How to Set up a Gravatar
This week’s question for the Blogging Barista:
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What is a gravatar and why do I need one?
A gravatar is a Globally Recognized Avatar – your avatar is the thumbnail image that appears when you comment on someone’s blog.
If you have a Blogger profile, the image that accompanies your profile is posted whenever you comment on blogspot.com blogs. But that avatar works only for blogs hosted by Blogger. To make your avatar show up on WordPress (and other) systems, you’ll need to create a gravatar… a universal avatar.
Why do you need a gravatar?
To develop brand identity.
A custom gravatar – I recommend using a professional-looking photo of your smiling face or your company logo – establishes a consistent look for your brand. Wherever you go on the Web, your gravatar subtly promotes your brand. Eventually, people will begin to associate your face with your brand.
If you don’t use a gravatar, you’re stuck with a default avatar. WordPress, for example, gives me the following default options:
A “Monster ID” to brand my company? I don’t think so!
I ran into one glitch after creating my own gravatar; I noticed it wasn’t appearing on many of the comments I was publishing on other people’s blogs.
My problem?
I was commenting via an e-mail address that didn’t correspond with the gravatar I had created. (Depending on what type of blog I’m commenting on, I may use my business address or my personal address).
The solution?
I added additional e-mail addresses to my gravatar account. Here’s how to do it:
Go to:
- My Account
- Add an e-mail address
- Type in the address
- You will receive an activation e-mail
- Click the link, which takes you back to gravatar.com
- Select an e-mail address to modify
- Click an image you’ve already uploaded (or add a new one), click “Confirm”
Within minutes, my gravatar on comments I had already posted was updated to include my gravatar.
Your turn! Create your own gravatar right now and post a comment here, so we can see who you are!
Thanks for the instruction on how to do this. I've been disappointed that I did not have an image to display on other blogs whenever I posted a comment. Now I do! Thanks again.
Thanks for the instruction on how to do this. I've been disappointed that I did not have an image to display on other blogs whenever I posted a comment. Now I do! Thanks again.
Thanks for these directions. I'm glad to now be able to have my face displayed rather than a generic icon whenever I post a comment on someone's blog.
Thanks for these directions. I'm glad to now be able to have my face displayed rather than a generic icon whenever I post a comment on someone's blog.
You're very welcome, Kurt. Your gravatar looks great — very professional.
You're very welcome, Kurt. Your gravatar looks great — very professional.
Laura, you rock! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to fix this issue and didn’t know enough to know how to check. You provide so much helpful information; thanks again and blessings always.
Laura, you rock! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to fix this issue and didn’t know enough to know how to check. You provide so much helpful information; thanks again and blessings always.
Okay–I think the Gravatar was still in process. Let’s see if it shows up this time (at least I didn’t end up with a monster).
Okay–I think the Gravatar was still in process. Let’s see if it shows up this time (at least I didn’t end up with a monster).
You’re welcome, Marti. Yay, your gravatar works! Looks good.
You’re welcome, Marti. Yay, your gravatar works! Looks good.
Thanks – I did it!
Just had a problem linking my gravatar to my Facebook account because I set up my blog facebook page when I was logged in as myself, so now the two are connected. Gravatar only wants to connect to my personal profile.
If you know the fix for this, I’d love to hear it!
Thanks – I did it!
Just had a problem linking my gravatar to my Facebook account because I set up my blog facebook page when I was logged in as myself, so now the two are connected. Gravatar only wants to connect to my personal profile.
If you know the fix for this, I’d love to hear it!
I’m not sure that you can link a gravatar to a Facebook account, because FB uses its own proprietary avatars to display images of Facebook members. A gravatar is mainly used for making comments on other people’s blog posts.
I’m not sure that you can link a gravatar to a Facebook account, because FB uses its own proprietary avatars to display images of Facebook members. A gravatar is mainly used for making comments on other people’s blog posts.
Thanks for this helpful post, Laura! Another tool for my branding toolbox 🙂
Thanks for this helpful post, Laura! Another tool for my branding toolbox 🙂
You’re welcome, Michele. And I see that you gave a Gravatar. Way to go!
You’re welcome, Michele. And I see that you gave a Gravatar. Way to go!
Ok, so now… how do I get my little logo to show up on browser tabs?
Ok, so now… how do I get my little logo to show up on browser tabs?
Ok now… how do I get my little logo on those browser tabs?
Ok now… how do I get my little logo on those browser tabs?
Carrie – I think you may be referring to a favicon, which is different than a gravatar. Contact me and we’ll talk. – Laura
Carrie – I think you may be referring to a favicon, which is different than a gravatar. Contact me and we’ll talk. – Laura
[…] post first appeared May 18, 2009 on Blogging Bistro. Used by kind […]
[…] post first appeared May 18, 2009 on Blogging Bistro. Used by kind […]
Had no idea this was available. Thanks!
Had no idea this was available. Thanks!
You’re welcome! Gravatars are the quickest and easiest way I’ve found to create a consistent brand image for all my online commenting. I hope it works for you, too.
You’re welcome! Gravatars are the quickest and easiest way I’ve found to create a consistent brand image for all my online commenting. I hope it works for you, too.
Okay, I’m going to try it out… Did it work?
Okay, I’m going to try it out… Did it work?
Success!
Success!
Thanks, Laura! And other blogs know if I post using the two email addresses I registered? This photo is a version of the FB one, but I like the crop better. Thanks again.
Thanks, Laura! And other blogs know if I post using the two email addresses I registered? This photo is a version of the FB one, but I like the crop better. Thanks again.
Susi, As long as you have both addresses registered with Gravatar, and you use those same addresses when leaving comments or posting articles at those blogs, it should display your Gravatar.
Susi, As long as you have both addresses registered with Gravatar, and you use those same addresses when leaving comments or posting articles at those blogs, it should display your Gravatar.
“Testing, one, two, three…” 🙂
“Testing, one, two, three…” 🙂
It worked! Thanks, Laura. 🙂
It worked! Thanks, Laura. 🙂
testing, testing
testing, testing
testing
testing
Thanks for such an easy tutorial on how to set up a gravatar! So many other sites make is seem like rocket science…
Thanks for such an easy tutorial on how to set up a gravatar! So many other sites make is seem like rocket science…