How to Get Verified (Blue Checkmark) on Instagram

What is the blue checkmark?

The blue checkmark you see next to celebrity accounts and some brands are known as a verified badge. It means that Instagram has confirmed that an account is authentic to the brand or business that it represents.

How It Benefits Brands and Businesses

So how does this checkmark actually benefit a business or a brand? It helps you stand out from the crowd. It helps reassure potential followers that you are worth following. You’re good enough to be verified, then you good enough to follow.

Also, verified accounts get access to new features first, before everyone else. Verified profiles have access to the swipe up feature in Instagram Stories, with or without the 10,000 followers required by other accounts.

For public figures, influencers and celebrities, having someone pretend to be you online can be incredibly damaging. If you are a doctor, attorney or journalist in the public eye, getting verified is another level of protection and let people know that you are who you say are.

What Are the Qualifications To Get Verified

There is no “exact” roadmap to being verified by Instagram. The approval process is entirely up to them and their discretion as with most things Instagram related.

According to Instagram, these are the baseline qualifications your account must have:

Authentic: Your account represents a real person, registered business or entity.
Unique: It must be the only account associated with the person or business it represents on Instagram. Only one account per person or business may be verified, with exceptions for language-specific accounts.
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. Paid promos don’t count (of course).