The estimated reading time for this post is 3 minutes
As you surf the Internet, leaving comments, checking in and posting to websites, you have an opportunity to show the world who you are. If you’ve always wanted to show your picture next to your comment or want to link your picture to a website, you should get a Gravatar.
By getting a Gravatar, you can show a picture, logo or other image on websites when you post, letting the world see the real you (or whatever else you want them to see).
What Is a Gravatar
Gravatar stands for Globally Recognized Avatar. A Gravatar is a picture or other image that is automatically included when you leave a comment on websites using your email address. With a Gravatar, you can leave comments, post in forums, check in at a “kajillion” different websites and have the same picture of yourself posted wherever you go.
Here’s a video from the official Gravatar website explaining what a Gravatar is:
On The Wonder of Tech, the Gravatars are the round images next to people’s comments. When you see someone’s Gravatar, you can hover your cursor over it to get more information about the person.
Try it. Go down to the Comments section and hover your cursor over the round image next to a comment to learn more about the person leaving the comment. You can hover over images on the sidebar too.
Note that not all websites have the hover feature but often you can click on the commenter’s image for more Gravatar information.
Gravatars Are More than Images
Gravatars can help the world get to know you. You can add a link and contact information to your Gravatar. You can link your other accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, FourSquare, Tumblr, Yahoo! and others. You can add even more information about yourself in the About Me section.
How to Get a Gravatar
Getting a Gravatar is easy and free. Head to gravatar.com and enter your email address. You’ll be sent a confirmation link to that email address.
Open the email from Gravatar and click on the link. You can then begin setting up your Gravatar. Start by uploading a picture of yourself to use. You can then connect your accounts, add an About Me description and a website link, and choose a custom color or image for your background. That’s it!
Helpful Gravatar Hints
Choose your Gravatar wisely. This is the image you are showing to the world. You can use a company logo or cartoon image, but many people enjoy seeing a real face to relate to the person. Some blogs require commenters use their real photos as their Gravatars to help protect against pesky spammers.
Set it and forget it. Some people update their Gravatars frequently, but that can be confusing if you want to have people recognize you immediately. Gravatars are not necessarily updated the moment you change your image. For example, if you’re wearing adorable Easter bunny ears in a Gravatar next week, that image could stick around till May despite your efforts to change it.
Bottom Line
By taking a few moments to set up a Gravatar, you can help the world get to know you a bit better.
Have you set up a Gravatar? Have you linked your accounts and/or a website? Have you ever checked out someone by clicking on their Gravatar? Have you updated your Gravatar recently? Have you ever used a Gravatar you regretted? Leave a Comment below so we can check out your Gravatar!
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You can get the Field Trip app from the iTunes App Store.
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A much required post Carolyn!
Ah…don’t we see all those funny faces and odd logos leaving comments at our blogs and keep wondering how this person would look! And there are so many wonderful bloggers like yourself and others too who keep putting up posts on how people can get Gravatar’s for themselves by following this simple process – yet those who need to – never go ahead and get one!
Some bloggers I know have started banning people or directing them to get their Gravatar first, and then allow them to comment on their blogs. Yes, that’s a little harsh I guess, and I just hope people learn to use this wonderful feature instead of having those funny images when they comment at our blogs.
Nice to see Adrienne’s smiling face in her Gravatar here. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this with us. Have a wonderful week ahead. 🙂
Hi Harleena, Yes, we can relate to others better when we see a face and Gravatars allow us to show our faces when we post on the Internet. I know I love seeing your beautiful smiling face on your Gravatar when you leave a comment here, Harleena.
Yes, some blogs require a Gravatar to publish comments and they require that the Gravatar be of a real person. I can understand that approach because there are so many nasty spammers out there trying to get backlinks to bad sites.
I don’t require Gravatars, nor that Gravatars be images of real people. Some people want to ask tech questions anonymously, I’m okay with that. Some developers want to show their logos. I’m fine with that too. But if I’m on the fence about whether a new commenter is a slimy spammer, I will check their Gravatar on Google Image search.
Yes, I am very grateful that Adrienne allowed me to use her image here today as a model of a Gravatar and the information that it can share!
Thanks for starting off the conversation, Harleena. You have a super week ahead too! 🙂
Hi, Carolyn. My first thought was – did Adrienne write this post? Because I saw you used her as example when you posted on FB. But it seems to be by you.
In any case, I wonder why someone would not use a Gravatar. Either 1) they need simple directions like the ones you give in this post or 2) they are shy? It is a good way of branding yourself online.
Thank you for another clear, concise how-to post.
Hi Leora, This blog is a bit unique because it is designed as a tech blog for everyday people. Many people are embarrassed to ask tech questions for fear of seeming silly, though I emphasize here that no question is silly. If you’re wondering something, chances are that others are wondering the same thing. My most popular articles are in response to reader questions!
So here often people want to post anonymously and I have no problem with that. But if they want the world to know who they are, then a Gravatar will help them introduce themselves to the world!
HI Carolyn,
Great share!
I would say as pro bloggers we need to show our faces as well and Gravatar is the best medium to do so.
Everyone of us who are here on blogosphere are looking to build relationship and I wonder how can the anonymous commentators can think of ever building that if one hide behind the faceless pics.
Thanks for this great share. Have a great week ahead
Sapna
Hi Sapna, Yes, pro bloggers may want to spread the word about their blogs, but The Wonder of Tech gets mostly readers who are not bloggers. I want everyone to feel comfortable leaving a comment here, whether they want to show their faces or not. Some may want to but not know how to do it. That’s who this article is for, as well as those who already have Gravatars but may not realize all they can do with it!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Sapna! I hope you have a fantastic week too. 🙂
This is one of the best explanations I’ve read so far Carolyn. I know that so many people continue to miss this step altogether so I appreciate the lengths you went through to explain this the way you did.
Oh, and thanks for using me as an example. Always funny to come to a post and see my big old smiling face staring back at me. But with that example I’m sure it will help understand exactly why they are so important to get set up right from the start.
Another great post Carolyn… Love your simple explanations.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, Thank you very much for allowing me to use your Gravatar as an example. You have done a fantastic job of filling in your information, demonstrating how to make use of a Gravatar.
Thank you for your kind words. I know many people don’t know how to get a Gravatar or, if they already have one, they may not know all the information they can include with their Gravatar.
I hope that many people are able to follow your example and show the world who they are! :-bd
Thanks Carolyn – I just signed up and hope it works. I ran into one small problem. Since Gravatar is connected with WordPress, I already had an account. I got the usual “this email is already in use” so I went through the “reset your password” routine. No real problem though.
Great message.
Gary
Hi Gary, Well, it looks like your Gravatar works just fine now. So glad to see your smiling face now when you leave a comment!
Enjoy your new Gravatar, Gary. 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
great that you raised this question. First of all, it’s much more pleasant to socialize with people who have some identity, not just abother WP image. And then, you’ll be recognized by a simple glimpse on your Gravatar.
Hi Eugene, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, we really can relate to people when they use Gravatars with their faces, plus it helps others get to know us. Have you ever thought about replacing your Gravatar with an image of yourself?
I have one) Only it’s registered for another mail address =)
That’s great news, Eugene. As you can probably tell from the other commenters, many blogs require or at least strongly prefer a personal image be used by commenters. 🙂
Sounds pretty fun,
No more unidentifiable faces and company logos. You can see who is commenting on your blog.
Hope it catch up really soon and more and more people realize its true potential as a way to connect with fellow bloggers in a better way.
Hi Rashmi, Yes, people can show their true faces with a Gravatar. But The Wonder of Tech allows commenters to use a company logo, or no Gravatar at all, if preferred.
Some blogs do require a Gravatar using a real face so this article is intended for those who need to get one or update their Gravatar to include other information. 🙂
I agree that it’s better to use your own picture rather than using a cartoon or some other image ( unless it’s your company logo) . I know one marketer who hid behind a cartoon image for many years before he revealed a picture of himself. He was surprised at what a difference it made.
While I suppose your picture could put some people off I am put off by people’s weird avatars they use in forums. If you want people to relate to you it’s esential to let them see your face.
Sandy
Hi Sandy, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, if you have a website you want to attract people to, then using your personal picture may make the site seem more warm and friendly. That’s interesting what you discovered about the person who got more business when he started using his own picture.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story here, Sandy!
Hey Carolyn,
That’s an excellent tutorial on gravatar. We were thinking alike this week. This article really compliments mine. Thanks for providing the details 😉
This will be good for readers of the ‘faceless commentators’ article on my blog
Hi Enstine, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! We certainly are complementing each other this week. Your article is a great companion piece to this article, explaining why readers may want to grab a Gravatar.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your article link here. 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
I am still using my old Gravatar, even though it’s very easy to replace it. What I have done though is to add all my email addresses to this one image of me. I’m thinking that I should probably find a better picture (and a more recent photo), but hey, people recognize that it’s me, and that’s the point isn’t it? 🙂
Gravatar is amazing, and it makes the whole commenting thing much more personal. I tell all my clients to use it, and to start commenting.
Hi Jens, Your Gravatar is great! Your smile is warm and inviting, no need to change it. I agree with you, once people recognize you, then the Gravatar can almost become your calling card. If you change it too often then people won’t know what to expect, right? 🙂
Thanks Carolyn for posting this , I see many that come to my blog that still do not have one set up yet. I hope this will help them to finally get one. If I am not sure who they are I will put them in spam. I also read Google does not like them on your blog. They appear spammy. Not good all around.
Hi Lisa, Thanks so much for letting readers know why getting a Gravatar is important. Clearly from the responses from bloggers here in the Comments section, readers will realize the importance of getting a Gravatar to use when they leave comments on blogs. Those who don’t have a website might not think they need a Gravatar, but clearly it can help get their comments approved at many sites.
I can vouch for Gravatar!
I have an account with them and uploaded my own avatar image and it’s so convenient to log into to other blogs–like this one!–and leave a comment and have my avatar appear automatically.
Great idea by those who came up with the idea! (Why didn’t I think of that?!)
Hi Ron, Yes, having a globally recognized avatar is very handy. You can automatically have your image appear on many sites without having to keep uploading the same image everywhere!
Here’s hoping you come up with the next great idea, Ron, and that I will be sharing it here at The Wonder of Tech! :-bd
Gravatar is a very cool thing.. I also started using gravatar sometime back and it is really very good..
Thanks for the article..
Hi Shashank, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m so glad that you are using a Gravatar to help the world get to know you. 🙂
Great post. Gravatar really helpful for me to spread my own photo identity various sites. As a novice writer you need to spread your identity and Gravatar helps to spread you identity. Today in blogging your identity is very essential to show you are genuine not spammer. Anyway thank you for great post.
Hi Rishabh, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, as a new blogger, getting a Gravatar is very important. You share with the world who you are so people can get to know you. I’m so glad you’ve gotten your Gravatar, Rishabh!
The other huge benefit to Gravatar is that you don’t have to remember all the sites you have a profile picture on to update. I only wish you could connect all of your online profiles to Gravatar! I changed my profile picture over six months ago and am still finding sites with my old one.
Hi Penelope, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Excellent point, not all sites use Gravatars so you may need to change your profile picture individually at sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience with us, Penelope!
Thank you so much for this informative post! I am teaching my college students about proper use of social media, and although they use Facebook and some use Twitter, some of these basics–especially for professional application–goes off the radar. This will help me with my instruction, credited to you! Ellen Bremen @ChattyProf
Hi Ellen, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! What an important lesson you are teaching your students. Social media is becoming increasingly important in our world, yet so few people understand the need to maintain professional behavior even on supposedly private networks.
I am so glad that this article is helpful to your lessons, Ellen! Thanks for sharing that with us here.
Hi Carolyn!
Great post explaining the basics of Gravatar usage. I’m a big fan, and have set up a few on different emails.
Cheers, Kris
Hi Kris, What a coincidence! You’re a big fan of Gravatars and I’m a big fan of your blog. 🙂
Great point. You can have mulitple email accounts associated with one Gravatar or have multiple Gravatars with multiple email accounts. There may be situations where you want to use a company logo and others where you want to use your profile picture.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us, Kris!
Thanks for the pitch Carolyn!
An unrelated question: what is the commenting system you are using here? Seems pretty functional to me 🙂
-Kris
Thanks, Kris. I use the native WordPress commenting system with CommentLuv.
OK. Didn’t you use Disqus previously? Or am I thinking of another blog?
You must be thinking of another blog. I have always used WordPress commenting. I want people to be able to comment without registering and I want to give links back to fellow bloggers.
Hi Carolyn,
Gravatar is a great way to let people know about you. I have changed the gravatar image only once since I started using it :).
Adrienne’s pic was a great example because of the smile she has in the pic :).
Did you know that Avatar is a word from Indian mythology . It means many versions :). Just a little trivia for you
Hi Ashvini, I never knew that about the word Avatar! Very interesting.
Yes, Adrienne has a beautiful smile which is why I am so grateful that she let me use her as a model for this Gravatar article. 🙂
I don’t change my Gravatar often either. I haven’t changed it since I got mine when I started The Wonder of Tech, but I will some day.
I have not set up my gravatar but I want to set up it soon. I think I need a gravatar and it is very important if we run online business and build a website or a blog. The gravatar will tell others about who we are, what our interests are and what activites we do recently.
Thank you for sharing this nice article.
Hi Heru, Well, it looks like you have set up your Gravatar now. Well done! :-bd
Hi Carolyn,
I have a gravatar. I did have problems with mine. I am registered with one site with one email and my gravatar is connected to a different address. I thought simple, just change the my email address on the site. I couldn’t though, because the editor had added my gravatar email address to their database! They had to make do, without my gravatar!
I’m listening to Spotify for free today, they changed it in the UK.
Hi Mike, Yes, you’re right, you can associate more than one email address to your Gravatar. You can also have separate Gravatars for different email addresses.
Very cool that you can listen to Spotify free in the UK now!
Hi Carolyn
Having a Gravatar is really a must. I’m always suspicious if someone leaves a comment on my blog and I can’t see the face behind the comment.
Most of the time if there’s no Gravatar present, I don’t authorise the comment.
I hadn’t realised you could link Facebook etc. I don’t think I’ve done that. I’ll need to go and check.
I haven’t changed my Gravatar since I set it up. I remember Adrienne mentioning that changing your image too often can lead to confusion so I’ve not changed it.
Thank you for a comprehensive write up on this Carolyn.
Have a great weekend.
Tim
Hi Tim, Yes, you can link your social media accounts to your Gravatar, making it very easy for folks to find you and connect with you. Definitely update your Gravatar to make this free tool work the best for you! 🙂
Tiny little service, but I am a big fan. Everytime I go somewhere, enter a comment, the profile image just appears magically. And since I am very brand conscious (yea, I think every product has to), its just a wonderful service that maintains my brand consistently all over the web.
Hi iRewardChart, Yes, you do a great job of sharing your brand message all over the Internet by using your app icon as your Gravatar. Well done!
Having a gravatar is important when we are active on the net.
Gravatars represent our identities which will be identify by others. Gravatars show that we are open to others and we are ready to have relationships with others through internet.
Actually gravatars give us benefits to build reliances for us and our business online.
Thank you very much to encourage us to have gravatars because there are still many who do not have gravatars or hide their identities without clear reasons.
Hi Heru, Well said. Yes, Gravatars can be very useful. They’re free, so why not get one?
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us!
I have got my gravatar and I do believe that it is one of the very first step to follow by a blogger to get that set right.. BTW how is my Gravator image?
Hi King, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I think your Gravatar is really cool. Some bloggers may not approve your comment because your Gravatar doesn’t show a real face.
If you find your comments aren’t getting approved, you may want to switch to a photo of yourself.
Thanks for sharing your very cool Gravatar with us, King!
Carolyn – We all know the importance of gravatar and you have made it even more clear with this article.
I would second anyone who would like to ban/restrict users without a gravatar, it is very important to have that visual connection with your readers.
You have also said it correctly that we should not be changing our gravatars frequently, it leads to a lot of confusion and your readers/followers might not actually recognize any new pics/icons from you.
Thanks for sharing this, and yes, it is wonderful to see Adrienne’s gravatar right in the center of the post 🙂
Hi Praveen, Good point. Each blogger must make countless decisions on which comments to approve. Nasty spammers try daily to leave comments with links back to their spammy sites. Gravatars can help bloggers identify which commenters are real people and which are spammers.
Yes, I am very grateful that Adrienne kindly allowed me to use her beautiful smile as a model for an exemplary Gravatar.
Thanks for sharing your insights with us, Praveen!
Excellent post, Carolyn – I’m always advising people who comment on my blog to hop over to Gravatar.com – I just don’t understand why some people don’t seem to want to bother. It’s simple and free and really helps enhance your credibility.
This is a great post to direct people to if they have a query about it – many thanks!
Sue
Hi Sue, I’m so glad you enjoyed this article. Yes, Gravatars can be very important and they just take a few minutes to set up properly. If you add your photo, social media accounts and a sentence or two about yourself, you can help people get to know you on the web.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!
Hi Carolyn,
This a great article on Gravatar. I finally got mine a few months ago. I think that because of that I have met some really nice people.
I always look at the Gravatars of people who comment on my blogs. When I see their pictures it makes me feel more connected and I when I respond to them I feel that I am talking directly to them. (Hope that makes sense).
Cheers,
Dita