About Verified Accounts
The blue Verified badge on Twitter lets people know that an account of public interest is authentic. To receive the blue badge, your account must be authentic, notable, and active.
Authentic
To encourage and maintain trust between users on the platform, you will need to confirm your identity with Twitter in order to be verified. Depending on the category, you will be asked to choose one of the following three methods of verifying your identity:
- Official website: Provide the link to an official website that references you (or your organization) and your Twitter account. For individuals, the organization that owns the website must be Verified on Twitter.
- ID verification: Provide a photo of a valid official government issued identification document, such as your Driver’s License or Passport. This requirement applies to individuals, not companies, brands, or organizations.
- Official email address: Provide an official email address with a domain relevant to the notability category you choose. For individuals, the organization the domain is associated with must be Verified on Twitter.
Notable
Your account must represent or otherwise be associated with a prominently recognized individual or brand, in line with the notability criteria described below. In addition to confirming the identity of the controller of the account, Twitter will verify the following types of accounts based on the criteria described. In all categories, Twitter may independently confirm qualifying affiliation through business partnerships or direct outreach. For each category we may request the following type of information to confirm notability:
- News Coverage: Provide news articles that are about or reference yourself or your organization multiple times in the article. These articles must be from Verified news organizations and cannot be a blog or self-published content. Some categories may require you to submit articles that reference or link to your or your organization’s Twitter handle in addition to referring to you or your organization.
- Google Trends: Provide a link to a profile on Google Trends that depicts search history and is linked to the category in which you are applying
- Wikipedia: Provide a link to a stable Wikipedia article about you or your organization that meets the encyclopedia’s notability standards
- Other industry specific references: Depending on the category, we may ask for more industry specific references such as a link to an IMDB page for entertainment.
- Follower or Mention Count: If your account is detected to be in the top .05% follower or mention count for your geographic location, it may count towards notability evidence for certain categories.
Note: Twitter uses a mix of internal signals to evaluate the authenticity of a given account's followers and engagement. We also assess a range of signals from third-party public resources that have been submitted in support of applications (such as how recently they were updated) to evaluate the quality of those resources.
Active
Your account must be active with a record of adherence to the Twitter Rules. This means:
- Complete: Your account must have a profile name, and a profile image;
- Active use: Your account must be public at the time of application and you must have logged into that account in the last six months;
- Security: Your account must have a confirmed email address or phone number; and
- Twitter Rules: Your account must not have had a 12-hour or 7-day lockout for violating the Twitter Rules in the past 12 months (excluding successful appeals).*
*We may make exceptions to the above requirements for accounts at high risk of impersonation or safety related concerns.
Please note, we reserve the right to deny or revoke Verification to accounts that meet any of the above criteria through artificial or inauthentic activity.
Ineligible accounts
Certain accounts are ineligible for the blue badge, regardless of the above criteria, including:
- Parody, newsfeed, commentary, and unofficial fan accounts;
- Pets and fictional characters, unless directly affiliated with a Verified Company, Brand, or Organization, or with a Verified entertainment production
- Accounts engaged in severe violations of our Platform manipulation and spam policy, such as the buying and selling of followers and engagement
- Accounts of individuals or groups associated with coordinated harmful activity, or hateful content as defined in Twitter’s Ads Policies, or that have been found to have committed gross human rights violations by an international court/tribunal, or a fact-finding mission or commission of inquiry authorized by an international organization, may be ineligible for Verification – even if their activity on Twitter doesn’t violate the Twitter Rules
- Accounts that routinely post content that harasses, shames, or insults any individual or group—especially on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, medical/genetic condition, status as a veteran, status as a refugee, or status as an immigrant—or content that promotes the supremacy or interests of members of any group in a manner likely to be perceived as demeaning on the basis of these categories; and
- Accounts promoting sale of the Verification badge itself or offering unauthorized assistance with the application process **
Loss of Verified status
In accordance with the Twitter Terms of Service, Twitter may remove the Verified status of an account at any time without notice.
Sometimes, changes made to an account by the owner may result in loss of Verified status. User-made changes include, but are not limited to:
- If you change your username (@handle)
- If your account becomes inactive or incomplete
- If you are no longer in the position you initially were Verified for – such as an elected government official who leaves office – and you do not otherwise meet our criteria for Verification.
- If changes to your account are misleading or substantially alter the persona present on your account.
- If changes to your account result in failure to meet the eligibility requirements for Verification outlined above.
- If changes to your account cause you to fall under any of the categories in the "Ineligible Accounts" section
- Impersonation or Intentionally misleading people on Twitter by changing your display name, bio, banner image, and/or profile image.
- Severe violations that result in immediate account suspension.
- Repeat policy violations in Tweets, including but not limited to:
Twitter reserves the right to assess the qualifications of any Verified account under the currently published version of the Verification Policy.
Please note, we may suspend accounts that use imagery of, or similar to, the Verification badge in a manner that may mislead the public about the account’s Verification status.
** Important Note:
Twitter does not sell the blue Verification badge. A Twitter employee will never request financial compensation in exchange for a badge or as part of the application process. Twitter does not authorize any external agents or individuals to sell Verification on the platform. We encourage people to directly apply through the Verification application process available in the Twitter app. Individuals offering to buy or sell Verification are subject to loss of Verified status and permanent suspension from the platform.
Categories for Verification
The specific requirements for authenticity, notability and activity are outlined by category and subcategory below:
News organizations and individuals in news
Government
Government Office Accounts
Accounts of current government agencies, departments/ministries, and institutions
Prerequisites
- Account includes a relevant link to an official government URL on their profile
- Account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity
- Links to at least 5 relevant articles that reference the applicant multiple times as a government office or public service
- Verify an email address with an official government domain
- Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the your organization’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate the applicant's account
Individuals in Government
Accounts of federal or state level government officials, such as, heads of state, elected officials, appointed ministers, ambassadors, and official spokespeople
Prerequisites
- Account references their government position in their bio
- Is their official account for their office, not a personal or campaign account
- Account links official government URL on their profile
- Are currently serving in government office mentioned in their bio
- Account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity:
- Public reference to your name and Twitter handle on official site of a verified government entity; URL must link to specific page of reference
- Links to at least 5 news articles that reference you in your government position
- Verify an email address with an official government domain
- A photo of your valid government-issued ID
Candidates for Office
Accounts of official candidates for state- or national-level public office in upcoming elections. Candidates will not qualify unless registered with the appropriate election authority.
Prerequisites
- Account references that they are a candidate and what office they are running for
- Account links to URL of campaign website
- Individual is officially registered with the appropriate election authority in a state or national level public election that has not yet occurred
- Account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity:
- A link to your official campaign website which also references your Twitter handle.
- Links to 5 news articles, published in the previous 6 months before applying, that reference you as a candidate for office
- A photo of your valid government-issued ID
- Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference your Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate the your account
Companies, brands, and organizations
Organizations
Accounts representing prominent organizations including companies, brands, non-profit organizations. Secondary affiliated accounts of verified organizations may also qualify.
Prerequisites
- Account links to their official company website in their profile
- Account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity
- A link to a website that demonstrates your organization’s presence in a public stock exchange
- A link to a stable Wikipedia article about your organization that meet the encyclopedia’s notability standards
- Links to 3 or more news articles about your organization published by an already Verified news organization within the 6 months prior to applying
- Demonstrate your account has a follower count in the top .05% of active accounts located in the same geographic region
Leaders & Executives
Leaders and other prominent executives of Verified companies, brands and non-profit organizations
Prerequisites
- Account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity
- A link to your organization website that references individual and Twitter account
- A link to a stable Wikipedia article about you that meet the encyclopedia’s notability standards
- Links to 3 or more news articles referencing you in a leadership position published by a Verified news organization within the 6 months prior to applying
- A photo of your valid government-issued ID
News organizations and journalists
Individuals in News
Accounts of individuals employed by Verified news organizations in a public facing news reporting role including reporters, news anchors & editors.
Prerequisites:
- Your account must refer directly to the name and official URL of the qualifying organization in your Twitter bio. (Either @mention or include URL to your employer’s official site)
- Your employer already has a Verified account
- Your account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity:
- Evidence that you and your Twitter handle is listed on official company website
- Links to 3 articles crediting you as an author published by your employer published within the last 6 months
- A photo of your valid government-issued ID
- Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the applicant’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate your account
Freelance Journalists
Individuals who are not employed by but consistently publish in Verified news publications
Prerequisites:
- Your account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity.
- Links to 3 articles crediting you as the author from an already verified news organization within the past 6 months. Opinion pieces will not be accepted.
- A photo of your valid government-issued ID
- Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the applicant’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate your account
News Organizations
Prerequisites:
- Your account links to official website in bio
- Your account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity:
- A link to an official website that references your organization and your Twitter account
- The account demonstrates sufficient platform presence in the top .05% of active accounts located in the same geographic region
- The account demonstrate a public presence by providing Google Trends evidence, link to a stable Wikipedia articles that meet the encyclopedia’s notability standards, or listing on a qualifying stock exchange
- Links to 3 articles referencing the applicant as a news organization published by a Verified organization within the last 6 months.
- Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the applicant’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate the applicant's account
Entertainment
Entertainment or Production Company
Accounts of major entertainment companies, such as film studios, TV networks, and music entities may be verified. Official accounts of productions associated with these entities, such as films, events/festivals, or TV shows, may be verified as long as they are affiliated with a verified entertainment organization.
Prerequisites:
- Profile links to official website
- Account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity
- Demonstrate sufficient platform presence in the top .05% of active accounts located in the same geographic region
- Demonstrate a public presence by providing Google Trends evidence, link to a stable Wikipedia article that meet the encyclopedia’s notability standards, or listing on a qualifying stock exchange
- Links to 3 or more news articles about the organization published by a Verified news organization within the 6 months prior to applying
- A link to the organization’s official website
- Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the applicant’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate the applicant's account
Individual in Entertainment
Individual accounts of artists, performers, directors, and others in similar public-facing roles associated with such entities or their productions
Prerequisites:
- Profile links to official website of verified entertainment entity referencing applicant provided as notability evidence
- Account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity
- A link to the applicant's IMDB page containing 50+ production credits
- Links to 3 articles featuring applicant from Verified news publishers within the last 6 months
- A link to a website that specifically reference applicant’s Twitter account and is the website of an official site of an already verified organization
- A photo of a valid government-issued ID
- Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the applicant’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate the applicant's account
Sports and gaming
Professional sport organizations, teams & leagues
Accounts of professional sports leagues, clubs, teams and global competitions such as Olympics and Paralympics
Prerequisites:
- Account links to their official company website in their profile
- Account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity:
- Demonstrate sufficient platform presence in the top .05% of active accounts located in the same geographic region
- A link to an already Verified official sports organization, team, or league website that references the applicant
- Demonstrate a public presence by providing Google Trends evidence, link to a stable Wikipedia articles that meet the encyclopedia’s notability standards, or listing on a qualifying stock exchange
- Links to 3 or more news articles about the organization published by erified news organization within the 6 months prior to applying
- Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the applicant’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate the applicant's account
Individuals in professional sports
Individual accounts of athletes, coaches, team members, and others in similar management or public-facing roles associated with such entities.
Note: We will not verify amateur athletes who compete at the collegiate level (or lower) nor in official minor leagues unless they meet the criteria for verification under the 'influential individuals' category (see below).
Prerequisites:
- Account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You will also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity:
- A link to a website that specifically references applicant and is the official site of an already verified organization
- Links to 3 or more articles featuring the applicant as a professional individual in sports published by verified news organizations within 6 months prior to applying
- A photo of a valid government-issued ID
- Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the applicant’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate the applicant's account
Individuals in gaming
Individual accounts of esport athletes that are affiliated with verified gaming teams or leagues.
Prerequisites:
- Account’s follower count is in the top .05% in their region
- Are affiliated with a verified gaming team or league and reference it in their bio
- Account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity
- A link to official team or league website referencing applicant as professional esports athlete or coach for verified esports team
- Links to 3 or more articles about or referencing the individual published within the 6 months prior to applying in news outlets such as Launcher, Gamesbeat, Dexerto, Kotaku, Polygon, or IGN
- A photo of a valid government-issued ID
- Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the applicant’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate the applicant's account
Activists and organizers
Outside the professional categories defined above, people who are using Twitter effectively to bring awareness, share information, and galvanize community members around a cause, to bring about socioeconomic, political, or cultural change, or to otherwise foster community, may be verified.
Prerequisites:
- Account is reflecting an individual, not an organization
- Account’s follower count is in the top .05% in their region
- Account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity:
- An official website associated with advocacy work that references the account holder's name or indicates they hold a leadership position at the advocacy group.
- Links to 3 or more articles about the individual and their advocacy work published in a Verified news sources within the last 6 months
- Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the applicant’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate the applicant's account
*In response to current events, we may verify accounts that do not fully meet the criteria above due to their expertise or public role in matters of high public interest, as well as their susceptibility to impersonation. For example:
- Medical professionals during epidemics or other public health crises;
- Activists and local political leaders in times of protest or in connection with a significant cultural event;
- Public safety and journalist accounts reporting on natural disasters; or
- Organizers, proponents, or founders of campaigns in support of civil or human rights
Content creators and influential individuals
Established digital content creators who consistently publish original content (regardless of platform) for at least 6 months prior to applying and meet the follower or mention criteria listed below for other influential individuals.
Prerequisites:
- Account is reflecting an individual, not an organization
- Account meets criteria for significant platform presence (top .05% of mentions or follower count) in their geographic region
- Account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts
- A profile on Google Trends with evidence of recent search activity
- A stable Wikipedia article about you that meets the encyclopedia’s notability standards for people
- Links to 3 or more featured references within the 6 months prior to applying in news outlets that meet the News criteria above; including specialty publications related to your profession or expertise
- A link to a content page outside of Twitter that shows your published content over the last 6 months
- Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the applicant’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate the applicant's account.