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 Register a nickname GROUP Join a group IDENTIFY Identify yourself with your password ACCESS Modify the list of authorized addresses SET Set options, including kill protection DROP Cancel the registration of a nickname RECOVER Kill another user who has taken your nick RELEASE Regain custody of your nick after RECOVER SENDPASS Forgot your password? Try this Other commands: GHOST, ALIST, GLIST, INFO, LIST, LOGOUT, STATUS NOTICE: 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).
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! 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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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 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.
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.
Syntax: /msg NickServ SET PASSWORD new-password Changes the password used to identify you as the nick's owner.
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:
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.
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 channel with the INFO command.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
Syntax: /msg NickServ SET HIDE {EMAIL | 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), and last quit message (QUIT).
The second parameter specifies whether the information should
be displayed (OFF) or hidden (ON).
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.
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 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Syntax: /msg NickServ GLIST Lists all nicks in your group.
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. No error message is generated if no nickname is given.
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 when encryption is enabled.
The following commands are available to Services admins: GETPASS Retrieve the password for a nickname (only if encryption is disabled) FORBID Prevent a nickname from being used Services admins can also drop any nickname without needing to identify for the nick, and may view the access list for any nickname (/msg NickServ ACCESS LIST nick).
Syntax: /msg NickServ LOGOUT [nickname [REVALIDATE]] Without a parameter, 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. With a parameter, does the same for the given nick. If you specify REVALIDATE as well, Services will ask the given nick to re-identify. This use limited to Services admins.
Syntax: /msg NickServ DROP [nickname] Without a parameter, drops your nickname from the NickServ database. With a parameter, drops the named nick from the database. You may drop any nick within your group without any special privileges. Dropping any nick is limited to Services admins.
Services admins can also set the option NOEXPIRE, with which nicknames can be prevented from expiring. Additionally, Services admins can set options for any nickname without entering a password, using the format SET nickname option parameters.
Syntax: /msg NickServ SET [nickname] NOEXPIRE {ON | OFF}
Sets whether the given nickname will expire. Setting this
to ON prevents the nickname from expiring. If no
nickname is given, sets the no-expire flag for your nick.
Limited to Services admins.
Syntax: /msg NickServ LIST pattern [FORBIDDEN] [NOEXPIRE] Lists all registered nicknames which match the given pattern, in nick!user@host format. Nicks with the PRIVATE option set will only be displayed to Services admins. Nicks with the NOEXPIRE option set will have a ! prepended to the nickname for Services admins. If the FORBIDDEN or NOEXPIRE options are given, only nicks which, respectively, are FORBIDDEN or have the NOEXPIRE flag set will be displayed. If both options are given, both types of nicks will be displayed. These options are limited to Services admins. Examples: LIST *!joeuser@foo.com Lists all registered nicks owned by joeuser@foo.com. LIST *Bot*!*@* Lists all registered nicks with Bot in their names (case insensitive). LIST * NOEXPIRE Lists all registered nicks which have been set to not expire.
Syntax: /msg NickServ ALIST [nickname] [level] With no parameters, lists channels you have access on. With one parameter, lists channels that nickname has access on. With two parameters lists channels that nickname has level access or greater on. This use limited to Services admins.
Syntax: /msg NickServ GLIST [nickname] Without a parameter, lists all nicknames that are in your group. With a parameter, lists all nicknames that are in the group of the given nick. This use limited to Services admins.
Syntax: /msg NickServ GETPASS nickname Returns the password for the given nickname. Note that whenever this command is used, a message including the person who issued the command and the nickname it was used on will be logged and sent out as a WALLOPS/GLOBOPS. Limited to Services admins. This command is unavailable when encryption is enabled.
Syntax: /msg NickServ FORBID nickname [reason] Disallows a nickname from being registered or used by anyone. May be canceled by dropping the nick. On certain networks, reason is required. Limited to Services admins.