Your own domain name as your Bluesky handle (@yourname.co.uk)

On Bluesky you can use your own domain name as your username (handle), for example @bakery-example.co.uk instead of @bakery-example.bsky.social. This lets others see right away that the account really belongs to you, because only the person who manages the domain can set this up. In this article you'll learn how to do that with a TXT record in My WebOké.

1. Getting the code in Bluesky

1. Log in to Bluesky in the app or at bsky.app.
2. Go to Settings, Account and Handle.
3. Choose I have my own domain and enter your domain name.
4. Bluesky now shows the record you need to add: the name _atproto and a value starting with did=did:plc:. Keep this screen open.

The names in the app may differ slightly between versions. If so, look for the setting to change your handle.

2. Adding the TXT record in My WebOké

1. Log in to My WebOké and go to My Domains.
2. Choose the domain and open the DNS tab.
3. Click + Add record and choose the type TXT.
4. Under Name, enter _atproto, without your domain name after it. If you're using a subdomain such as john.bakery-example.co.uk, enter _atproto.john.
5. For the value, paste the full text from Bluesky, including did=. Don't type any quotation marks.
6. Click Save record.

Type: TXT   Name: _atproto   Value: did=did:plc:abcd1234efgh5678

The value above is an example: always use your own code from Bluesky. You can read more about adding records in Managing DNS records in My WebOké (with examples for CNAME, TXT and external services).

3. Verifying in Bluesky

1. Wait a few minutes.
2. In Bluesky, click Verify DNS Record.
3. If it works, save the new handle. Your account, followers and posts will all stay as they are.

If verification doesn't work right away, try again after fifteen minutes. Also check that the name is exactly _atproto, without your domain added twice after it, and that the value starts with did=.

4. Alternative method: a file on your website

Instead of the TXT record, you can also place a file on your website. This is handy if you manage many handles on one domain. In Bluesky, choose the method without DNS, and place a file at this address in the domain's public_html folder:

https://bakery-example.co.uk/.well-known/atproto-did

The file contains only your DID, without did= in front of it, for example did:plc:abcd1234efgh5678. The address must be reachable via https and return status code 200. You can create a file or folder in DirectAdmin via File Manager.

Good to know

• Leave the TXT record in place. Bluesky checks the handle again from time to time. If the record disappears, your handle becomes invalid.
• Your old handle on bsky.social becomes available and can be chosen by someone else. Old mentions of your account will still point to you.
• Are you selling or cancelling the domain? Then first change your handle back to a different name.

Detailed explanation with screenshots: TXT records for verification (Google, Microsoft and others) in the DirectAdmin manual.

Want to learn more? Take the free DNS course, lesson 4.2 TXT records and domain verification.