Alex Tooby
6 min read
How to Get Verified on Instagram - The Step by Step Method & Exact Criteria You Must Meet!
We’ve all seen it before.. That official blue check next to someone’s username on Instagram. How fancy! How exclusive! How the heck did they get it?!
This blue check signifies “verification” by Instagram and instantly gives your account authority. Anyone landing on your feed will know you’re accredited in some way which is amazing for business and effortlessly builds up your credibility.
Just a few months ago, I was fortunate enough to be verified on @alextooby & @menandcoffee and I couldn’t be happier!
Along with that comes all the questions..
How do you get verified on Instagram?
Until late 2018 there was no way to request Instagram verification. You simply had to hope your account would be chosen. These blue checks were almost exclusively saved for major celebrities and well-known brands like Kim Kardashian and Mercedes.
Now, however, you can actually request to be verified! But, keep in mind, not everyone that submits a verification request will be approved. Below I break down the step-by-step process of how to get verified on Instagram, including the exact criteria you need to meet for the best chance at approval!
Prefer to watch the video version of this tutorial? Check out my YouTube Video!
How to get verified on Instagram:
1. Navigate to your account settings by tapping the 3 line icon in the top right of your profile and hitting ‘settings’ at the bottom.
2. Scroll down and select ‘request verification’.
3. From there, you will be asked to submit the following:
• Instagram Username (this will be the account you’re currently logged into and want to have verified)
• Your Full Name (insert your full name as seen on your legal identification. If this is for a business you want to enter the name of the primary shareholder)
• Known As (for me this was simply Alex Tooby, however if this is for a company you’ll want to enter the company name)
• Account Category (select the closest match)
• A picture of valid photo identification (this can be a passport, driver’s license, or national identification card. Alternatively, you can provide official business documents such as tax papers, recent utility bills, etc.)
4. Then you simply have to press ‘send’, and wait.. The time you’ll have to wait is not clearly noted by Instagram so it could be a few hours, days, or weeks. Try your best to be patient!
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Additional Criteria Considered for Instagram Verification
Instagram does publicly state a number of qualifications each account must meet if it wants to be verified on Instagram. So, for the highest chance of being approved, make sure your account complies with the following:
1. Authentic. Your account must be a real person, business, or entity. “Fan” accounts (like those created for celebrities) are excluded from this category.
2. Unique. Instagram typically doesn’t verify general interest or repost accounts. The content being created and posted must be your own. (@menandcoffee seems to have by-passed this rule but I believe that’s because my account passed all the other qualifications.)
3. Public & Complete. Instagram requires every verified account to be public and have a completely filled out bio. This includes having a profile picture and posts uploaded to your account. I always tell my students having a complete, optimized and effective bio is essential for Instagram and this just makes that even more true! Want to watch a lesson on optimizing your bio? Sign up for my FREE course!
4. No Cross-Promotion. Your account cannot have “add me” links that tell users to follow you on other social platforms. Your link should only be used to direct traffic to your website, store, landing page, etc.
5. Notable. While verification was typically reserved for celebrities before, Instagram is now considering accounts that have been featured in multiple well-known news sources. This is where I think most people end up being denied for verification. Having a popular brand is not enough if you have no press outside of your own website. Instagram wants to know that you’re globally notable and recognizable! (Paid or promotional content is deemed invalid)
A few things to note after submitting your Instagram verification request
1. There’s no minimum follower requirement to be verified on Instagram. Instagram doesn’t require you to have a certain amount of followers to apply for verification (unlike some of their other features!) On the flip side of that, having millions of followers doesn’t guarantee verification, either! It’s all about those qualifications listed above so make sure you meet them!
2. Instagram does not give specific reasons for denying verification requests. Users will receive a notification that says your account hasn’t met the criteria and that’s it. Kinda annoying, right?! You are, however, able to submit a request every 30 days, so keep trying!
3. There is no way to manually submit news articles you’ve been featured in – Instagram does their own research on press and appearances. If the articles you’ve been featured in can be found on Google, they will find them! If you’ve been featured in publications make sure your / your business name is listed in the title, or the excerpt that displays on google. If your name is mentioned in passing it may not hold as much weight.
4. There’s no telling when Instagram will approve or deny your request. In typical Instagram fashion, it can take days or weeks. Just keep an eye on your notifications (which is how they told me I was verified!) for your approval or denial message.
5. You will NOT receive an email from Instagram asking you to apply for verification, nor can a third party get you verified for a fee! There are plenty of scams related to Instagram verification so make sure you don’t fall for any. If you receive an email from Instagram suggesting you can get verified by clicking a link, DON’T DO IT! This is how you get your account hacked! I received one of these emails and when I checked who the sender was, it was [email protected]! That’s definitely not Instagram! Also, do not pay anyone to get you verified, whether they claim to “know someone at Instagram” or not. It’s not possible. The only way to be verified on Instagram is through the official application process noted above.
That is how to get verified on Instagram! As you can see, while there is the option for everyone to request Instagram verification, there unfortunately is no guarantee that you’ll be approved. However, if you follow the steps above and make sure your account meets all of the criteria listed, you WILL have the best chance! If you are denied, remember you can resubmit your application every 30 days. Good luck!
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Have you applied to be verified on Instagram? What was the result?
Let me know in the comments!
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I have been denied a few times now, and it is hugely annoying as the account over delivers on all of the above points. Absolutely loads of articles / features in some of the worlds better known publications and websites. Quite a few international awards won for the work. A publishing deal and lots of speaking engagements. No verification so far, there doesn’t seem to be any real measurable criteria for it either as I know other accounts in my field who are verified and don’t meet the criteria. It seems almost like the throw of a dice when I… Read more »
I would certainly keep trying and perhaps adjust the info that you’re entering in the submission form! A slight name change or category could help
Hmmmm not so sure. It gets a little demotivating after a few tries. One of the pages I know that has been verified has been routinely bulk buying followers and using the Follow / Unfollow method, Socialblade shows up this activity on their account quite clearly, but still ended up a verified page. You would think Instagram would actually check for this kind of activity but no obviously not. As I said there does seem to be any sense behind it. It sounds like I am irked but that’s only because I am 🙂
I think if you fall in a genre or area where you are actively promoting Instagram then it’s a not brainer for them. If you are a photographer among millions then they are much much more selective and that’s where the problem lies. I will let you know how this latest attempt goes.
I take it all back Alex. They just Verified it. Weird that it took them less than an hour since this last request.
haha, that’s awesome!!! congrats! <3
What did you do differently??
Nothing, I was verified using these exact methods and qualifications
From memory I tried what Alex suggested as my only difference when applying. I forgot what the options were when you chose what kind of account you think you are running, I just chose something different from that list to normal. I personally think it was down to the person doing the checking this time. There are lots of features online about my work and maybe the person that check previously didn’t look very hard?
Hey Matt,how long did it take you to get verified from the time you applied to the time you saw the verification tick? Did it really take an hour?
How long did it take ?
So thank you Alex for the reminder to apply again, they just verified my account. better late than never!
How long did the verification take and how were you notified, thanx
Thanks for sharing this information with us your website and content is really nice I love to share this with my contacts.
Thank you so much for stopping by I am so glad to hear you are enjoying my resources!
Do you have anyone claiming to be you?
There is another page that shares the same name with a slight difference to differentiate it. It deals with photography and art so they’re not impersonating but it’s similar.
I was really surprised my husband’s request to be verified was denied. He’s been written about and interviewed for nearly two decades, including an interview with Oprah. He has celebrity endorsements, two books under his belt, and another coming out in spring. The only thing I wondered about is the categories. He’s an author and subject matter expert, and I didn’t see a good fit for him in the category section, so we chose other. I wonder if we should have chosen business/brand/organization? We’ll try again next month, but it does seem a bit random, especially considering the experience Matt… Read more »
Hmm he definitely sounds like someone who should be verified! Is his first and last name in his bio or username?
I thought so too, and was really surprised when they denied it. His name is in his bio, and it’s his username. The only thing is we had to use a _ between his first and last name, but I wouldn’t think that’s the dealbreaker. His website and what he does is in his bio too. We’ll try again in a month, but I did think it was weird.
Yeah he sounds like he’s meeting all the criteria! Definitely try again. There’s already one person in the comments who had been denied a bunch but was approved today!
Thanks. I saw that and it gives me hope 🙂
How long should I wait after I get my publications before I apply for verification
Hi Sandra, I am not sure exactly what you mean by ‘publications’, but as long as they can be readily found on a google search you should be fine 🙂
Does having a Wikipedia page or article about the person or athlete help ?
Hi Ameer, thanks for reaching out! While a Wiki page is a great start, on its own it will not be enough. Instagram wants to see that you’re globally notable and recognizable. For these reasons I would also recommend that you work towards being featured in a variety of reputable news sources. Hope this helps 🙂
hi alex ! i have a big account , and many article on webmagazine cosmopolitan , glamour and more.. my bio is complete explain who i am and i have link to facebook page and a link to my second account….i had try 3 days a go to request the verification but , they say doesent meet the criteria , i did in the past try fiew times… but notthing … i had try in “fashion” and in “other” category.. still the same
Hi Carl! Don’t link to your FB page in your bio. Link to your official website instead, then try again
hi alex i did what you suggest to me .. i had remove the fb link and put my personal website , i did try again but notthing.. doesen’t meet criteria .. so now -i don’t have links of any social -i have only stories liks for my article on glamour, cosmopolitan , and national newspaper -ihave my website link on my bio and original content -my bio is complete explain that i am an artist and were is my shop what can i do more? now is businnes account maybe switch to personal? maybe put my face on my… Read more »
thanks alex , i did try another time days a go ..but notthing.. -i have remove my fb page link and youtube link -i had write my website link -i have a bio -i have al the links in the story about my cosmopolitan ,glamour ,and 5 of the most important newspaper who write about me -i have unique content -i have profile picture —but for them doesen’t meet criteria this have no sense?? so my question at this point is maybe i did’t choose the right category ? (i’m a artist-tattooer but i’m in fashion issue..) maybe i have… Read more »
I wasn’t verified
But i want to make my account verified. My name is unique and have images in Google search also. But now i will follow these steps
Good luck Harman!
This has always been a question I’ve had in the back of my mind so this was definitely interesting to read. Hope to do this one day as my blog grows. Thanks for sharing this. Tasha M
You’re very welcome!
Hi. I have read your post and everything is very true. I am working on building my SEO with news publications. I am an Entrepreneur, Author, and Faith Based leader, life coach and more. But with me being an author and I’m promoting my book more. What category would you recommend that I use when I apply for the verification? Due, to me not seeing author under category.
Hi Jay! I would pick whatever category you think describes your situation the best 🙂
I enjoyed this article a lot and found it informative, however, when I followed your instructions on my own IG account, the setting you said was not to be found, so I was not able to do this and I scrolled through all the tabs I could find with no success.
Hi Dave! Glad you found this blog post helpful! If you go to your settings and then to the account tab, you will find the request verification option in there
Hi Alex, great article. We have a rock band profile on IG, “owned” by five people (not just an individual), and given it is a brand it is not easy to bind the band name to us as real persons (for worst, we use alter-egos as musicians, not our real names). Should we submit pictures of our five personal IDs? Or just one of us should be enough? Or something different? Aside this, I think we can meet criteria now (13.5k followers, verified everywhere else including FB, PR media articles, consistent original posting, “best practices” profile bio and above average… Read more »
Hi Paco! Who was the original owner of the account before you gave access/shared it between yourselves? I would get that person to submit their ID. As for meeting the criteria, be sure to have a good variety of media coverage (paid promo does not count), this is the area that most people struggle to meet in full Best of luck!