Your display name and profile photo are the first things coaches, clients, and squad members see when you show up in a conversation, on a booking page, or inside a program. Getting them right takes less than two minutes — but knowing exactly where to go and what affects each field saves you from hunting through the wrong menus.
This guide walks you through every way to update your display name and profile photo on Coachful, covers what changes where, and flags the common mistakes that leave one version of your name stubbornly out of date.
TL;DR — Quick Answer
- Go to Account → Profile to update your display name and upload a new profile photo.
- Changes apply platform-wide: chat, booking pages, program dashboards, and the client portal.
- Coaches with a public profile on the Coachful marketplace should also update their coach bio page separately under Coach → Public Profile.
- Profile photos must be JPG, PNG, or WebP and under 5 MB for best results.
Where Your Display Name and Photo Appear
Before you make any changes, it helps to understand the full surface area. Your display name and profile photo show up in more places than most people expect.
- Chat and messaging — Every message you send in a squad, a direct message thread, or a group call shows your display name and avatar.
- Booking pages — When clients book a 1:1 session, intake call, or group call, your name and photo appear prominently on the scheduling page.
- Program dashboards — Clients see your name and photo on the program header, in weekly task sign-offs, and on coach comments.
- The client portal — Your photo anchors the top of every client's workspace so they always know whose program they're in.
- Email notifications — Automated emails sent from Coachful display your name as the sender label, so a professional name matters here too.
- Marketplace listing — If you're listed on /find-a-coach, your profile photo and display name are the primary visual identity prospective clients see.
How to Change Your Display Name
Your display name is the name shown across the platform. It can be your full legal name, a professional name, or a brand name — whatever you want clients to see.
- Sign in to your Coachful workspace at app.coachful.co/sign-in.
- Click your avatar or initials in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar to open the account menu.
- Select Account Settings.
- Under the Profile tab, locate the Display Name field.
- Clear the existing name and type your new display name.
- Click Save Changes. The update propagates across all areas of the platform instantly.
If you are a coach, you may also have a separate Coach Name field under Coach → Public Profile → Bio. This controls the name shown on your public booking page and marketplace listing. Make sure both are consistent to avoid confusing potential clients.
Display Name vs. Legal Name
Coachful keeps your legal name (used for Stripe Connect payouts and tax purposes) separate from your display name. Changing your display name does not change the name on your payout account. To update payout details, go to Coach → Billing → Stripe Dashboard and manage that information directly in Stripe.
How to Change Your Profile Photo
A professional, well-lit headshot increases trust on booking pages and in chat. Research consistently shows that profiles with photos get significantly more engagement than those with placeholder initials.
- Go to Account Settings → Profile (same path as above).
- Click the circular avatar image at the top of the profile section. A file picker will open.
- Select an image from your device. Supported formats: JPG, PNG, or WebP. Maximum file size: 5 MB.
- Use the crop tool to frame your face centrally. Coachful renders avatars as circles in most UI contexts, so a centered square crop works best.
- Click Apply then Save Changes.
Your new photo will appear immediately in chat, on program dashboards, and in your client portal. Booking pages and the public marketplace listing may take up to 60 seconds to refresh due to CDN caching — a hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows, Cmd+Shift+R on Mac) will show the updated image right away.
Photo Recommendations for Coaches
- Use a minimum resolution of 400 × 400 px. Coachful displays avatars at up to 200 px on retina screens, so a larger source image keeps things sharp.
- A plain or lightly blurred background focuses attention on your face.
- Avoid logos or text overlaid on the avatar — they become unreadable at small sizes.
- Keep your photo consistent across your Coachful workspace, your website, and social profiles to reinforce brand recognition.
Pro tip: Coaches on Coachful who keep their profile photo, bio, and public booking page fully filled out appear higher in the marketplace directory and are more likely to convert visitor traffic into booked discovery calls. Five minutes of profile polish can meaningfully impact your pipeline.
Updating Your Coach Public Profile
If you are a coach on the Growth or Scale plan, you have a separate public-facing profile beyond your basic account settings. This is what prospective clients see before they ever book with you.
- From your coach dashboard, navigate to Coach → Public Profile.
- Under the Bio section, update your Coach Display Name, headline, and bio text.
- Upload or replace your Hero Photo — this is a larger image (recommended minimum 800 × 800 px) used on your public profile page and marketplace card.
- Scroll to Social Links to add or update your LinkedIn, Instagram, or website URL — these appear alongside your name on your public page.
- Click Publish Changes to push the updates live.
Your public profile lives at {your-slug}.coachful.co or your custom domain if you've connected one. You can preview exactly how it looks to a visitor by clicking Preview Public Profile before publishing.
Updating Your Profile as a Client
Clients (members) have a simpler profile than coaches, but the same core steps apply.
- Sign in at app.coachful.co/sign-in.
- Tap your avatar in the bottom-left sidebar and select Account Settings.
- On the Profile tab, update your display name and upload a new photo using the same steps described above.
- Save. Your updated name and photo will show in squad chats, program comments, and any group calls you join.
Clients do not have a public profile or marketplace listing, so there is only one place to update — making the process even faster.
Not on Coachful yet? Coaches can set up a fully branded workspace — complete with a custom subdomain, booking page, and program portal — in under an hour. Start your free trial at coachful.co and have your profile live before the day is out.
Profile Changes on Mobile
Coachful's mobile app (available as a progressive web app and as a native iOS/Android app via app.coachful.co/mobile) supports full profile editing on the go.
- Tap the menu icon (bottom navigation bar) and select your profile avatar.
- Tap Edit Profile to access the display name and photo fields.
- You can upload a photo directly from your camera roll or take a new photo in the app.
- Changes sync instantly across desktop and mobile.
Pro Tips for a Standout Profile
Use a name clients will search for
If you coach under a personal brand (e.g., "Coach Sarah" or "James Thornton Fitness") rather than your legal name, use that brand name as your display name. This keeps everything consistent — from your Coachful subdomain to how clients refer you to friends.
Refresh your photo seasonally
A photo that's more than two years old can create a disconnect when clients meet you on a video call. Schedule a quick update every 12–18 months, especially if your appearance, branding colors, or niche has shifted.
Ask Michelle for help
If you're inside the coach dashboard and can't remember where a setting lives, open Michelle — Coachful's built-in AI assistant — and type something like "how do I update my profile photo?" Michelle can navigate you to the right screen or execute the action directly. It's especially handy for coaches managing a large workspace with many settings spread across the dashboard.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
My old photo is still showing after I saved
This is almost always a browser cache issue. Do a hard refresh (Cmd+Shift+R on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows/Linux). If you're on mobile, force-close the app and reopen it. If the old image persists beyond a few minutes, try opening an incognito/private window to confirm the server has the new file — if it shows correctly there, clear your browser cache fully.
My display name updated in chat but not on my booking page
Remember that coaches have two separate name fields: the Account display name and the Coach public profile name under Coach → Public Profile → Bio. Updating one does not automatically update the other. Check both fields and make sure they match.
My photo looks blurry or pixelated
The source image resolution is too low. Use a file that is at least 400 × 400 px (ideally 800 × 800 px or larger). If you're cropping from a wide-angle or group photo, zoom in before cropping to ensure the face area has enough pixels.
I can't upload my photo — the file picker does nothing
Check that your file is JPG, PNG, or WebP and under 5 MB. HEIC files (common from iPhones) are not supported — convert the image to JPG first using your phone's built-in export option or a free tool like CloudConvert. Also ensure your browser isn't blocking file access permissions.
My name change isn't reflected in email notifications
Email sender labels pull from your Coach display name in Coach → Public Profile, not your account settings name. Update the name there and send a test notification to confirm the change has taken effect.
Team members or virtual assistants can't see my updated photo
Profile photos are user-scoped and update for everyone who interacts with your account. If a teammate reports seeing the old photo, they likely have a cached version — ask them to hard-refresh their browser. Changes are server-side and immediate.
Ready to Put Your Best Face Forward?
Your display name and profile photo are small details that carry outsized weight. A clear name that matches your brand and a professional photo make every touchpoint — from the first booking page visit to the last session message — feel intentional and trustworthy. With Coachful, both are editable in seconds, and the changes ripple across every client-facing surface automatically.
If you haven't set up your full coach profile yet — photo, bio, headline, and public booking page — now is the perfect time. Start your free trial on Coachful and build the coaching workspace that represents you at your best. Already a member? Sign in and update your profile now — it takes under two minutes.