diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 7a65001..b5752bb 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 - **Breaking**: 
   - `token` arguments are required to be a valid `httr2_token` object (strings are not supported).
   - all `host` arguments are removed. Instead, the host is fetched from the `token`.
+  - all `user` arguments are removed. Instead, the username is fetched from the `token`. If it is not found, an error is thrown.
 - Add support for `GroupLayer`s
 - Add `arc_read()` with support for `name_repair` argument using `{vctrs}` (#108)
 - Add `get_layer_estimates()` to retrieve estimate info such as the number of features and the extent of the layer
diff --git a/R/add_item.R b/R/add_item.R
index 5c39715..269edb5 100644
--- a/R/add_item.R
+++ b/R/add_item.R
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@
 #' `add_item()`.
 #'
 #' @inheritParams arcgisutils::as_layer
-#' @param user default environment variable `Sys.getenv("ARCGIS_USER")`.
-#'   The username to publish the item under.
 #' @param description a length 1 character vector containing the description of
 #'   the item that is being added. Note that the value cannot be larger than 64kb.
 #' @param tags a character vector of tags to add to the item.
@@ -61,7 +59,6 @@
 add_item <- function(
     x,
     title,
-    user = Sys.getenv("ARCGIS_USER"),
     description = "",
     tags = character(0),
     snippet = "",
@@ -75,6 +72,12 @@ add_item <- function(
   # validate the token
   obj_check_token(token)
 
+  # check that there is a user associated with the token
+  check_token_has_user(token)
+
+  # extract username
+  user <- token[["username"]]
+
   # fetch the host from the token
   host <- token[["arcgis_host"]]
 
@@ -175,7 +178,6 @@ add_item <- function(
 #' @rdname publish
 publish_item <- function(
     item_id,
-    user = Sys.getenv("ARCGIS_USER"),
     publish_params = .publish_params(),
     file_type = "featureCollection",
     token = arc_token()
@@ -184,6 +186,12 @@ publish_item <- function(
   # validate the token
   obj_check_token(token)
 
+  # check that there is a user associated with the token
+  check_token_has_user(token)
+
+  # extract username
+  user <- token[["username"]]
+
   # fetch the host
   host <- token[["arcgis_host"]]
 
@@ -221,7 +229,6 @@ publish_layer <- function(
     x,
     title,
     ...,
-    user = Sys.getenv("ARCGIS_USER"),
     publish_params = .publish_params(title, target_crs = sf::st_crs(x)),
     token = arc_token()
 ) {
@@ -232,7 +239,6 @@ publish_layer <- function(
     add_item(
       x,
       title,
-      user = user,
       token = token,
       !!!adtl_args
     )
@@ -244,7 +250,6 @@ publish_layer <- function(
 
   published_item <- publish_item(
     item_id,
-    user = user,
     publish_params = publish_params,
     token = token
   )
diff --git a/R/create-service.R b/R/create-service.R
index 76e3473..6a3d827 100644
--- a/R/create-service.R
+++ b/R/create-service.R
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 #' Creates an empty FeatureServer with no additional layers.
 #'
 #' @param service_name Feature Service name.
-#' @param user default `Sys.getenv("ARCGIS_USER")`. Your account's username.
 #' @param description default blank. The description of the feature server.
 #' @param crs default `3857`. A coordinate reference system to set for the feature server.
 #'  Must be compatible with `sf::st_crs()`.
@@ -30,13 +29,14 @@
 #'
 #' @export
 #' @examples
+#' \donttest{
 #' if (interactive()) {
 #'   set_arc_token(auth_code())
 #'   create_feature_server("My empty feature server")
 #' }
+#' }
 create_feature_server <- function(
     service_name,
-    user = Sys.getenv("ARCGIS_USER"),
     description = "",
     crs = 3857,
     capabilities = c("create", "delete", "query", "update", "editing"),
@@ -57,6 +57,12 @@ create_feature_server <- function(
   # validate the token
   obj_check_token(token)
 
+  # check that there is a user associated with the token
+  check_token_has_user(token)
+
+  # extract username
+  user <- token[["username"]]
+
   # fetch the host
   host <- token[["arcgis_host"]]
 
diff --git a/man/create_feature_server.Rd b/man/create_feature_server.Rd
index 17f1ba8..4fa5569 100644
--- a/man/create_feature_server.Rd
+++ b/man/create_feature_server.Rd
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 \usage{
 create_feature_server(
   service_name,
-  user = Sys.getenv("ARCGIS_USER"),
   description = "",
   crs = 3857,
   capabilities = c("create", "delete", "query", "update", "editing"),
@@ -26,8 +25,6 @@ xss_defaults()
 \arguments{
 \item{service_name}{Feature Service name.}
 
-\item{user}{default \code{Sys.getenv("ARCGIS_USER")}. Your account's username.}
-
 \item{description}{default blank. The description of the feature server.}
 
 \item{crs}{default \code{3857}. A coordinate reference system to set for the feature server.
@@ -65,8 +62,10 @@ Creates an empty FeatureServer with no additional layers.
 \ifelse{html}{\href{https://lifecycle.r-lib.org/articles/stages.html#experimental}{\figure{lifecycle-experimental.svg}{options: alt='[Experimental]'}}}{\strong{[Experimental]}}
 }
 \examples{
+\donttest{
 if (interactive()) {
   set_arc_token(auth_code())
   create_feature_server("My empty feature server")
 }
 }
+}
diff --git a/man/publish.Rd b/man/publish.Rd
index 79f1158..c5fe79e 100644
--- a/man/publish.Rd
+++ b/man/publish.Rd
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 add_item(
   x,
   title,
-  user = Sys.getenv("ARCGIS_USER"),
   description = "",
   tags = character(0),
   snippet = "",
@@ -22,7 +21,6 @@ add_item(
 
 publish_item(
   item_id,
-  user = Sys.getenv("ARCGIS_USER"),
   publish_params = .publish_params(),
   file_type = "featureCollection",
   token = arc_token()
@@ -32,7 +30,6 @@ publish_layer(
   x,
   title,
   ...,
-  user = Sys.getenv("ARCGIS_USER"),
   publish_params = .publish_params(title, target_crs = sf::st_crs(x)),
   token = arc_token()
 )
@@ -52,9 +49,6 @@ any other subclass of \code{data.frame}.}
 \item{title}{A user-friendly string title for the layer that can be used in
 a table of contents.}
 
-\item{user}{default environment variable \code{Sys.getenv("ARCGIS_USER")}.
-The username to publish the item under.}
-
 \item{description}{a length 1 character vector containing the description of
 the item that is being added. Note that the value cannot be larger than 64kb.}