Glossary
What does the blue check mean on Instagram?
The blue check next to an Instagram name is the verified badge. It means Instagram has confirmed the account is the authentic presence of the person or brand it names. There are two routes to it: request verification and meet Instagram’s notability bar, or pay for Meta Verified and pass an ID check.
Updated 6 October 2026
The blue check is Instagram’s verified badge: a sign that Instagram has confirmed the account really belongs to the person or brand it names.
Two ways to get the badge
| Question | Request verification | Meta Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | An application, not a subscription | A paid subscription |
| What’s tested | Account and eligibility requirements, including notability: a well-known, widely searched person or brand | Identity: a government-issued photo ID, and a profile name and picture that may need to meet Meta Verified naming standards |
| Who can get it | Public figures, celebrities and brands that meet Instagram’s requirements | Adults (18, or the age of majority) with an eligible profile and minimum activity, in countries where it’s offered; businesses have a version of their own |
| Who decides | Instagram, based on your activity and the information or documents you provide | Meta, once you subscribe and your ID and eligibility check out |
Instagram’s Help Center treats both routes as the verified badge: some verified accounts belong to a notable person, brand or entity, while others subscribe to Meta Verified. Its article on verified badges now describes the badge as confirmation that the account is the authentic presence of that person or brand, and notes that it used to require the person or brand to be notable and unique as well. It adds that the badge is not a symbol of importance, authority or expertise. So a blue check today tells you an identity was checked, not that someone is famous.
What Instagram looks at when you request it
- Rules: the account follows Instagram’s Terms of Use and Community Standards.
- Authentic: it represents a real person, a registered business or another real entity.
- Unique: only one account per person or business can be verified, with exceptions for accounts in different languages.
- Complete: the account is public and active, with a bio and a profile photo.
- Notable: the person or brand is well known and widely searched for. Instagram looks for coverage in several news sources, and paid or promotional articles don’t count.
Instagram says it doesn’t verify general interest accounts, such as meme pages. The request is made in the app: open your menu, then the professional dashboard, tap Settings and choose Request verification. It asks for your full name and a form of identification, such as a government-issued photo ID or official business documents. Submitting a request doesn’t guarantee a badge, and applying several times before you receive a decision cancels the application. Once you are verified, you may not change your username.
What the badge proves, and what it doesn’t
It proves identity: this is the real bakery, creator or company, not a copy. It says nothing about whether their advice is sound, their products are genuine or their giveaway is fair.
It also doesn’t travel between apps by itself. Meta’s help centre explains that verified badges aren’t automatic between Facebook and Instagram: not every verified Facebook Page has a verified Instagram account, and you apply separately on Instagram. Verifying on Instagram doesn’t verify you on Facebook either.
Tip: Comment giveaways attract copycat accounts that DM entrants to say they’ve won, then ask for a fee or a login code. Say in the caption which account will contact winners and that you’ll never ask for money or passwords. A badge on the real account makes the fakes easier to spot.
An example
A skincare brand’s account has the blue check; a lookalike with the same logo and an extra underscore in the username doesn’t. Customers who look for the badge before tapping a link in a DM avoid the copy.
Questions people ask
Can I buy a blue check?
Only from Meta, through the Meta Verified subscription, which checks a government photo ID and is open to adults in the countries where it’s offered. Anyone else selling a badge, by DM or on a website, can’t deliver one and is usually after your money or your login.
How many followers do you need to get verified?
Instagram’s criteria don’t name a follower number. A request is judged on authenticity, uniqueness, a complete public profile and notability, and notability is shown through press coverage rather than follower counts.
Does Meta Verified give a different badge?
Instagram’s Help Center calls both the verified badge. What differs is how the account got it: an application judged on account and eligibility requirements that include notability, or a paid subscription with an identity check. Meta Verified also bundles extras such as enhanced support and impersonation protection.
Does a business need a blue check to run ads or sell?
No. Instagram’s Help Center lists ads, a Contact button, insights and a secondary inbox among the features of any professional account, and none of those pages asks for a badge. The badge helps people recognise the real account.
Sources
- Instagram Help Center: Verified badges on Instagram
- Instagram Help Center: Requirements to apply for a verified badge
- Instagram Help Center: Request a verified badge for your Instagram profile
- Instagram Help Center: Eligibility requirements for Meta Verified creator subscriptions
- Instagram Help: Why verified badges are not automatic between Facebook and Instagram
Related terms
- Meta VerifiedMeta Verified is Meta’s paid subscription for Instagram and Facebook profiles: a verified badge, impersonation protection, support access and some profile extras.
- Business verificationBusiness verification is Meta’s check that a business is a real, registered company. Apps need a verified business behind them to get Advanced Access.
- Professional accountA professional account is an Instagram Business or Creator account. It can’t be private, and it is the type Meta’s APIs, and so most auto-reply apps, require.
- Creator accountA creator account is the Instagram professional account type for public figures, artists, influencers and content producers. It’s public and includes insights.
- Business accountA business account is Instagram’s professional account type for shops, brands, organisations and service providers, with insights, ads and contact options.
- Personal accountAn Instagram account that is neither Business nor Creator. You can switch back to it from a professional account, but apps built on Meta’s APIs cannot connect to it.
More terms
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