If you see "Username not allowed" when you sign up for your Google Account or Gmail, follow these guidelines.
Note: “Abuse” and “Postmaster” are reserved aliases, and you cannot use them as usernames or aliases. For more information, refer to our spam and abuse policy.
Want to get more out of Google apps at work or school?Sign up for aGoogle Workspace trial at no charge.
Character length
Choose a username6–30 characters long. Your username can be any combination of letters, numbers, or symbols.
Special characters
- Usernames can contain letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), and periods (.).
- Usernames cannot contain an ampersand (&), equals sign (=), underscore (_), apostrophe ('), dash (-), plus sign (+), comma (,), brackets (<,>), or more than one period (.) in a row.
- Usernames can begin or end with non-alphanumeric characters except periods (.). Other than this rule, periods (dots) don’t matter in Gmail addresses.
Visit our Help Center for more information on how to change your username.
