How to Get a Blue Check on Instagram

That little blue check mark on Instagram is more than just a cool icon next to your name, it’s a powerful symbol of credibility that signals to your audience that your account is the official presence of a public figure, celebrity, or global brand. Getting that badge of authenticity isn't a secret handshake or a matter of luck - it's a process. This article will walk you through the real steps and requirements for getting verified on Instagram, showing you what actually matters to the verification team and how to build a profile they can't ignore.

What the Instagram Blue Check Really Means

Before jumping into the “how,” let's get clear on the “what.” The blue check, or verification badge, is Instagram’s way of confirming that an account of public interest is authentic. It's not an endorsement from Instagram, nor is it an indicator of fame or importance. It simply says, "Yes, this person or brand is who they claim to be."

So, why go through the trouble? The benefits extend beyond just looking official:

• Trust and Authority: Verification immediately establishes a baseline of trust. Users know they're interacting with the real person or business, which is invaluable for brands, public figures, and creators looking to build a strong community.
• Brand Protection: The blue check is your best defense against imitators and fan accounts. It helps your audience easily distinguish your official account from frauds, protecting your reputation and ensuring your message isn't diluted.
• Increased Visibility (Indirectly): While Instagram doesn't explicitly state that verified accounts get preferential treatment in the algorithm, having the badge can lead to a perception of greater authority. Your account may appear higher in search results for your name, and brands might be more willing to collaborate, which indirectly boosts your reach.

The Four Pillars of Instagram Verification

Instagram is pretty transparent about its verification criteria. Your account must meet four primary standards: be authentic, unique, complete, and notable. The first three are simple checkboxes you can easily handle. The fourth one, notability, is where the real work begins.

1. Authentic: Be who you say you are.

This is the most straightforward requirement. Your account must represent a real person, a registered business, or a legitimate entity. You'll need to prove this with an official government-issued ID (like a driver’s license or passport) if you're a person, or official business documents (like a tax filing, utility bill, or articles of incorporation) if you're a brand or organization.

Actionable Steps:

• For Personal Accounts: Make sure your photo ID is clear, valid, and not expired. The name on your ID should match your desired username and profile name as closely as possible.
• For Business Accounts: Gather digital copies of official business documents that clearly state your company’s name. This proves you are a legally operating entity.

2. Unique: Be the one and only.

Your account must be the unique presence of the person or business it represents. Instagram typically doesn't verify general interest accounts (e.g., @cutepuppypics). Only one account per person or business can be verified, with exceptions for language-specific accounts.

Actionable Steps:

• If you have multiple accounts for your brand (e.g., for different countries or departments), clearly designate one as the primary, official account. You will apply using this one.
• Shut down any old, inactive, or duplicate accounts that could cause confusion. You want to present a single, authoritative presence.

3. Complete: Have a full, active profile.

This is another easy win. Your account needs to be public, not private. It must have a bio, a profile picture, and at least one post. Instagram wants to verify active, well-maintained accounts, not empty placeholders.

Actionable Steps:

• Profile Photo: Use a clear, high-quality headshot for a personal brand or a professional logo for a business. Avoid generic images.
• Bio: Write a concise and professional bio that clearly explains who you are or what your business does. Include a link to your official website.
• Activity: You don’t need thousands of posts, but the account should look active. Maintain a consistent posting schedule to show that your profile is current and managed.

4. Notable: Prove you're in the public eye.

This is the most challenging and misunderstood requirement. According to Instagram, a notable account “represents a well-known, highly searched for person, brand or entity." They specify that they review accounts featured in “multiple news sources,” but cleverly state that they don’t consider paid or promotional content as sources.

What does this actually mean? It means your credibility has to exist off of Instagram. You can’t just be "Instagram famous" to get verified. You need to be notable in the real world, and you need legitimate, third-party proof that journalists consider you newsworthy.

Building Your Case for Notability

If you're not already a celebrity, this is where you need to focus your energy. Think of it like building a case for a jury. You need evidence.

Tip #1: Generate Genuine Press Coverage

This is the single most important factor. You need to be mentioned in multiple, independent news articles from reputable publications. Here's what counts (and what doesn't):

• What Works: Feature articles, interviews, mentions in major online magazines (think Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Wired, or respected industry-specific publications), national news outlets, and even significant local news stories. The key is that a journalist found you newsworthy enough to write about on their own accord.
• What Doesn't Work: Paid placements, sponsored content, press releases you wrote yourself, mentions in blogs with no editorial oversight, your own website, or profiles on other social media platforms. Instagram's review team is very good at spotting promotional content disguised as news.

How to get this press? Start pitching! Offer expert quotes on topics in your niche to journalists through services like Help a Reporter Out (HARO) or Qwoted. Develop a unique story or angle about your brand or personal journey and pitch it to reporters. Do something newsworthy in your community and reach out to local news stations.

Tip #2: Optimize Your Search Presence

Instagram's review team will almost certainly Google you. What they find needs to immediately establish you as a person or brand of public interest. They are looking to see if you are who you claim, but more importantly, are other people actively searching to learn more about you.

• Develop a Google Knowledge Panel: That info box that appears on the right of Google search results for a person or company? That’s a Google Knowledge Panel. Having one is a strong signal of notability, as Google creates them algorithmically for entities it deems significant.
• Website & SEO: Your personal or business website should be professional, well-maintained, and optimized for search engines so it ranks number one for your name.
• Be Findable Elsewhere: When someone searches your name, what else comes up? A LinkedIn profile? A feature on a podcast? Mentions in industry conference speaker lists? The more search results corroborate your public-figure status, the better your chances are.

Tip #3: Let Go of the Follower Count Myth

You do not need a massive follower count to be verified. There are verified accounts with fewer than 10,000 followers and unverified accounts with millions. Verification is not about popularity, it's about authenticity and notability. A subject-matter expert with 5,000 followers who has been featured in The New York Times is far more likely to get verified than an influencer with 500,000 followers whose only claim to fame is Instagram itself.

How to Apply: The Official Step-by-Step Process

Once you’ve done the hard work of building your notable presence, the application itself is simple and takes just a few minutes inside the Instagram app.

1. Go to your profile and tap the three-line menu icon in the top right corner.
2. Tap Settings and privacy >, Creator tools and controls (or Business tools and controls).
3. Tap on Request Verification.
4. Fill in your full name and provide the required form of identification (e.g., driver's license or business document).
5. Confirm your notability by selecting a Category for your account (e.g., Musician, Business Owner, Pro Athlete) and the Country/Region where you or your business are prominent. This shows Instagram's algorithms how to judge your application against your regional influence.
6. (Optional but HIGHLY recommended) Provide up to five links. This is your chance to provide direct proof of your notability. Use these link fields to showcase your best press coverage from reputable, third-party news organizations. Only include links from unbiased sources - never link to your own website, other social media profiles, or any paid/promotional content. It's better to provide one to three high-quality links than five weak ones. If you don't have strong press mentions yet, it's best to leave this section blank for now.
7. Click Submit.

After you apply, Instagram will notify you of their decision within a few weeks via your Notifications tab. You'll get a simple yes or no. There is no individual feedback provided.

What If My Request Is Denied?

First - don’t panic. It's extremely common for the first application to be rejected. Being denied does not mean you can never be verified. It's simply an indication that you haven't met the notability criteria yet.

• Wait 30 Days: You can reapply for verification 30 days after receiving the rejection.
• Use the Time Wisely: Don't just wait and apply again with the same profile. Use that month to strengthen your case. Pitch more stories to journalists. Optimize your website's bio. Land a guest spot on a well-known podcast. Treat the rejection as a signal that you need more evidence.
• Focus on Off-Platform Growth: Instead of focusing on boosting your Instagram engagement for those 30 days, focus your energy everywhere else. Your path to the blue check is paved with accomplishments outside the app.

Warning: How to Spot and Avoid Verification Scams

Because the blue check is so sought-after, scams are everywhere. Remember these critical rules:

• Instagram NEVER asks for money for verification. Ever. The application process is free and done only through the official app. Anyone promising verification for a fee is a scammer.
• Nobody "knows someone at Instagram." Don’t fall for messages from so-called "agencies" or individuals who claim they have an inside connection. They don't.
• Instagram will never DM you to apply. And they will certainly not send emails asking you to click an insecure link to submit your verification request over email. The process is always initiated *by you* inside your own account settings - never the other way around.
• If a deal sounds too good or simple to be true, it most certainly is too good to be true. Stop. Run. Don't reply. Delete and/or Report.

Final Thoughts

Securing that blue check on Instagram is less about in-app metrics like follower count and more about building a public, authoritative brand presence in the real world. Think of your Instagram verification request as the final step in a much larger journey of establishing your expertise, credibility, and notability within your field.

While you're creating the kind of groundbreaking content and landing the press mentions that prove your notability, you can't neglect your social media presence itself. Being seen as a professional means showing up consistently with high-quality content. We built Postbase to streamline that entire process. Our platform helps you visually plan your calendar, reliably schedule content across all platforms (including Reels and Shorts), and manage all your conversations from one inbox, so you can focus on building the brand that truly deserves to be verified.