|
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +title: "How to Register an ENS Address and Set Your ENS Avatar" |
| 3 | +description: "Step-by-step guide to register an ENS address (.eth), secure your Web3 identity, and set an ENS avatar. Covers pricing, commit–reveal, reverse resolution, and best practices." |
| 4 | +image: "/assets/guides/how-to-register-ens-set-avatar.jpg" |
| 5 | +--- |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +## TL;DR: |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +- **Register your .eth domain** at the [official app](https://app.ens.domains), completing the 2‑tx commit–reveal flow. |
| 10 | +- **Pricing:** $5/yr (5+ chars), $160/yr (4 chars), $640/yr (3 chars) + gas. |
| 11 | +- **Set Primary Name (reverse record)** to map your wallet address to your ENS name `yourname.eth`. |
| 12 | +- **Set your ENS avatar** via ENS Manager App. |
| 13 | +- Use a **fresh address** if you want to avoid linking prior on‑chain history. |
| 14 | +- Bookmark **renewal reminders**; consider multi‑year registrations (renew anytime). After expiration: 90‑day grace, then a premium decay, then normal price |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +--- |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +## 1. What Is ENS and Why It Matters |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +ENS (Ethereum Name Service) lets you replace `0x...` addresses with a **human‑readable name** like `developer.eth`. Your ENS name can also store **profile data** (avatar, links, social handles) and works across wallets and dapps as your **portable Web3 identity**. |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +--- |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +## 2. Prerequisites |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +- A non‑custodial wallet (e.g., MetaMask, Rainbow, Coinbase Wallet) |
| 27 | +- A small amount of ETH for the annual fee and gas (can be paid with credit and debit card) |
| 28 | +- Optional: Use a fresh wallet if you don’t want to publicly link past transactions |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | +--- |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +<span id="3-how-to-register-an-ens-address-eth"></span> |
| 33 | + |
| 34 | +## 3. How to Register an ENS Address (.eth) |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +You’ll use the official **ENS Manager** at [ENS App](https://app.ens.domains) and complete a secure, two‑step process ([commit -> reveal](/guides/commit-reveal-scheme)) that prevents front‑running. |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +### 3.1. Search and select your name |
| 39 | + |
| 40 | +- Go to [ENS App](https://app.ens.domains) and search for your desired `.eth` name |
| 41 | +- Choose the registration duration, can pick by years or by date. For longer durations the impact of gas fees is lower. |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | + |
| 44 | +_Figure: Search for a name and see availability._ |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | +### 3.2. Request to Register (Commit) |
| 47 | + |
| 48 | +- Click "Begin” and confirm the first transaction (0 ETH + gas) |
| 49 | +- This posts a cryptographic commitment (your name + a secret) on‑chain |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | + |
| 52 | +_Figure: Choose registration duration and optionally set your Primary Name._ |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | +### 3.3. Wait ~60 seconds |
| 55 | + |
| 56 | +- ENS requires a short delay so the commitment finalizes on‑chain |
| 57 | + |
| 58 | +### 3.4. Complete Registration (Reveal) |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | +- Click “Register” and confirm the second transaction (registration fee + gas) |
| 61 | +- The name is minted as an NFT to your wallet upon confirmation |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +### 3.5. Pro tips |
| 64 | + |
| 65 | +- The commitment is valid for ~24 hours; finish the reveal in time |
| 66 | +- You can register for multiple years to reduce renewal overhead |
| 67 | +- Can pay with credit and debit card if you don't have ETH |
| 68 | + |
| 69 | +> **Primary Name not showing in dapps?** |
| 70 | +> |
| 71 | +> Ensure the reverse record (Primary Name) is set to your ENS and your wallet is connected on the same chain |
| 72 | +
|
| 73 | +--- |
| 74 | + |
| 75 | +## 4. Pricing and Annual Costs |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +Annual fee (USD‑pegged, paid in ETH at time of tx): |
| 78 | + |
| 79 | +<table> |
| 80 | + <thead> |
| 81 | + <tr> |
| 82 | + <th>Name Length</th> |
| 83 | + <th>Annual Fee (USD)</th> |
| 84 | + </tr> |
| 85 | + </thead> |
| 86 | + <tbody> |
| 87 | + <tr> |
| 88 | + <td>5+ characters</td> |
| 89 | + <td>$5</td> |
| 90 | + </tr> |
| 91 | + <tr> |
| 92 | + <td>4 characters</td> |
| 93 | + <td>$160</td> |
| 94 | + </tr> |
| 95 | + <tr> |
| 96 | + <td>3 characters</td> |
| 97 | + <td>$640</td> |
| 98 | + </tr> |
| 99 | + </tbody> |
| 100 | + |
| 101 | +</table> |
| 102 | + |
| 103 | +You’ll also pay gas for the two transactions. Renewals follow the same pricing. |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +> **Important:** After expiration, there’s a 90‑day grace period. If not renewed, the name enters Temporary Premium. Anyone can register it during this phase by paying the listed premium, which decays back to the normal price. |
| 106 | +
|
| 107 | +--- |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +## 5. Set a Primary Name (Reverse Resolution) |
| 110 | + |
| 111 | +Setting a Primary Name maps your wallet back to your ENS name so dapps display `yourname.eth` instead of `0x...`. |
| 112 | + |
| 113 | +Steps |
| 114 | + |
| 115 | +- In [ENS App](https://app.ens.domains), open “My Account” → “Primary Name (reverse record)” |
| 116 | +- Select your ENS name from the dropdown and confirm the transaction |
| 117 | + |
| 118 | +--- |
| 119 | + |
| 120 | +<span id="6-set-your-ens-avatar"></span> |
| 121 | + |
| 122 | +## 6. Set Your ENS Avatar |
| 123 | + |
| 124 | +### 6.1. Set the avatar picture through the UI |
| 125 | + |
| 126 | + |
| 127 | +_Figure: Using the ENS App UI to set your avatar._ |
| 128 | + |
| 129 | +- Open your name in [ENS App](https://app.ens.domains) |
| 130 | +- Go to your ENS name “Profile” and click on "Edit profile" |
| 131 | +- Click on the camera icon and select your avatar from an NFT or uploading an image |
| 132 | +- Confirm the first off-chain message and then sign the onchain transaction |
| 133 | + |
| 134 | + |
| 135 | +_Figure: First you sign an off‑chain message, then confirm the on‑chain records update._ |
| 136 | + |
| 137 | +### 6.2. Add/edit your text records |
| 138 | + |
| 139 | +ENS stores avatars as a standard text record with key `avatar`. You can point it to an NFT, an IPFS file, or a standard HTTPS URL. |
| 140 | + |
| 141 | +To set your text record, open your name in [ENS App](https://app.ens.domains): |
| 142 | + |
| 143 | +“Records” → Edit Text Records” → Key: `avatar` → Value per method below → Save |
| 144 | + |
| 145 | +Option A) NFT avatar (eip155 URI, verifiable on‑chain) |
| 146 | + |
| 147 | +```text |
| 148 | +avatar = eip155:1/erc721:CONTRACT_ADDRESS/TOKEN_ID |
| 149 | +``` |
| 150 | + |
| 151 | +Option B) IPFS avatar (decentralized hosting) |
| 152 | + |
| 153 | +```text |
| 154 | +avatar = ipfs://<CID> |
| 155 | +``` |
| 156 | + |
| 157 | +Option C) HTTPS avatar (simple, centralized) |
| 158 | + |
| 159 | +```text |
| 160 | +avatar = https://yourdomain.com/path/to/avatar.png |
| 161 | +``` |
| 162 | + |
| 163 | +Notes |
| 164 | + |
| 165 | +- NFT method allows dapps to cryptographically verify ownership |
| 166 | +- IPFS is decentralized; pin your content to ensure persistence |
| 167 | +- HTTPS is simplest, but centralized |
| 168 | + |
| 169 | +--- |
| 170 | + |
| 171 | +## 7. Official ENS Guides |
| 172 | + |
| 173 | +- [How to Register a .eth name](https://support.ens.domains/en/articles/7882582-how-to-register-a-eth-name) |
| 174 | +- [How to Set an Avatar](https://support.ens.domains/en/articles/7883271-how-to-set-an-avatar) |
| 175 | + |
| 176 | +--- |
| 177 | + |
| 178 | +## 8. Related guides |
| 179 | + |
| 180 | +- [NFT Use Cases](/guides/nft-use-cases) |
| 181 | +- [ERC721 vs. ERC1155](/guides/erc721-vs-erc1155) |
| 182 | +- [Mastering ERC721](/guides/mastering-erc721) |
| 183 | + |
| 184 | +- New to NFTs? Try the hands‑on challenges: [Simple NFT Example](/challenge/simple-nft-example) and [SVG NFT](/challenge/svg-nft) |
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