# Discourse Avatar name\_first\_letter
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-avatar-name-first-letter/64180
**Category:** Plugin
**Created:** [8. Juni 2017 um 17:53 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-avatar-name-first-letter/64180 "2017-06-08T17:53:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [8. Juni 2017 um 17:53 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-avatar-name-first-letter/64180/1 "2017-06-08T17:53:44Z")
This plugin adds the ability to use name\_first\_letter in site setting external system avatars url.
The default value for external system avatars url is
`/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/{first_letter}/{color}/{size}.png.`
This plugin allows you to use
`/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/{name_first_letter}/{color}/{size}.png`
to have the avatar be the first letter of the name rather than username. If there is no name, the username is used.
You must change the site setting for the plugin to have any effect. It affects only users with the default letter avatar, not those who have uploaded an image avatar.
[https://github.com/pfaffman/discourse-avatar-name-first-letter](https://github.com/pfaffman/discourse-avatar-name-first-letter)
Install like [any other plugin](https://meta.discourse.org/t/install-a-plugin/19157).
This plugin was working in August 2022. I believe that it is unlikely to get broken by future changes to core.
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### Author:  [@tophee](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tophee)
#### Post date: [8. Juni 2017 um 21:03 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-avatar-name-first-letter/64180/2 "2017-06-08T21:03:23Z")
Will this change existing avatars or only those of new users?
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [8. Juni 2017 um 21:06 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-avatar-name-first-letter/64180/3 "2017-06-08T21:06:32Z")
Anyone that has not created an avatar will have their avatar based on their name rather than their username. And if they subsequently change their name, their avatar letter will change. Everything but letters and numbers are removed. If nothing is left, or name is empty, it reverts to username.