If you’ve ever encountered users with profile pictures on a website or blog’s comment section, the image is usually a Gravatar. As an internet user or website owner, you need one to be easily identifiable across the internet without uploading a photo each time.
So what is Gravatar, how does it work, and how do you create one?
What Is Gravatar?
Gravatar (Globally Recognized Avatar) is an online service that lets internet users maintain a consistent display picture across most websites. The service is free and will work with Gravatar-ready websites.
To use the service, you’ll need an email address and a photo you want to use as your Gravatar. Whenever you use your email on a website that supports Gravatar, anything you post or is associated with your personal profile will have your display picture next to your name.
How to Create a Gravatar Account
You’ll need to create aWordPress.com accountbefore getting started. Once your WordPress account is ready, follow these steps:
Your Gravatar account should be ready for use.
How to Customize and Use Your Gravatar
You can add more than one email address to your Gravatar account and associate each with a different display picture:
You can upload as many pictures as you want by going toMy profile > Photos > Upload new image. To select or change an image, go toMy profile > Avatars > Choose email. Select the email you want to use and click on the image you want to link it to.
Once everything is set up to your liking, you can start using your email address on websites, blogs, or services that support Gravatar. People can identify you using the image you selected in your Gravatar account. If you want your identity to be private while maintaining a recognizable presence, you cancreate an avatar to use as a display picture.
How to Disable Your Gravatar
you’re able to either remove an image from your profile or disable your Gravatar account altogether if you don’t want to use your Gravatar anymore. To remove an image, log into Gravatar, go toMy profile > Avatars,and hover over the image you want to remove. Click thethree-dot iconand clickDelete.
To disable your Gravatar account, log into your account, go toMy profile,and click your email address on the top right. Go toDisable my Gravatarand click theDisable Accountbutton. Follow theclosing your WordPress.com accountlink if you want to delete your account permanently.
Become Recognizable Online
Your Gravatar should be visible on supported sites as long as you use the email you registered in your Gravatar account. The image you choose will always be visible next to your name or a comment you make on the site.
If you ever change the image on Gravatar, it’ll sync across all sites, including comments you made in the past using the same email. For this reason, Gravatar can also be a powerful personal branding tool.
