A Primary Name tells apps which ENS name to show when they look up your wallet. Without one, sites show your 0x address; with one, they show yourname.eth. Set it once and any ENS-aware app picks it up.
For the steps to set one, see How do I set my Primary Name?
Before and after
Here's the same wallet shown in different places: as 0x982B…2179 on a site that doesn't read ENS, and as the Primary Name on sites that do.
Etherscan.io/address/0x982Bb9d000bFEe18FD68C11505C11A4F900B2179
app.uniswap.org/swap
efp.app/0x982bb9d000bfee18fd68c11505c11a4f900b2179
The two pieces
A Primary Name isn't a single setting — it's a pair of records that match each other:
ETH Address on the name —
yourname.ethpoints at your0xaddress. This is set on the name's profile in the ENS App.Primary Name on the wallet — your
0xaddress points back atyourname.eth. This is set at primary.ens.domains.
Both need to be in place. If only one is set, apps either don't show the name, or show stale information. The ENS App's Settings has a single flow that handles both for the common case — see How do I set my Primary Name?
Where it shows up
Once both records are in place, your Primary Name surfaces in four places — the ENS App, real-time wallets and dApps, OpenSea, and Etherscan. Each surface has its own quirks.
In the ENS App
While you're connected with the wallet that set it, you'll see your Primary Name and its avatar in the top-right corner, and a "Your Primary Name" badge on the profile. That badge is your own confirmation — other visitors don't see it.
You can also search a 0x address in the ENS App to see what Primary Name (if any) is set on it. Open the More tab to see Default and Network (L2) Primary Names listed in the Primary Name section.
In wallets and dApps
Wallets and dApps that read ENS records in real time pick up your Primary Name and avatar right after the transaction confirms. Examples include MetaMask, Rainbow, and Uniswap, which display the Primary Name in the top-right corner once you connect a wallet that has one set.
On OpenSea
OpenSea shows your Primary Name on your profile page next to your wallet address. Their backend caches Primary Name changes — cached sites can sometimes take a day or two to catch up.
On Etherscan
Etherscan shows your Primary Name on address pages and in the "from" and "to" fields of transaction lists. Two limits to know about:
Etherscan doesn't show DNS-imported ENS names as Primary Names.
Etherscan doesn't read Network (L2) Primary Names yet — if you've only set one on an L2, it won't show on Etherscan.
What you can attach to a name
A Primary Name isn't just a label — the name itself can hold records:
An avatar that supported apps pick up.
Social handles for your other accounts.
A website and email.
Addresses on other chains so the same name resolves to different wallets per chain.
Apps that read ENS records show the avatar and links automatically. The name becomes a single profile readers recognise across sites.
app.ens.domains/onshow.eth
Good to know
The records live on the name itself, not on individual apps. That's why your avatar and social handles show up the same way on every ENS-aware site — each site is reading the same records, not asking you to fill out a new profile per site.
One name across web3
ENS gives you one name that moves with you across apps and chains. Instead of registering a username on each site, you set the name once and any ENS-aware app picks it up. You keep control — the name is in your wallet, and you can change records, transfer ownership, or set a new Primary Name whenever you want.
Subnames extend the same identity
A subname is a name under your main one — alice.yourname.eth, team.yourdao.eth, and so on. You can set subnames as Primary Names too, so people, teams, or community members get their own identity tied to your root name. You decide how to issue them.
For more on subnames, see About subnames.
What's next?
How do I set my Primary Name? — the Mainnet case (most users).
How do I set a Primary Name on Base, Arbitrum, or other L2s? — different name per chain.
How do I set a Primary Name for my smart contract? — Safe / Ownable / new contract.
How do I clear my Primary Name? — remove the name from a wallet.