How to Get Facebook Verification

That blue checkmark next to a name on Facebook isn't just for decoration - it's a powerful signal of authenticity and credibility that tells the world your Page or Profile is the real deal. If you've ever wondered how to get one, you're in the right place. This guide will walk you through the entire process, explaining what you'll need, detailing the step-by-step application, and sharing strategies to significantly improve your chances of getting approved.

What is Facebook Verification, Really?

At its core, the blue verification badge is Facebook's way of confirming that a Page or Profile is the authentic presence of the public figure, celebrity, or brand it represents. It helps users find the right accounts to follow and protects notable individuals and organizations from impersonation. While it used to be a single standard process, today there are two main paths to getting that badge.

To qualify for traditional verification, your account must meet four core criteria set by Meta:

• Authentic: It must represent a real person, a registered business, or a legally recognized entity. You'll need to prove this with official identification.
• Unique: It must be the only official presence of the person or business it represents. Only one Page or Profile per entity can be verified (with exceptions for language-specific pages).
• Complete: Your account can't be a ghost town. It needs an "About" section, a profile picture, a cover photo, and recent posts. An incomplete profile is an automatic rejection.
• Notable: This is the most crucial - and often vaguest - requirement. Your account must represent a well-known, frequently searched person, brand, or entity. Facebook determines this by looking for your presence in independent news sources.

The Two Paths to a Blue Badge: Notability vs. Subscription

Understanding which verification path is right for you is the first step. One hinges on your public profile, while the other is an emerging subscription service.

Path 1: The Traditional Blue Badge (Based on Notability)

This is the classic verification method intended for public figures, journalists, entertainers, well-known brands, and politicians. It’s free to apply for, but approval is entirely based on proving you are a "notable" entity in the public eye. Facebook's review team will manually check if your Page or Profile meets the four criteria mentioned above, with a heavy focus on the "Notable" requirement.

Who is this for? Businesses, brands, public figures, and creators who have a significant public presence backed by media coverage. If you are regularly featured in news articles, magazines, or other credible, non-paid media, this is the path for you.

Path 2: Meta Verified (The Paid Subscription)

Meta Verified is a newer subscription bundle available primarily for personal profiles and creator accounts (its availability for business pages is limited and rolling out slowly). Instead of requiring notability, it focuses on verifying your authenticity. You pay a monthly fee, provide a government-issued ID to prove you are who you say you are, and in return, you get the blue badge.

This subscription also comes with other perks:

• Proactive impersonation monitoring: Meta actively looks for accounts trying to impersonate you.
• Direct account support: You get access to a real human for help with account issues.
• Exclusive creator features: Things like unique stickers for Stories and Reels.

Who is this for? Individuals, creators, and online personalities who want to establish credibility and protect their accounts but might not yet have the mainstream press coverage required for traditional verification. You are essentially paying for a security and support package that includes a verification badge as proof of identity.

How to Prepare Your Account Before Applying

Before you even think about filling out the application, you need to set the stage. The work you do beforehand is far more important than the application itself. Think of it like preparing for an exam - you don't just show up and hope for the best.

1. Polish Your Profile or Page to Perfection

A professional, complete-looking account is non-negotiable. Go through every setting with a fine-toothed comb.

• High-Quality Imagery: Use a clear, sharp profile picture and a compelling cover photo that truly represents you or your brand.
• Fill Out Everything: Don't leave any section of your "About" page blank. Add your website, links to your other verified social media profiles, your story, your mission - everything. A fully fleshed-out profile shows you're serious.
• Follow the Rules: Make sure your Page or Profile name aligns with your real name or registered business name. Avoid special characters, random capitalization, or phrases like "Official," as Facebook views these as red flags.
• Be Active: Your feed should be current and active. If your last post was from six months ago, Facebook won't see you as a credible, active presence. Post consistently to show your account is valued and managed.

2. Build Your Case for Notability (The Secret Ingredient)

For traditional verification, this is where most applications succeed or fail. Since Facebook’s reviewers are looking for evidence of public interest, you need to provide it for them. You do this by getting press coverage from reputable, independent news outlets.

What counts as "reputable press"?

• Feature articles written about you or your brand.
• Interviews where you're quoted as an expert.
• Mentions in national or significant regional news stories.
• Profiles in well-known industry publications.

What doesn't count?

• Paid or sponsored content (press releases, advertisements). This is a big one.
• Mentions on your own blog or your company's website.
• Posts from other social media accounts.
• Articles in sources that are not considered credible news outlets.

How to Get This Kind of Press:

It's not as hard as it sounds. Here are a few strategies:

• Help a Reporter Out (HARO): This is a free service that connects journalists with sources. Sign up and respond to relevant queries in your area of expertise. It's a goldmine for getting quoted in articles.
• Pitch Local Media: Do you have an interesting story? A unique business angle? A community achievement? Local newspapers and TV stations are always looking for compelling stories.
• Collaborate: Partner with already notable figures or brands in your industry. This exposure can often lead to organic media mentions.
• Commentary and Op-Eds: Offer expert commentary on trending topics in your industry. This can position you as a thought leader and get your name in articles.

Your goal is to collect 5–7 strong media links that showcase genuine public interest in what you do.

The Step-by-Step Application Guide

Once your profile is polished and you’ve gathered your proof, you're ready to apply. The process is slightly different for each path.

How to Apply for the Traditional Blue Badge

You can find the request form by searching "Request a verified badge" in the Facebook Help Center or by navigating directly to the verification form.

1. Select What to Verify: Choose whether you are applying for a Profile or a Page. If you have multiple pages, select the correct one from the dropdown.
2. Confirm Authenticity (Step 1): This step is about proving you are who you say you are.
   • For a person (Profile), you'll need a photo of a government-issued ID like a driver's license or passport.
   • For an organization (Page), you'll need an official document like a tax filing, articles of incorporation, or a utility bill with the business name and address.
3. Confirm Notability (Step 2): This proves you're in the public interest.
   • Category: Choose a category that best describes your account (e.g., Creator, Musician, Business, Fashion).
   • Country/Region: Enter the country where you or your entity is most prominent.
   • Audience (Optional): Briefly describe the people who follow you and why. Keep this concise.
   • Also Known As (Optional): List other names you or your organization are known by.
   • Links (The Most Important Part): This is it. Add up to five links to the news articles, social media profiles, and other websites that show your account is of public interest. Prioritize independent, third-party news sources here. Do not link to paid content.
4. Click Submit: All done. Now you wait. Facebook typically responds within a few days to a few weeks. You'll receive a notification about their decision.

How to Sign Up for Meta Verified

Since this is a subscription, the process is more like signing up for a service than applying for a prize.

1. Check Eligibility: This is currently only for personal and creator profiles. Go to your Profile >, Settings &, Privacy >, Accounts Center.
2. Find "Meta Verified": If the program is available to you, you will see a "Meta Verified" option. If you don't see it, it hasn't rolled out to your account yet.
3. Subscribe: Tap on the "Meta Verified" tab and select the profile you want to verify. You'll see an option to "Subscribe."
4. Set Up Payment: Follow the prompts to set up your monthly payment.
5. Complete Identity Verification: You'll be asked to take a photo of your government-issued ID and possibly a selfie video to confirm your identity. It's important that the name and photo on your Facebook profile match your government ID.
6. Wait for Review: The review process typically takes up to 48 hours. Once confirmed, the blue badge will appear on your profile.

So, You Were Rejected. Now What?

First - don't panic. A rejection is not a permanent "no." It's common for even well-known accounts to get rejected on their first try. The rejection simply means you didn't provide enough evidence of notability at this time.

You must wait 30 days before you can re-apply. Use that time constructively:

• Strengthen Your Case: Go back to the "notability" step. Can you land another interview? Get featured in another publication? Actively work on building more press.
• Re-Evaluate Your Links: Were any of the links you submitted for paid or sponsored content? Did you rely too heavily on social media links? Get honest about the quality of the sources you provided and find replacements.
• Consider Meta Verified: If you're a creator or individual and traditional verification is proving difficult, the Meta Verified subscription might be a much faster and simpler path to getting the blue badge and its associated benefits.

Finally, a word of caution: never, ever pay a third-party service that "guarantees" verification. These are almost always scams. The only way to get a legitimate verified badge is through the official channels outlined above.

Final Thoughts

Getting your Facebook account verified is all about clearly demonstrating two things: your identity and your relevance. Whether you’re proving your public notability through media coverage for the traditional badge or confirming your identity through the Meta Verified subscription, the goal is to show you are an authentic and credible entity. It’s less about filling out a form and more about the ongoing work of building a reputable online presence.

While the verification badge itself is a powerful trust signal, the foundation of that trust comes from maintaining a professional and engaging presence day-to-day. For our own socials, we rely on Postbase to manage our entire content calendar. Keeping our feed active and polished - which is a prerequisite for verification - is simple when we can schedule everything from Reels to daily photos across all platforms in one visual planner. A solid content game is your best evidence that your account is worth following, and using the right tool makes that job feel effortless.