> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.useshadowpay.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.useshadowpay.com/using-shadowpay/shadowpay-handles.md). # ShadowPay Handles A ShadowPay handle is a human-readable name, `@yourname`, that maps to your account. It's how people send you money without ever seeing or typing a raw Solana address. *** ## Claiming a handle Handles are claimed during signup and can be changed later from **Settings → Handle**, subject to availability. * 3 to 20 characters * Letters, numbers, and underscores * Case-insensitive for lookup, but your chosen casing is preserved for display *** ## How handles work A handle is an off-chain mapping maintained by ShadowPay, linking `@yourname` to your public Solana address. When someone sends to your handle: 1. The app resolves `@yourname` to your public key 2. The transfer is built and signed as normal, addressed to your actual Solana account 3. The handle itself never touches the chain. What settles on Solana is a standard public key to public key transfer This means a handle is a convenience layer, not a new trust assumption. The underlying transfer has the exact same confidentiality guarantees described in [Confidential Transfers Explained](/privacy-and-confidential-transfers/confidential-transfers.md). *** ## Agent handles Agent accounts get a namespaced handle under their parent account: `@yourname/agent-name`. This makes it immediately clear, both in the sender's UI and in your own feed, when a payment involves an autonomous agent rather than a human. See [Agent Accounts Overview](/agents-and-automation/agent-accounts-overview.md). *** ## Handle changes and history If you change your handle, your old handle is released after a short holding period and becomes available for others to claim. Previously sent request links tied to your old handle will stop resolving after the change. Your Solana address itself never changes, so any direct address-based payment history remains valid regardless of handle changes. *** ## Next * [Sending & Receiving](/using-shadowpay/sending-and-receiving.md) * [Transaction Feed & History](/using-shadowpay/transaction-history.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.useshadowpay.com/using-shadowpay/shadowpay-handles.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.