Nickname
Nickname is a standard field on the User object in Salesforce that holds a display name shown in place of a user's full name in specific contexts.
Definition
Nickname is a standard field on the User object in Salesforce that holds a display name shown in place of a user's full name in specific contexts. The most common use is Experience Cloud (formerly Communities), where the Nickname appears on profile pages, in chatter posts, and in feed items so external community members do not see employees' or other members' real names. Internal users rarely interact with the field because the core Lightning Experience UI uses the Name field instead.
The Nickname field is required and unique within an org, and Salesforce auto-populates it during user creation if the admin does not enter one. It defaults to the first part of the username for internal users and to a derivative of First Name plus Last Name for external community users. End users can update their own Nickname through the personal information settings if the admin grants the right.
Where Nickname shows up and how to control it
The User object Nickname field
Nickname is a 40-character text field on the User object, required and uniquely indexed inside the org. Every User record has one; Salesforce blocks save if two users share the same Nickname. For internal users, the value defaults to the local part of the username (everything before the @ sign). For Experience Cloud users, it defaults from a configurable formula in the community signup or registration flow.
Experience Cloud display rules
Inside an Experience Cloud site, the Show Nicknames setting (Setup > Digital Experiences > All Sites > Workspaces > Administration > Preferences) controls which name appears on member profiles and feed posts. When enabled, the Nickname replaces the Name everywhere the community renders a user's identity: feed item headers, comment authors, profile cards, badges, and reputation leaderboards. The Chatter Profile URL still uses the Nickname slug, which is why changing a Nickname can break inbound links.
When Name shows instead of Nickname
Even with Show Nicknames on, certain places fall back to the Name field. Reports built on User data show Name unless the report query is rebuilt to use Nickname. Email notifications generated by Salesforce automation use the Name in the From and signature blocks. Lightning Knowledge author bylines, Cases auto-assigned to a user, and Salesforce Chat agent identities all show Name. The Nickname is genuinely community-only; it does not flow through into the rest of Salesforce.
Privacy and compliance posture
Nicknames help community sites comply with GDPR, CCPA, and similar regimes by giving members a way to participate without exposing their full legal name. Some industries (healthcare patient communities, peer support sites for sensitive issues) require nicknames by policy. Configure self-registration flows to suggest a nickname rather than copy the first name automatically, and document the option in the community welcome email.
Editing the Nickname
Internal users can update their Nickname through Personal Settings > My Personal Information > Personal Information, but admins often hide this option for compliance. External community users update theirs through Edit Profile on the community site. Mass updates happen through the data loader; if a Nickname conflict surfaces during import, the row fails and the loader logs the duplicate. Plan ahead: a Nickname like "admin" or "salesforce" is already in use in most orgs.
Nickname in SOQL and Apex
The API name is Nickname__c is wrong; the field is just CommunityNickname on the User object via SOQL. Query it as SELECT CommunityNickname FROM User WHERE Id = :userId. The Display Name on the User object is what most community page references render, and it pulls from CommunityNickname if the community has Show Nicknames enabled. Custom LWCs that show users should respect the Show Nicknames setting; hard-coding Name violates the privacy contract.
How to configure Nicknames for an Experience Cloud site
Turn on Nicknames at the community level and decide the default-generation rule before launching. Retrofitting a community to use nicknames after members have built reputations is awkward; the leaderboard suddenly shows different names and members complain.
- Enable Show Nicknames on the site
Go to Setup > Digital Experiences > All Sites, click Workspaces on the site, open Administration > Preferences, and check Show Nicknames. The change applies immediately to all rendered community pages.
- Decide the default generation rule
For self-registration flows, configure the registration form to either let members pick their own Nickname (best for privacy) or auto-generate one from a non-identifying pattern like Adjective + Noun + Number (best for low-friction onboarding).
- Migrate existing members
Run a data loader update on the User object to populate Nicknames for any existing community members whose Nickname currently defaults to first name plus last name. Use a non-identifying pattern or pre-coordinate with members through email.
- Audit places that still show Name
Walk through the community as a member, identify any place the full Name still appears (custom LWCs, notification emails, third-party widgets) and update them to use the Nickname or hide the identity field entirely.
- Document the policy
Update the community welcome email, the privacy notice, and the help center to explain how Nicknames work and how members can change theirs. Transparency reduces support tickets about "why is my name not showing".
Default for member-to-member communities, patient communities, peer-support sites. Hides full Name throughout the community.
Default for partner and employee communities where transparency is preferred. Full Name appears throughout.
Self-registration prompts member to pick a nickname; highest privacy, slight signup friction.
System assigns a random non-identifying nickname; lowest friction, member can edit later.
- Nickname is uniquely indexed across the entire org. A common nickname like John or admin is almost always already taken. Plan the generation rule with collision handling built in.
- Chatter mentions still show full Name in some places even when Show Nicknames is on. The mention dropdown in the Composer can leak the real Name; submit feedback to Salesforce or build a custom mentions LWC if this is a compliance issue.
- Changing a Nickname after community activity exists rewrites the displayed author on every historical feed post. Communicate the change to the user; it can surprise long-tenured members.
- Some integrations (email tools, single sign-on logs) sync the User.Name field but not Nickname. Confirm downstream systems show the appropriate identity for each context.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- Show Nicknames in an Experience Cloud SiteSalesforce Help
- User SObject ReferenceSalesforce Developers
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Nickname.
- Experience Cloud Site OverviewSalesforce Help
- User Fields ReferenceSalesforce Help
Hands-on resources to go deeper on Nickname.
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
Test your knowledge
Q1. What is a Nickname in Experience Cloud?
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