Have you been wondering how to get that little blue check mark on your Facebook accounts? You know, that check mark that shows all your followers that you’re someone with enough status for Facebook to verify it?

Verifying your Facebook Page and earning that tiny symbol next to your business’s name makes you more official and credible.

It makes sense that most businesses want to earn that Facebook verification for themselves.

In this post, we’re going to look at how to verify your Facebook Page and your Facebook profile, and everything that the verification process entails.

Why Verify Your Page or Profile?

We put a lot of time and effort into creating social proof on all our accounts, including Facebook, because it’s a quick signal to other users that our business is important and established enough to earn it. Those verification checkmarks do exactly the same thing.

When users see the check mark, they know that they’re actually looking at your business’s (or your) real page; it’s not an imposter and not a fan page. They know they can message you for customer service, and it helps show that you’re taking your social media marketing and customer relationships seriously.

Another really big bonus: having that verification will help your Page or profile rank higher in both Facebook’s and Google’s search engine.

What’s the Difference Between Blue and Grey Checkmarks on Facebook?

There are two different colored checkmarks that appear next to Pages and profiles on Facebook. The blue checkmark indicates the confirmed authenticity of Pages, public figures, and brands. It shows that this is the official account for a brand, business, or person. Both Pages and personal profiles can get this type of verification.

The gray checkmarks, on the other hand, indicate a confirmed location for a specific business. While this one isn’t quite as difficult to obtain or as noticeable, it can still help your business gain some credibility on Facebook, which is always a good thing.

If your business belongs to a big chain, franchise, or corporation, the main account run by corporate’s marketing team will be the one with the blue check mark, and all individual local locations could earn the gray checkmark. A great example for this is pictured above for the Bed Bath & Beyond Pages.

Can Anyone Get Verified on Facebook?

Theoretically, yes. In reality… sort of.

Only some types of Pages can be verified. Having a physical location helps a great deal since the gray badge is location-based and much easier to obtain than the blue badge. Local Business, Organizations, Companies, and Public Figures are all Page types that can obtain Facebook verification.

Obtaining Facebook verification for a personal profile is significantly harder, and in order to do so, you must have a ton of friends on your account and meet other requirements.

How to Verify Your Facebook Page

Before you start the process of verification, you’ll want to make sure your Page is in top form. Facebook doesn’t have a strict list of requirements, but making sure that your Page looks great—and credible—will go a long way when Facebook is reviewing your request.

This means that your Page must have:

• A website
• Contact information
• An “About” and long-form description
• Plenty of native content

It’s also important to note that only certain types of Pages can become verified. This includes Public Figures, Local Businesses, Companies, and Organizations.

To verify your Facebook Page, start at the actual Page. Go to your Page’s settings, and then go to “General.” Here, you’ll see the option for “Page Verification” if you have the ability to get your Page verified.

You’ll then have the option for “instant” verification, or for a more lengthy verification process. The former gives you the option to have Facebook call your Page’s publicly listed phone number. You’ll be given a verification code, which you’ll enter into the box Facebook provides you with. Then Facebook will award you with a gray check mark (and eventually, potentially a blue one).

If you don’t want to use this method, you can also upload documents that show that you legally own the business. This includes business licenses, tax files, or articles of incorporation. Facebook will review them manually before approval. 

How to Verify Your Facebook Profile

Getting your personal Facebook profile (where you have friends instead of fans) verified is a lot trickier than getting your business verified. Only people of a near-celebrity status will be able to get their personal profiles verified, even though a lot of the qualifications to getting verified are pretty much the same.

You’ll need a lot of followers, though, which isn’t required for Pages.

Once you submit your personal Facebook profile for verification (which, from what I can see you need to do by contacting Facebook directly), Facebook (if seriously considering your request) will get in touch and ask for documents that can help prove you are who you say you are, like a copy of your license.

I’ll go ahead and save you some time with this one, and strongly recommend creating a Page for yourself and try to get that verified; it will be significantly easier.

How Long Does it Take to Get Verified?

It depends on a number of factors, including what type of Page you have, how busy the Facebook team is, and even your number of followers. Facebook takes longer, for example, when approving businesses than some celebrities.

This is a huge time span, but it can take anywhere from 48 hours to 45 days, especially for the blue badge of verification; the gray badge typically takes much less time.

What if Facebook Rejects My Submission?

If Facebook doesn’t verify you, for whatever reason, it’s not the end of the world; like Twitter, you may just need to revamp your profile or Page and try again.

Make sure that your Page is full and fleshed-out, with as much information as possible to make you seem credible. Writers can add publications to their “Impressum” section, and be getting more mentions or reviews from other Pages and users don’t hurt, either. You can also reach out to Facebook’s support for more information about why you may have been rejected, too.

You can also reach out to Facebook’s support for more information about why you may have been rejected, too.

Final Thoughts

Most businesses and marketers put a ton of work into making their online and social presences as strong as they possibly can, and getting your Page verified by Facebook (in either way) helps strengthen your social presence. It shows that you’ve taken the extra step, and ensures that your customers will know they’re at the right Page for the business. Getting your Page verified just takes a few easy steps, so head over to your Page now and get started!

It shows that you’ve taken the extra step, and ensures that your customers will know they’re at the right Page for the business. Getting your Page verified just takes a few easy steps, so head over to your Page now and get started!

What do you think? Have you gotten your Page or profile verified by Facebook yet? How long did it take you to get that blue or gray badge? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think!