NickServ Commands

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 ns command. For more information on a specific command, type /msg ns help command.

This service is intended to provide a way for IRC users to ensure their identity is not compromised. It is NOT intended to facilitate "stealing" of nicknames or other malicious actions. Abuse of NickServ will result in, at minimum, loss of the abused nickname(s). Nicknames that are not used anymore are subject to the automatic expiration, i.e. they will be deleted after 31 days if not used.

Commands are indexed alphabetically. Examples of the actual commands that you can copy, paste, and send are listed in italics. A description of the command follows the command. Underlined words in the command are variables that need to be changed to send the command correctly. For example #channel should be changed to your channel's name, Nick is your nick or the nick of the user, Text might be the message you want to be displayed. These can vary by command and will be explained in the command's description that follows. Variables inside curly braces like {ON|OFF} are selections that require one of the options inside the curly braces to be specified.

ACCESS
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: /msg nickserv ACCESS ADD anyone@*.example.com Allows access to user anyone from any machine in the example.com domain. msg nickserv ACCESS DEL anyone@*.example.com Reverses the previous command. /msg nickserv ACCESS LIST Displays the current access list.
 * ADD: /msg nickserv access add mask
 * DEL: /msg nickserv access del mask
 * LIST: /msg nickserv access list

ALIST
Lists channels you have access on.
 * /msg nickserv alist

DROP
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).
 * /msg nickserv drop nickname

GHOST
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.
 * /msg nickserv ghost nick password

GLIST
Lists all nicks in your group.
 * /msg nickserv glist

GROUP
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. 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.
 * /msg nickserv group target password

IDENTIFY
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.
 * /msg nickserv identify password

INFO
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.
 * /msg nickserv info nick ALL

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.
 * /msg nickserv logout

RECOVER
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 one minute to ensure that the other user does not immediately reconnect; after that minute, 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.
 * /msg nickserv recover nick password

REGISTER
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! EPONA, Epona, and epona 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.
 * /msg nickserv register password email

RELEASE
Instructs NickServ to remove any hold on your nickname caused by automatic kill protection or use of the RECOVER command. By default, such holds last for one minute; 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.
 * /msg nickserv release nick password

SET
Sets various nickname options. Options are as follows:

DISPLAY
Changes the display used to refer to your nickname group in Services. The new display MUST be a nick of your group.
 * /msg nickserv set display new-display

PASSWORD
Changes the password used to identify you as the nick's owner.
 * /msg nickserv set password new-password

LANGUAGE
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) FranÃ§ais (French) 3) Deutsch (German)       4) PortuguÃªs (Portuguese) 5) EspaÃ±ol (Spanish)       6) TÃ¼rkÃ§e (Turkish) 7) Catala (Catalan)
 * /msg nickserv set language number

URL
Associates the given URL with your nickname. This URL will be displayed whenever someone requests information on your nick with the INFO command.
 * /msg nickserv set url url

EMAIL
Associates the given E-mail address with your nickname. This address will be displayed whenever someone requests information on the channel with the info command.
 * /msg nickserv set email address

ICQ
Associates the given ICQ number with your nickname. This number will be displayed whenever someone requests information on your nick with the INFO command.
 * /msg nickserv set icq number

GREET
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.
 * /msg nickserv set greet message

KILL
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.
 * /msg nickserv set kill {ON|QUICK|IMMED|OFF}

SECURE
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.
 * /msg nickserv set secure {ON|OFF}

PRIVATE
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.)
 * /msg nickserv set private {ON|OFF}

HIDE
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), and last quit message (QUIT). The second parameter specifies whether the information should be displayed (OFF) or hidden (ON).
 * /msg nickserv set hide {EMAIL|USERMASK|QUIT} {ON|OFF}

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

AUTOOP
Allows ChanServ to op you automatically when entering channels. With AUTOOP set, you will automatically be opped in channels where you have access. (Default: **ON**)
 * /msg nickserv set autoop {ON|OFF}

STATUS
Returns whether the user using the given nickname is recognized as the owner of the nickname. The response has this format: 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. No error message is generated if no nickname is given.
 * /msg nickserv status nick...
 * nickname status-code**