The Avatars module enables users to have an image associated with their account. This image is called an 'avatar' and is displayed on the user's public profile, in forum posts, etc. An avatar serves as a graphical representation of a user, and is used to personalize that user's contributions on websites. More information about users in general can be found at Developer's Guide -> Development -> Membership, permissions and security.

 
Users can either choose an avatar from a gallery of pre-defined avatars if this option is enabled or create a custom avatar by uploading their own image from a file on their local disk. All common image formats are supported, including animations. Unlike pre-defined avatars, custom avatars can't be selected by other users and they are deleted from the system if the user they were uploaded by changes her avatar.

 

Groups can also have avatars, these are displayed on the group's profile and can benefit the group by providing a way for it to be identified better and faster, etc. To read more about groups, please refer to Developer's Guide -> Modules - > Groups.

 
There are several ways for users or group administrators to add or change avatars. See Developer's Guide -> Modules - > Avatars -> Changing user avatars or Changing group avatars in the same chapter of the Developer's Guide for more details.
 
Administrators can manage all avatars or change their settings. This is described in the Managing avatars and Settings topics.
 

The Avatars internals and API sub-chapter provides information about the database tables and classes used by the module, examples of how avatars can be managed using the API and how avatars can be displayed in transformations.