You can change it, along with how your name is displayed, from Settings → Edit Profile. One thing to know up front: you can change your username 3 times in total, once every 180 days, so it’s worth picking one you’ll be happy with.
Changing your username
On Edit Profile, find the Username field and type
the one you’d like. As you type, GS Poetry checks it live and tells you whether it’s
available, already taken, or reserved. Usernames are
3–30 characters and can use letters, numbers, and _ . -. When you see the green
“available” note, scroll down and click Save Changes to make it official.
You can also change it from Settings → My Account: on the Manage Account tab, open Change Username, type the new username and click Update. Either way, GS Poetry asks you to confirm it’s really you first, because a username is part of your identity. Just above the field you’ll see how many changes you have left and, if you changed it recently, the date your next change opens.
You can change your username 3 times in total, and changes have to be at least 180 days apart. The Username field shows how many changes you have left and the date your next one opens. This keeps handles stable so the people who follow you don’t lose track of who you are.
Fixing a mistake
- New here? Your first change in your first 30 days is free. It doesn’t count toward the 3 and doesn’t start the 180-day wait.
- Changed it by mistake? For 7 days after a change you can switch back to your old username, or fix a typo, without using up a change.
What happens to your old username
Your old username stays yours. Nobody else can take it, links that use it still lead to your profile and poems, and you can switch back to it later (that counts as a change). Your profile shows your past usernames under Previously Known As, so people who knew you by an old name can still find you.
Your display name
Separately from your username, you set your First Name and Last Name on the same page. By default your username is what’s shown publicly, but you can tick Display full name instead of username to show your name across the site instead. Adjust the fields, choose which you’d like displayed, and click Save Changes. You can change your name again any time.
What updates across the site
Once you save, your new username or display name flows through everywhere it appears — your profile, your poems, your comments, and the way others see you in their streams and follow lists. Your poems, followers, badges, and history all stay exactly as they were; only the name on them changes.
Troubleshooting
- “You can change your username once every 180 days.” — Your last change was less than 180 days ago. The message shows the date your next change opens.
- “You’ve used all 3 of your username changes.” — Your username can’t be changed again. If something has gone seriously wrong, contact support.
- “That username is already taken” or “reserved.” — Someone else has it, or it’s held back by GS Poetry. Try a small variation.
- The name won’t save. — Check for a message under the field, fix it, and click Save Changes again. Still stuck? Contact support and we’ll sort it out.
Related
Setting things up for the first time? See Create your first profile for a walk through every field. Still stuck on a username or a name that won’t change? Contact support and we’ll help.