Instagram opened its verification program to the public in mid-2018. A verified badge is a small blue checkmark that appears next to an Instagram account’s name in search and on the profile. It means Instagram has confirmed that an account is the authentic presence of the public figure, celebrity or global brand it represents. Anyone can apply to be verified in the Instagram app.
Requirements to apply for an Instagram verified badge
Instagram looks at a number of factors when evaluating accounts to determine if they’re in the public interest and meet their verification criteria. In addition to following Instagram’s terms of service and community guidelines, your account also needs to be:
- Authentic: Your account must represent a real person, registered business or entity.
- Complete: Your account must be public and have a bio, profile photo and at least one post. Your profile can’t contain “add me” links to other social media services.
- Notable: Your account must represent a well-known, highly searched for person, brand or entity. Instagram reviews accounts that are featured in multiple news sources, and they don’t consider paid or promotional content as sources for review.
- Unique: Your account must be the unique presence of the person or business it represents. Only one account per person or business may be verified, with exceptions for language-specific accounts. Instagram does not verify general interest accounts.
How to apply for Instagram verification
The application process is pretty simple and straightforward.
- Make sure you’re logged in to the account you’re requesting a verified badge for.
- Go to your profile by tapping
on the bottom right.
- Tap the three bars
on the top right.
- Tap
Settings > Account > Request Verification.
- Enter your full name and provide the required form of identification (example: government-issued photo ID).
- Once Instagram has reviewed your request, you’ll receive a notification letting you know if your account has been verified or not. If your request is denied, you can submit a new request after 30 days.
