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.
     
     This command is unavailable because encryption is enabled.