NickServ and SASL authentication

An IRC account belongs to a particular network. Your nickname is the name displayed while chatting, and it may differ from the registered account name you use to authenticate.

Configure account credentials

1. Open Server Properties with ⌘U.
2. Select Identity under Basic Settings.
3. Enter your registered account name in Username and its password in Personal Password.
4. Save and reconnect over the network's TLS connection.

Textual's documented SASL PLAIN workflow uses Username as the account name, allowing you to connect under a different nickname. SASL PLAIN does not itself encrypt a password, so use TLS and validate the server certificate.

A server connection password or ZNC password belongs in the setting for that connection; it is not necessarily your NickServ account password. If authentication fails, read the server console and compare the network's current SASL instructions with the credentials you entered.

Authenticate with a certificate

Textual also supports a client certificate and SASL EXTERNAL. The certificate guide explains why the network's required fingerprint matters and why a client certificate is different from trusting the server.

Register or recover an account

Registration, email confirmation, account recovery and nickname ownership are controlled by the network. Follow its official instructions and do not share your password in a channel. If a password has appeared in a public message or shared log, change it with the network's account service.