Short register names, or short names, are register names that you can purchase for xats. They are limited to 4-9 characters in length, as opposed to the free default register names that are created upon registration, which are 10-18 characters long.

Short names also put you higher up in the user list. See: Topman

How do I buy a short name?

To buy a short name, visit the short name page located at https://oxat.eu/store#!shortname and enter your current register name, your current password and the desired short name that you want and click "Get cost". After reviewing the cost, you may choose to purchase the name or come back later.

Short name prices increase depending on how many times they are searched, so it is better to buy them sooner than later.

How much do short names cost?

Short names have a minimum price of 1,000 xats and no maximum price. Generally speaking, the less characters in the short name the higher the price.

Can I have a short name put back on sale?

Yes, however you must be a paid user to request for a short name to be put back on sale. The short name must:

• not be inappropriate.

• not belong to a retired or existing volunteer nor try to impersonate one.

• not belong to a retired or existing xat staff nor try to impersonate one.

• not belong to an account where subscriber features have been suppressed or the account has been deleted as a form of punishment.

Volunteers may choose to deny the request at their discretion should the short name be otherwise in breach of the terms of service.

Error (1)

If the short name page displays Error 1 while trying to get the cost of a short name, this means that it is currently tied to a user account. If the user that owns the short name has gone inactive for at least one year, you may be able to have it put back on sale.

To check if a user has gone inactive and if so, request the short name to be put back on sale, follow these steps:

1. Check with bots that the name appears to be unused

• Go to a chat such as Test and use the command !userinfo SHORTNAME and make sure they have not been spotted by a bot for at least 1 year. If the bot responds with a generic not found message, they've likely been inactive for a long time and you should still open a ticket.

2. Open a ticket

• Open a ticket under the "Short names and Groups" help topic and specify which short name that you would like to be put back on sale, and state that it belongs to an inactive user.

Error (2)

If the short name page displays Error 2 while trying to get the cost of a short name, this means that you can open a ticket under the "Short names and Groups" help topic and volunteers will be able to release the short name for you.

Note: You must be a paid user to open a ticket in this department.