Can users have more than one account?

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FAQ:ALTS

Yes, it is allowed, as long as they are not being used to violate the Community Guidelines and not being used to evade a ban on another account. On the Scratch Wiki, users cannot have another wiki account, unless it is an approved bot, as it is otherwise known as sockpuppeting.

Note:

Users may be asked to only use one account if they have a history of ban evading or otherwise doing any of the things under Disallowed uses (below).

Allowed uses

These are some common uses for alternate accounts:

Testing

Main article: Test Accounts

To test Cloud Data or share tests for current projects as a user that is not the account who made it, users need a second account.

On the Scratch 1.4 site, test accounts were used to upload test projects and to see if they work well online. They are still used today, especially if Scratch 1.4 is used to make the projects. However, Scratch 3.0 and Scratch 2.0 have online editors, so test accounts are probably not used for this purpose.

Remixing

Main article: Remix

This kind of account is used explicitly for sharing remix projects, such as contest entries or projects which provide templates for other users to use. Some people use test accounts to share remixes and other types of projects.

Collaboration (group)

Main article: Collaboration

This kind of account is to share projects made from collaborations and companies. These accounts are used to "brand" the project with the name of the collaboration. For example, if the collaboration name was Scratch Collab, the account could be called "Scratch Collab." These accounts are only allowed if controlled by a single person (such as the collaboration leader). However, you can still have collaboration projects, studios, and other things on Scratch by making an account for collaboration, but not tell the other person the password. Then you can start a collaboration project on your profile. The person would then remix your project and you would remix theirs. This could carry on forever. When you agree with the version, the person who created the collaboration account can upload the polished (finished) version of the project.

Users also use alternative accounts for remixing collaboration projects to improve them.

Helping Projects

Main article: Tutorial Projects

When helping another user with scripting or another concept of Scratch, it is often beneficial to upload a project for them to directly view the concept first-hand. These informative, helping projects are often shared from test accounts.

Low-quality projects

Another use of test accounts is to share projects that would be "embarrassing" to have on one's main account. This could be things like basic projects which are not of the quality a user might want on their main account.

Roleplay

Main article: Account and User Icon Trends#Roleplaying Accounts

Roleplaying can be used by a test account to keep cluttered comments, projects, and/or studios off of the user's main account. Sometimes a user will assume the role of a character and pretend to be him/her/it with other users playing along.

Aesthetic Sets

Aesthetic sets are another use of a side account. Scratchers will upload photos of a certain theme and make several projects with different photos or simple artwork as the thumbnail (and entire project.) These projects can be favorited by other users so they appear on their profile. Users will make a separate account for this so they don't "clog" their main one with just photos.

Disallowed uses

This article or section needs additional citations for verification. Its information may not be accurate. Editors can help by adding references. (April 2022)

Fame

Scratchers are not allowed to create a huge number of alts to increase the number of followers, loves, or favorites on another single account, created by themselves or another person, or get an account by themselves or another person onto the Front Page. Projects the user attempts to get onto the front page in such a manner may be marked as Not For Everyone.^{[citation needed]}

Good-hand Bad-hand Accounts

Users may not use one account to follow the Community Guidelines and another to break them, as this can result in sanctions applied to the bad-hand account to be also applied to the good-hand account. ^{[citation needed]}

Follow-all Accounts or Kindness Accounts

Follow-all accounts or Kindness accounts are accounts that try to follow as many users as possible (hence the name). On their profiles, they will usually say something like "When I follow 1k I will reveal my main account! You may guess my main until then.". Their projects will usually just be aesthetics (with hearts or a message such as "You are loved").^{[citation needed]}