How to get verified on Instagram in 5 simple steps

Nothing says you’vemade it quite like the Instagram blue check. It means your content’s hot – or at least your profile is.

The elusive Instagram verification badge is a bit of a status symbol. It’s usually associated with celebrities, public figures, and global brands – accounts everybody wants to follow. But the verified badge is just Instagram’s way of saying they’ve confirmed the account holder is who they say they are. When you see the blue tick, you know the content on that account is legitimate. So whether you’re an up-and-coming influencer or you’ve just launched a one-of-a-kind brand, that little blue check mark will show your Instagram followers you’re the real deal. #nofakes

The process may sound intimidating, but anyone can apply in a few simple steps. Read on to learn how to get a check mark of your own.

How to get verified on Instagram in 5 steps

First things first: You don’t need to be a household name or have a celebrity-level follower count to get your account verified. All you have to do is meet Instagram’s requirements. So let’s dive into the five simple steps for getting verified on IG.

1. In the Instagram app, go to your profile and click on the hamburger menu – the three lines in the top right corner of the screen.

2. When the menu pops up, tap Settings.

3. Now click Account.

4. Scroll down and click on Request verification.

5. Type your full name. Then click Document type and select the document you want to use for verification (a driver’s license or utility bill will do). Click Choose File, and upload a photo of your verification document. You’ll then have a series of questions to answer. After responding, scroll to the bottom of the page and click Submit.

The hard part’s over! Now sit back, relax and keep putting out great content. You can expect to get a response from Instagram within 30 days.

Requirements for getting verified

Anyone can apply for Instagram verification – but you have to play by the rules. Before you put in a request for your own blue check mark, make sure your account:

• Represents a real person, registered business, or entity
• Is unique to the person or business it’s representing
• Is the only account tied to the name of the person, business, or entity, unless you run another account for audiences who speak a different language
• Isn’t general-interest – Instagram won’t give the blue tick to a fan account or something like @puppymemes
• Isn’t set to private
• Has a bio, profile photo, and at least one post
• Is well known, highly searched-for, and featured in multiple news sources
• Follows Instagram’s Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.

How does getting a check mark affect my account?

Having a blue checkmark by your name won’t just make other people think you’re cool – Instagram’s algorithm will think so too. Why does that matter? When someone searches for a specific person or business account, verified profiles will be the first to pop up in the results. Instagram considers verified accounts more "trustworthy." So your fans will find your real Instagram profile before they find that #fakeaccount.

There’s another perk too. Accounts with blue check marks get early access to the app's new features, and you get the opportunity to weigh in on the newest tools. Do you envy all those verified accounts for getting the "Swipe Up" feature before you did? Apply for verification so you can be an insider too.

Polish up your account before applying

Applying for Instagram verification is pretty quick and painless, but don’t rush your application for a new account. Remember how Instagram only verifies accounts that appear in the news? Wait to apply until you can show verifiers you’re in the public eye.

What counts as news? Instagram doesn’t want to see paid or promotional content, but they do accept articles from outlets around the world, and they’ve recently expanded their list of accepted sources to include diverse outlets like Black, LGBTQIA+, and Latinx media.

Here are a few tips to show you’ve got some reach:

• Make the most of your Instagram bio: Instagram won’t even consider offering you a blue check if you don’t have a profile picture or bio. And you can use your bio to link viewers to your Facebook page and other social media accounts – just drop in a Linktree multi-URL. You can even use your Linktree to showcase those news articles Instagram wants to see. Got a press release about your awesome new brand or an article raving about how fast your content went viral? Link to it straight from your bio to make it easy for verifiers to see you’re someone people are talking about.
• Build an audience and engage with it: We can’t say for sure if Instagram factors the number of followers into their decision. But building up an engaged audience is a best practice for any aspiring internet star. So rack up those followers and give them quality content before applying for a verified badge.
• Be consistent with your content: There’s a reason Instagram asks applicants to have at least one photo on their grid before applying for verification – you can’t learn much about an account if there’s nothing on the page. But don’t just upload your most recent photo and call it a day. If you want Instagram to verify that your account’s content belongs to you, make it look like yours by carefully creating a space that accurately represents your persona or brand. People who visit your page should be able to get a sense of who you are from the content you post.