NickServ allows you to “register” a nickname and prevent others from using it. The following commands allow for registration and maintenance of nicknames; to use them, type /msg NickServ command. For more information on a specific command, type /msg NickServ HELP command.

  • REGISTER
    Syntax: /msg NickServ REGISTER password [email]
    
    Registers your nickname in the NickServ database.  Once
    your nick is registered, you can use the SET and ACCESS
    commands to configure your nick's settings as you like
    them.  Make sure you remember the password you use when
    registering - you'll need it to make changes to your nick
    later.  (Note that case matters!  ANOPE, Anope, and
    anope are all different passwords!)
    
    Guidelines on choosing passwords:
    
    Passwords should not be easily guessable.  For example,
    using your real name as a password is a bad idea.  Using
    your nickname as a password is a much worse idea ;) and,
    in fact, NickServ will not allow it.  Also, short
    passwords are vulnerable to trial-and-error searches, so
    you should choose a password at least 5 characters long.
    Finally, the space character cannot be used in passwords.
    
    The parameter email is optional and will set the email
    for your nick immediately. However, it may be required
    on certain networks.
    Your privacy is respected; this e-mail won't be given to
    any third-party person.
    
    This command also creates a new group for your nickname,
    that will allow you to register other nicks later sharing
    the same configuration, the same set of memos and the
    same channel privileges. For more information on this
    feature, type /msg NickServ HELP GROUP.
    
    


  • GROUP
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  GROUP target password
    
    This command makes your nickname join the target nickname's
    group. password is the password of the target nickname.
    
    Joining a group will allow you to share your configuration,
    memos, and channel privileges with all the nicknames in the
    group, and much more!
    
    A group exists as long as it is useful. This means that even
    if a nick of the group is dropped, you won't lose the
    shared things described above, as long as there is at
    least one nick remaining in the group.
    
    You can use this command even if you have not registered
    your nick yet. If your nick is already registered, you'll
    need to identify yourself before using this command. Type
    /msg NickServ HELP IDENTIFY for more information. This
    last may be not possible on your IRC network.
    
    It is recommended to use this command with a non-registered
    nick because it will be registered automatically when
    using this command. You may use it with a registered nick (to
    change your group) only if your network administrators allowed
    it.
    
    You can only be in one group at a time. Group merging is
    not possible.
    
    Note: all the nicknames of a group have the same password.
    


  • IDENTIFY
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  IDENTIFY password
    
    Tells NickServ that you are really the owner of this
    nick.  Many commands require you to authenticate yourself
    with this command before you use them.  The password
    should be the same one you sent with the REGISTER
    command.
    


  • LOGOUT
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  LOGOUT
    
    This reverses the effect of the IDENTIFY command, i.e.
    make you not recognized as the real owner of the nick
    anymore. Note, however, that you won't be asked to reidentify
    yourself.
    


  • DROP
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  DROP [nickname]
    
    Drops your nickname from the NickServ database.  A nick
    that has been dropped is free for anyone to re-register.
    
    You may drop a nick within your group by passing it
    as the nick parameter.
    
    In order to use this command, you must first identify
    with your password (/msg NickServ HELP IDENTIFY for more
    information).
    


  • ACCESS
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  ACCESS ADD mask
            ACCESS DEL mask
            ACCESS LIST
    
    Modifies or displays the access list for your nick.  This
    is the list of addresses which will be automatically
    recognized by NickServ as allowed to use the nick.  If
    you want to use the nick from a different address, you
    need to send an IDENTIFY command to make NickServ
    recognize you.
    
    Examples:
    
        ACCESS ADD anyone@*.bepeg.com
            Allows access to user anyone from any machine in
            the bepeg.com domain.
    
        ACCESS DEL anyone@*.bepeg.com
            Reverses the previous command.
    
        ACCESS LIST
            Displays the current access list.
    


  • SET
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET option parameters
    
    Sets various nickname options.  option can be one of:
    
    	
    DISPLAY Set the display of your group in Services
    PASSWORD Set your nickname password
    LANGUAGE Set the language Services will use when sending messages to you
    URL Associate a URL with your nickname
    EMAIL Associate an E-mail address with your nickname
    ICQ Associate an ICQ number with your nickname
    GREET Associate a greet message with your nickname
    KILL Turn protection on or off
    SECURE Turn nickname security on or off
    PRIVATE Prevent your nickname from appearing in a /msg NickServ LIST
    HIDE Hide certain pieces of nickname information
    MSG Change the communication method of Services
    AUTOOP Should services op you automatically.
    In order to use this command, you must first identify with your password (/msg NickServ HELP IDENTIFY for more information). Type /msg NickServ HELP SET option for more information on a specific option.


    • SET DISPLAY
      Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET DISPLAY new-display
      
      Changes the display used to refer to your nickname group in
      Services. The new display MUST be a nick of your group.
      


    • SET PASSWORD
      Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET PASSWORD new-password
      
      Changes the password used to identify you as the nick's
      owner.
      


    • SET LANGUAGE
      Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET LANGUAGE number
      
      Changes the language Services uses when sending messages to
      you (for example, when responding to a command you send).
      number should be chosen from the following list of
      supported languages:
      
      1 English
      2 Français (French)
      3 Deutsch (German)
      4 Italiano (Italian)
      5 Português (Portuguese)
      6 Español (Spanish)
      7 Türkçe (Turkish)
      8 Catala (Catalan)
      9 ÅëëçíéêÜ (Greek)
      10 Nederlands (Dutch)
      11 Ðóññêèé (Russian)
      12 Magyar (Hungarian)
      13 Polski (Polish)


    • SET URL
      Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET URL url
      
      Associates the given URL with your nickname.  This URL
      will be displayed whenever someone requests information
      on your nick with the INFO command.
      


    • SET EMAIL
      Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET EMAIL address
      
      Associates the given E-mail address with your nickname.
      This address will be displayed whenever someone requests
      information on the nickname with the INFO command.
      
      


    • SET HIDE
      Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET HIDE {EMAIL | STATUS | USERMASK | QUIT} {ON | OFF}
      
      Allows you to prevent certain pieces of information from
      being displayed when someone does a NickServ INFO on your
      nick.  You can hide your E-mail address (EMAIL), last seen
      user@host mask (USERMASK), your services access status
      (STATUS) and  last quit message (QUIT).
      The second parameter specifies whether the information should
      be displayed (OFF) or hidden (ON).
      
      


    • SET ICQ
      Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET ICQ number
      
      Associates the given ICQ number with your nickname.  This
      number will be displayed whenever someone requests
      information on your nick with the INFO command.
      
      


    • SET GREET
      Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET GREET message
      
      Makes the given message the greet of your nickname, that
      will be displayed when joining a channel that has GREET
      option enabled, provided that you have the necessary
      access on it.
      


    • SET KILL
      Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET KILL {ON | QUICK | IMMED | OFF}
      
      Turns the automatic protection option for your nick
      on or off.  With protection on, if another user
      tries to take your nick, they will be given one minute to
      change to another nick, after which NickServ will forcibly change
      their nick.
      
      If you select QUICK, the user will be given only 20 seconds
      to change nicks instead of the usual 60.  If you select
      IMMED, user's nick will be changed immediately without being
      warned first or given a chance to change their nick; please
      do not use this option unless necessary.  Also, your
      network's administrators may have disabled this option.
      


    • SET SECURE
      Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET SECURE {ON | OFF}
      
      Turns NickServ's security features on or off for your
      nick.  With SECURE set, you must enter your password
      before you will be recognized as the owner of the nick,
      regardless of whether your address is on the access
      list.  However, if you are on the access list, NickServ
      will not auto-kill you regardless of the setting of the
      KILL option.
      


    • SET PRIVATE
      Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET PRIVATE {ON | OFF}
      
      Turns NickServ's privacy option on or off for your nick.
      With PRIVATE set, your nickname will not appear in
      nickname lists generated with NickServ's LIST command.
      (However, anyone who knows your nickname can still get
      information on it using the INFO command.)
      


    • SET MSG
      Syntax: /msg NickServ  SET MSG {ON | OFF}
      
      Allows you to choose the way Services are communicating with
      you. With MSG set, Services will use messages, else they'll
      use notices.
      


  • UPDATE
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  UPDATE
    Updates your current status, i.e. it checks for new memos,
    sets needed chanmodes (ModeonID) and updates your vhost and
    your userflags (lastseentime, etc).
    
    


  • RECOVER
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  RECOVER nickname [password]
    
    Allows you to recover your nickname if someone else has
    taken it; this does the same thing that NickServ does
    automatically if someone tries to use a kill-protected
    nick.
    
    When you give this command, NickServ will bring a fake
    user online with the same nickname as the user you're
    trying to recover your nick from.  This causes the IRC
    servers to disconnect the other user.  This fake user will
    remain online for NickServ to ensure that the other
    user does not immediately reconnect; after that time, you
    can reclaim your nick.  Alternatively, use the RELEASE
    command (/msg NickServ HELP RELEASE) to get the nick
    back sooner.
    
    In order to use the RECOVER command for a nick, your
    current address as shown in /WHOIS must be on that nick's
    access list, you must be identified and in the group of
    that nick, or you must supply the correct password for
    the nickname.
    


  • RELEASE
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  RELEASE nickname [password]
    
    Instructs NickServ to remove any hold on your nickname
    caused by automatic kill protection or use of the RECOVER
    command.  This holds lasts for NickServ;
    this command gets rid of them sooner.
    
    In order to use the RELEASE command for a nick, your
    current address as shown in /WHOIS must be on that nick's
    access list, you must be identified and in the group of
    that nick, or you must supply the correct password for
    the nickname.
    


  • GHOST
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  GHOST nickname [password]
    
    Terminates a "ghost" IRC session using your nick.  A
    "ghost" session is one which is not actually connected,
    but which the IRC server believes is still online for one
    reason or another.  Typically, this happens if your
    computer crashes or your Internet or modem connection
    goes down while you're on IRC.
    
    In order to use the GHOST command for a nick, your
    current address as shown in /WHOIS must be on that nick's
    access list, you must be identified and in the group of
    that nick, or you must supply the correct password for
    the nickname.
    


  • INFO
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  INFO nickname [ALL]
    
    Displays information about the given nickname, such as
    the nick's owner, last seen address and time, and nick
    options. If you are identified for the nick you're
    getting information for and ALL is specified, you will
    be shown all the information; regardless of whether
    it's hidden or not.
    


  • LIST
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  LIST pattern
    
    Lists all registered nicknames which match the given
    pattern, in nick!user@host format.  Nicks with the
    PRIVATE option set will not be displayed.
    
    Examples:
    
        LIST *!joeuser@foo.com
            Lists all nicks owned by joeuser@foo.com.
    
        LIST *Bot*!*@*
            Lists all registered nicks with Bot in their
            names (case insensitive).
    
        LIST *!*@*.bar.org
            Lists all nicks owned by users in the bar.org
            domain.
    


  • ALIST
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  ALIST [level]
    
    Lists all channels you have access on. Optionally, you can specify
    a level in XOP or ACCESS format. The resulting list will only
    include channels where you have the given level of access.
    
    Examples:
        ALIST Founder
            Lists all channels where you have Founder
            access.
    
        ALIST AOP
            Lists all channels where you have AOP
            access or greater.
    
        ALIST 10
            Lists all channels where you have level 10
            access or greater.
    
    Channels that have the NOEXPIRE option set will be
    prefixed by an exclamation mark.
    


  • GLIST
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  GLIST
    
    Lists all nicks in your group.
    


  • STATUS
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  STATUS nickname...
    
    Returns whether the user using the given nickname is
    recognized as the owner of the nickname.  The response has
    this format:
    
        nickname status-code
    
    where nickname is the nickname sent with the command, and
    status-code is one of the following:
    
        0 - no such user online or nickname not registered
        1 - user not recognized as nickname's owner
        2 - user recognized as owner via access list only
        3 - user recognized as owner via password identification
    
    Up to sixteen nicknames may be sent with each command; the
    rest will be ignored. If no nickname is given, your status
    will be returned.
    


  • SENDPASS
    Syntax: /msg NickServ  SENDPASS nickname
    
    Send the password of the given nickname to the e-mail address
    set in the nickname record. This command is really useful
    to deal with lost passwords.
    
    May be limited to IRC operators on certain networks.