Being verified on Twitter is a dream come true for avid Twitter users. Getting the blue check next to your Twitter handle means you are who you say you are – not some random bot or imposter. And it immediately brings with it some serious Twitter cred.
Yet this badge of honor remains elusive to most of us. Of the 360,000 Twitter accounts, according to the latest stats available, only around 2% are verified.
Through the years, Twitter has stopped and restarted its verification process a number of times as they run into trouble with bots and a flawed verification process. Now, finally, they seem to have set in place a number of checks and balances to ensure the blue check
So, how do you get verified on Twitter and what are the steps you must take? Follow along with our handy guide.
A Short History Of The Blue Check Mark
Twitter first launched Verified Accounts in 2009. They managed the process by reaching out to public figures on the platform to confirm their identities before giving them the covetable blue check.
But when they were called out by Kanye West and sued by Tony La Russa over the sheer number of unauthorized accounts being managed by impersonators, they closed the process down.
Years later, in 2016, they opened up the application process to the public. However, they received so many requests that they couldn’t cope and abruptly put a stop to public verification the next year. They then went back to hand-picking verified accounts themselves.
Finally, four years later, in 2021, Twitter relaunched its verification system for all users with a brand new process.
10 Steps To Get Verified On Twitter
The Twitter verification process is similar on the Web as it is on Android or iOS. Here’s how to do it:
- Click on the round More ellipses (…) button in the left-hand navigation bar.
- Go to Settings and privacy.
- Go to Your account.
- Click on Account information.
- You will be asked for your Twitter account password to confirm that it’s you.
- Go to Verified: Request Verification.
- On the popup, select Start Verification.
- Select Category. From here on, Twitter will ask you for different information, depending on which category you choose. Pick the option that best describes your account.
- Follow the prompts, providing info as requested until the process is completed.
- Review your inputs and hit Submit.
All you need to do now is cross your fingers and wait to hear back from the Twitter gods.
Twitter promises to get back to you within days, but it could take longer, depending on how many open applications for verification they have in the queue.
If they approve your application, you’ll see the blue badge automatically on your profile. Happy days!
New Rules For Twitter Verification
In the latest iteration of the Twitter verification process, Twitter will decide whether to verify you or not by making a call on whether your account is authentic, notable, and active.
One way they’re doing that, along with manual checking on some accounts, is ensuring the applicant’s account is one of these six types:
- Government
- Companies, brands, and non-profit organizations
- News organizations and journalists (interesting fact: journalists make up nearly a quarter of all verified accounts on Twitter)
- Entertainment
- Sports and e-sports
- Activists, organizers, and other influential individuals
Depending on which category you fall in, Twitter will ask you to prove you are who you say you are.
Three methods to prove you are who you say you are:
- Do you have an official website? You will be asked to provide the link to an official website – such as Wikipedia, Google Trends profile, news coverage, or an IMDB page – that references you or your organization as well as your Twitter account. For individuals who want to be verified, make sure that the organization that owns the website is itself verified on Twitter.
- You must verify your ID. You can do this by uploading a photo of a valid official government-issued identification document, such as your passport or driver’s license. This applies to individuals, but not to companies, brands, or organizations.
- You’ll have to provide an official email address. The email address domain must be relevant to the category your choose, i.e. a non-profit or government website’s domain. Again, for individuals, the organization the domain is associated with will have to be verified on Twitter.
Requirements For Getting Verified On Twitter
Similar to getting verified on Instagram, to be eligible for the Twitter blue check, your account must have a display name and image, along with a confirmed email address or phone number. They will confirm that you have logged in to your account in the past six months.
Your follower and mention count may also be a factor in Twitter’s decision. For instance, if your account is in the top .05% follower or mention count for your geographic location, it may give you an advantage in certain categories.
Note that if Twitter decides you didn’t meet the eligibility requirements, you can reapply 30 days after receiving its decision on your application. There’s no limit to the number of times you can reapply.
Twitter will remove your blue check for a number of reasons, including if you repeatedly violate their rules against hate speech, spam, etc, if you change your Twitter handle, or if your account is inactive for six months or more.
Who Can Not Get A Verified Twitter Account?
- Pets
- Parody accounts
- Fictional characters
- Accounts that violate Twitter’s terms of service
- Anybody else who doesn’t fall into the new verification categories
Conclusion
Now that you know how to get verified on Twitter, and you feel you meet the criteria, go ahead and give it a bash.
Although it does not yet provide ways for ordinary people who don’t fit into any of the categories to benefit from a blue check, it is a great step toward giving businesses and brands a legitimate presence on the platform.
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