---
title: account.checkUsername
description: Validates a username and checks availability.
image: https://docs.madelineproto.xyz/favicons/android-chrome-256x256.png
---
# Method: account.checkUsername
[Back to methods index](index.md)
Validates a username and checks availability.
### Parameters:
| Name | Type | Description | Required |
|----------|---------------|-------------|----------|
|username|[string](../types/string.md) | username
Accepted characters: A-z (case-insensitive), 0-9 and underscores.
Length: 5-32 characters. | Yes|
### Return type: [Bool](../types/Bool.md)
### Can bots use this method: **NO**
### MadelineProto Example ([now async for huge speed and parallelism!](https://docs.madelineproto.xyz/docs/ASYNC.html)):
```php
if (!file_exists('madeline.php')) {
copy('https://phar.madelineproto.xyz/madeline.php', 'madeline.php');
}
include 'madeline.php';
$MadelineProto = new \danog\MadelineProto\API('session.madeline');
$MadelineProto->start();
$Bool = $MadelineProto->account->checkUsername(['username' => 'string', ]);
```
Or, if you're into Lua:
```lua
Bool = account.checkUsername({username='string', })
```
### Errors
| Code | Type | Description |
|------|----------|---------------|
|400|USERNAME_INVALID|The provided username is not valid|