To get verified on TikTok, open your Profile, tap the Menu, choose Settings and privacy, then Account, then Verification, and send the request from an account that is active, authentic, complete, notable and secure. TikTok's Creator Academy verification guide says the blue check is free, that followers and likes alone don't earn it, and that notability is judged on independent media coverage of you, so sponsored articles and press releases don't count.
Most of the work happens before you tap Start. The request itself is short; what decides it is whether your profile, security settings and press coverage already match what reviewers look for. Below, TikTok's two current descriptions of the criteria sit side by side, followed by a readiness checklist and a table that separates the blue check from the other processes TikTok also calls verification, each of which asks for different documents and opens up different tools.
What the blue check confirms, and what it doesn't
The verified badge says TikTok has confirmed that an account belongs to the person, brand or organisation it claims to represent, rather than to a fan or parody page. According to TikTok's Help Center article on verified accounts, the badge appears beside the account name in search results and on the profile. A check mark shown anywhere else, such as typed into a bio, means nothing, because only TikTok can apply the real one and it always sits in the same place.
Three common assumptions don't survive a read of TikTok's own pages. The badge isn't an endorsement, and verified accounts answer to the same Community Guidelines and Terms of Service as everyone else. It isn't a listed recommendation signal either: verification is absent from the factors TikTok names in its published explanations of the For You feed, which we break down in our guide to how the TikTok algorithm works. And it doesn't buy lighter moderation. The enforcement section of the Community Guidelines says TikTok applies additional quality assurance to some accounts that have been through extra validation, and it names verified accounts as one example.
TikTok's five criteria, and where its two pages differ
TikTok describes the criteria in two places: the Creator Academy guide, last updated in July 2026, and an older Help Center article. Both use the same headings, but the detail under each one is not identical. Where they differ, meet the stricter version, because you can't know which wording a reviewer has in front of them.
| Criterion | Creator Academy guide | Help Center article | What to check before applying |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active | The account is in active use: you have logged in recently and published at least one public post | Logged in within the past 6 months, according to the Help Center | Log in regularly and keep at least one public post live |
| Authentic | A real person, business or organisation, with the account name, profile details, content and submitted materials all matching the identity being verified | One verification per person or business, with exceptions such as language-specific accounts; a business must provide an email domain that represents it, or may be asked for documents, and its username should resemble the business name | Use one name everywhere: on the account, in the coverage you submit and on the request |
| Complete | A public account with a profile photo, account name, bio and at least one public post, clearly showing who it represents | A public account with a username, bio, profile photo and at least one post | Fill every profile field so a stranger can tell who the account belongs to |
| Notable | Independent media coverage and other reliable public information showing you are publicly known, with detailed rules on which coverage counts | Featured in multiple news sources; press releases and sponsored or paid media are not considered | Gather direct links to independent articles about you, using the checklist below |
| Secure | A verified phone number and email address, with two-step verification turned on | Two-step verification with a verified email | Verify both phone and email, then switch on two-step verification |
| Followers and likes | Counts alone do not determine eligibility | Follower and like counts are not considered | Don't wait for a follower milestone, because TikTok doesn't publish one |
| Reapplying | You can apply again once you are eligible to reapply | Another request is possible 30 days after TikTok notifies you of its decision, per the Help Center | Note the decision date and fix the gaps before resubmitting |
The Help Center article adds a warning worth taking literally: TikTok reserves the right to deny or revoke verification where an account meets the criteria through artificial or inauthentic activity. That wording covers bought engagement and paid placements dressed up as news, so there is no shortcut worth taking on notability. Either independent outlets have written about you or they haven't yet.
Which verification type to choose
The Creator Academy guide lists three badge types. Personal verification covers creators, public figures, artists, athletes, journalists and other notable individuals. Business verification covers companies, brands, media organisations, entertainment properties, sports teams and other commercial organisations. Institution verification covers government bodies, schools, universities, charities, NGOs and other public or non-profit organisations. TikTok warns that picking the wrong type can delay the review or force a new application.
Your account type narrows the choice. The Help Center says a Business Account can only apply for business verification, a Personal Account can apply for personal or institutional verification, and a Government, Politician or Political Party Account can only apply for institutional verification. Settle the account type before you apply, because switching between personal and business later is one of the reasons TikTok lists for removing a badge. If you are still weighing that decision, our comparison of TikTok creator and business accounts sets out what each type gives up.
Creators who work under a stage name should apply as that name. TikTok's authenticity test is that the account, the profile and everything you submit point to the same identity, so the coverage you send should be about the same name the account uses.
Verification readiness checklist
Work through this list before you open the request. Each line maps to something TikTok's pages say reviewers look at, and the coverage rules come from the Creator Academy guide, which is far more specific than the Help Center about what counts as independent media.
- The profile is public and has a profile photo, account name, bio and at least one public post that makes clear who the account represents.
- Your username is final. TikTok removes the badge when a username changes, and you then have to reapply, so finish any rebrand first.
- Your account type is final, for the same reason.
- Your phone number and email address are both verified, and two-step verification is switched on.
- The account is in active use: you log in and you are still posting.
- There are no open Community Guidelines problems on the account. The account status walkthrough in our TikTok shadowban guide explains how to read those notices before you apply.
- Every coverage link goes straight to the original article, not to search results, a screenshot, an outlet's homepage or a repeat copy of the same story.
- Each article comes from an independent, recognised outlet, is mainly about you, shows a publication date and can be opened by a reviewer.
- Nothing in the set is sponsored, paid or promotional, and nothing is a press release, a personal blog or a social media post.
- The name used in the articles matches the name on the account.
- The Verification option actually appears in your app. TikTok says the feature isn't offered everywhere.
How to submit the request
- Open the TikTok app and tap Profile.
- Tap the Menu button at the top, then Settings and privacy.
- Tap Account, then Verification.
- Tap Start and pick the verification type that fits your account.
- Fill in the details, add your coverage links and submit.
TikTok notifies you once it has reviewed the request. If the answer is no, the Help Center allows another request after a waiting period, while the Creator Academy guide simply says you can reapply once eligible. Use the gap to strengthen whatever was thin rather than resending the same links.
There is a small conflict for anyone who can't find the in-app option. The Help Center says you can fall back to TikTok's online form, but the online verification page now asks applicants to apply on mobile and points them back to the same in-app path. If the option is missing, update the app and check whether verification is offered in your region before assuming you are ineligible.
Blue check, business verification and payout checks compared
TikTok uses the word verification for several separate processes. They answer different questions, and passing one doesn't give you another.
| Process | Who it is for | What you provide | What it changes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue check: personal, business or institution | Notable people, brands and organisations | A complete, secure, active profile plus links to independent coverage | A badge beside the account name confirming the account is authentic | Creator Academy |
| Business verification for a TikTok account | Accounts of any size running a business, with the feature limited to users aged 18 and over | A valid business licence for the region where the business operates, the legal business name and licence ID, then an SMS or voice-call check | Verified Business Account status, with tools such as conversion analytics, lead collection and destination links on videos or the profile where available | How to verify a TikTok account |
| Ads Manager or Business Center verification | Advertisers running paid campaigns | Company details and an acceptable business document whose details match what you enter | Keeps ads running once spend passes the threshold set for your market, which TikTok states in its notification | How to verify your business |
| Identity verification for payouts | Creators collecting earnings from TikTok | Identity details and an ID accepted in your region, sometimes with proof of address | Lets you collect payouts from your balance | Creator Academy |
TikTok's business verification page draws the line itself: it says business verification is different from the blue checkmark, which it reserves for high-profile accounts such as celebrities and major brands. A Verified Business Account shows a Verified badge inside Business Suite rather than the blue check on the public profile. The same page warns that the status can lapse. If TikTok's systems detect Community Guidelines violations, the account can enter a re-verification period and lose the exclusive tools until it is verified again.
For most creators the practical order is simple: complete payout identity checks when a monetisation feature asks for them, consider business verification only if you actually trade as a business and want its tools, and treat the blue check as a separate request that depends on public notability rather than paperwork.
Keeping the badge, and the scams to ignore
TikTok lists the reasons a badge comes off: the account passes to a new owner, the username changes, the account switches between personal and business, or the account repeatedly or seriously breaks the Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. The Help Center adds that you can't ask for the badge to be removed, although changing your username will trigger removal, and that TikTok may remove a badge at any time and without notice.
Verification costs nothing, and TikTok says anyone offering to sell it isn't affiliated with the company. The Creator Academy guide also says TikTok never sends direct messages or emails asking people to apply, so treat any such message as phishing and report it. The Help Center makes one exception: TikTok may contact Government, Politician and Political Party Accounts directly about verification.
The security criterion keeps mattering after approval. A recognisable account attracts takeover attempts and copycats, so keep two-step verification on and your recovery email current. If someone copies your account, report it through TikTok's impersonation tools and keep a record; our impersonation report workflow shows how to document a case. If your own account is banned in error, including for impersonation, the steps are in our guide to appealing a TikTok account ban.
Region notes
The verification pages linked here are TikTok's global English help pages, and American accounts are a special case. The US app is operated by a separate company, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. Its launch announcement gives that company the final say over US trust and safety policy and content moderation, and the US Terms of Service make it the other party to every US user's contract. None of the verification pages cited here sets out a separate US standard, so US creators should follow the in-app flow they see and treat it as the current rule.
Elsewhere, availability varies. The Help Center says the blue-check request isn't offered in every location, and TikTok's business verification page lists the markets where business verification runs, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. If you hold accounts in more than one market, check each one in the app rather than assuming the options match.
Limitations of this guide
This is general information based on TikTok's help pages as published on 1 October 2026. TikTok decides every request itself, doesn't publish its review rules in full and can change the criteria without notice, so meeting every item above makes you eligible to be considered, not entitled to a badge. The two TikTok pages already disagree on details, and the in-app form may ask for more than either describes. If a verification decision affects a contract, a trademark or a business registration, get advice from a qualified professional where you live instead of leaning on a general guide.