Marketing
Your YouTube channel isn’t just a collection of videos—it’s an extension of your brand. A clean, recognizable YouTube URL does more than tell potential customers where to find you; it improves discoverability and strengthens brand recognition. Customizing your YouTube URL creates a seamless connection between your online presence and your audience.
Unfortunately, YouTube has recently sunsetted its official URL customization capabilities. However, you can use some clever workarounds to create a custom link that represents your brand.
This post will explain what it means to “change” your YouTube custom URL today and what to do when the official path doesn’t go far enough.
How to officially change your YouTube URL
While YouTube previously allowed users to customize their channel’s URL separately from the name of their account (otherwise known as their handle), you can no longer make this change directly. Custom URLs created previously will continue to display correctly, but according to YouTube, users can no longer set up new custom URLs. If you want to eliminate an existing custom YouTube URL, you must delete your channel and create a new one.
However, you can still change your YouTube URL by changing your YouTube handle. Here’s how:
- Go to your YouTube Studio.
- Click Customization, then Basic Info in the left navigation menu.
- Under Handle, click Edit.
- Enter a new handle and click PUBLISH to confirm the change.
YouTube handles are automatically created whenever someone creates a new YouTube channel, and you will be assigned a unique channel ID. It is best practice to define your custom YouTube handle during the account setup process to ensure you get the one you want.
Tips for choosing your YouTube handle
Your YouTube handle is an essential part of your brand. Here are some quick tips for creating a great one:
- Keep it short and readable
- Match your other social media handles when possible
- Avoid hyphens, numbers, or unclear abbreviations
- Use your brand name or a recognizable variation
If you plan to update your handle, consider also changing your YouTube channel name, banner image, channel art, and profile picture. Your subscribers will notice if there is mismatched information or legacy URLs on your YouTube homepage.
How to use link shorteners to unofficially change your YouTube URL
While YouTube no longer allows you to create custom URLs directly on its platform, you can use a link shortening tool like Rebrandly to create and share custom URLs for your YouTube page.
Using branded short links is a great way to change your YouTube channel URL to suit your needs without directly changing your YouTube account. You can even create multiple short URLs for different campaigns or audiences.
To create a branded short URL, purchase a custom domain name relevant to your brand. They start at just $2 a year and you can choose from many different TLDs ranging from .shop to .tips to even .video.
Once you have a custom domain, you can plug your YouTube channel URL into the URL shortener and customize your link with a descriptive back-half.
Here are some tips for using branded links for YouTube:
- Use your custom domains in each short link.
- Make sure your YouTube handle matches the name of your business as closely as possible.
- Include your YouTube handle in the URL to reinforce the name for your audience. Your handle is a great option for your back half text.
- Make it clear that the user is being directed to YouTube, either in the surrounding text or in the short link itself.
You can create multiple URLs using your new custom domain, so experiment with different text to see what resonates with your audience and encourages clicks.
5 benefits of using branded short links to promote your YouTube channel
Creating a consistent brand experience across all social media channels does more than give your audience a clear understanding of your company’s name and overall design. There are several benefits of using branded short links on YouTube.
1. Brand consistency across channels
You showcase your brand whenever you share a YouTube video—whether in a newsletter, on social media, or via SMS campaigns. A branded short link reinforces your identity with every click. Instead of sending your audience to a generic video link, changing your YouTube custom URL ensures a consistent experience.
Reinforcing your branding keeps your company top-of-mind, helping audiences immediately recognize the content as yours.
2. Improved trust and higher CTR
People are increasingly wary of unfamiliar or suspicious-looking URLs. Branded links build immediate trust, especially when your YouTube channel URL matches your business name. When viewers see a link like yourbrand.video/howto, they’re likelier to click than if it were a string of random letters from a generic shortener.
Clear, branded links also reduce friction and improve campaign engagement, which is helpful when integrating your YouTube links into a broader marketing strategy.
3. Powerful performance tracking and analytics
YouTube gives you limited insight into how people are finding your content. Branded links fill in the gaps with advanced analytics—including device type, referrer, geography, and more.
With Rebrandly, you can:
- Track performance by channel or campaign
- A/B test different back-half text or CTAs
- Optimize your sharing strategy based on real-time data
These insights help you build a complete picture of how your YouTube content performs beyond YouTube and in relation to the rest of your social media links.
4. Flexible destination management
With a branded short link, you can update the destination URL for any campaign without breaking the link. Whether redirecting viewers from a teaser to a full video or rerouting a seasonal campaign link to a fresh landing page, you stay in control.
YouTube video URLs are static, so it’s important to have the flexibility to change URL destinations whenever you update your website.
5. Audience retargeting and campaign integration
Use every click on your branded YouTube URL to build custom audiences for retargeting and paid advertising campaigns. With Rebrandly, you can segment audiences by campaign or content type and deliver personalized experiences that drive conversion.
Unlike YouTube handles, branded links also give you more control over how your links display in different campaigns. This control allows you to refine your messaging and branded assets based on every campaign’s various audiences and goals.
Change your YouTube URL using branded short links
Whether launching a YouTube channel or optimizing for growth, creating a custom-branded short link is one of the fastest, smartest ways to upgrade your YouTube presence.
Sign up for a free Rebrandly account and create your first branded link today. It only takes a minute, and it’s a smart move for anyone serious about their content.