Note: The ENS App and ENS Explorer are both currently on Sepolia testnet. Behaviour and available features may change before mainnet.
Your primary name is the ENS name that stands in for your wallet address. When apps look up what you own, they show this name instead of the 0x123...456 address. You can own as many ENS names as you like, but only one is the primary per wallet address.
Where it shows up
Apps and wallets that support ENS display your primary name wherever they'd otherwise show your address — your profile on app.ens.dev, your name in other people's address books, the label on your connected wallet.
Most apps and wallets don't show the name alone — they pair it with your avatar. The two travel together as your identity: avatar plus yourname.eth where you'd otherwise see a grey blob and a hex address. The avatar is a record on the name itself, so once your primary name is set, it's worth setting an avatar too — see Customise my avatar, banner & theme.
Two pieces: forward and reverse resolution
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 your0x123...456address.
Also referred to as forward resolution.Primary Name on the wallet — your wallet
0x123...456points back atyourname.eth.
Also referred to as reverse resolution.
Both need to be in place. If only one is set, apps either don't show the name, or show stale information.
Changing your primary name
Change it from within a name's Edit Profile page, or through your Dashboard. Setting a new primary name requires a transaction. See Set your primary name for the steps.
Common questions
Is primary name the same as reverse resolution?
Yes — "primary name" is the user-facing term; "reverse resolution" is the technical mechanism.
Forward resolution takes a name and returns an address (
yourname.eth→0x…).Reverse resolution takes an address and returns a name (
0x…→yourname.eth).
The primary name is the name that reverse resolution returns for your address on a given network. Both forward and reverse need to be configured for apps to show your name properly.
Why is primary name per network in Explorer?
You can set your primary name on more networks than Ethereum — set a Default, Ethereum, Optimism, Base, Arbitrum, Linea, Scroll primary name. ENS Explorer's per-network design specifically supports that.
Does my address need one?
Only if you want apps to display your ENS name next to your address. If you just receive payments, forward resolution (the Address record on the name side) is enough. For display, set a primary name.