Using your .eth name
A .eth name can stand in for your wallet address, carry a public profile and point to a website.
Basics
What does a .eth name do?
It replaces your wallet address: apps show yourname.eth instead of 0x123…abcd, and they can turn the name back into your address.
How do you set up your .eth name?
Point the name's ETH address at your wallet, set it as your primary name from that wallet, then fill in your profile.
- In the ENS app (app.ens.domains), open your name's Profile tab. No name yet? Check one.
- Check that its ETH Address is your wallet.
- Connected with that wallet, choose "Set as primary name". It takes one or two approvals.
- Choose Edit Profile to add an avatar, description, website and handles.
Each change is a transaction, with gas paid in ETH on Ethereum. Only the Manager of a name can edit its records.[1, 2, 4, 6]
How do you put a website on your .eth name?
Host the site on IPFS, Arweave or Swarm, then add its address as the name's content hash. ENS points to the site but doesn't host it.
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Host it | IPFS or IPNS, Arweave or Swarm |
| Point to it | Profile, Edit Profile, Other, Content Hash |
| Visitors | yourname.eth.limo in any browser |
| ENS-aware browsers | Brave and Opera open it directly |
Sources [4]
Advanced
Can you create subnames under your .eth name?
Yes. The owner can create names like team.yourname.eth in the ENS app, and apps can issue them to their users.
| Type | What to know |
|---|---|
| On Ethereum | The ENS app's default; each costs gas; shows as an NFT |
| On a layer 2 | Built with Durin, which can cut costs sharply |
| Offchain | Kept in a database and run through an API such as Namespace; no NFT |
Sources [5]
Can you use your .eth name on other chains?
Yes. You can set a different primary name on Base, Arbitrum, Optimism and other networks, and add addresses for chains such as Bitcoin and Solana. For a name made for Base, see Basenames.[1, 3]
Can apps read your .eth name?
Yes. Common Ethereum libraries resolve names and records, including Viem, Wagmi, Ethers.js, web3.py and ENS's own ensjs.[2, 3]