What is a verified badge?

• Instagram and Facebook: a blue badge can come from Meta Verified, a paid monthly subscription for creators and businesses that verifies your identity and adds impersonation protection and extra support. Meta also gives badges to notable accounts that meet its criteria for being authentic, unique, complete and notable.
• X: the blue checkmark means the account has an active X Premium subscription and meets X's eligibility rules. X's help centre says it does not mean the account is ID verified. Organisations approved for Premium Business get a gold checkmark, and government and multilateral accounts get a grey one.
• LinkedIn: a verified Page means LinkedIn has confirmed, on objective criteria, that the Page represents the official organisation. Super admins of eligible Pages can request it on a computer under Settings, then Verification controls.

On Meta's apps, the usual route is to subscribe to Meta Verified in the Facebook or Instagram app, then pass Meta's identity checks. Plans, prices and availability vary by country and app, so check the current options in the app before you subscribe. Meta is also testing a newer subscription, Meta One, which includes the badge.

On X, the badge comes with a Premium subscription after a review that checks your account has a display name, profile photo, confirmed phone number and no recent name or photo changes. Organisations can apply for Premium Business. On LinkedIn, Page verification isn't available to every Page yet; if you don't see Verification controls, your Page isn't eligible at the moment.

It can be if your business is being impersonated, if customers send you money through social media, or if fast support from the platform would save you real time. It is less useful if the main goal is more reach: a badge doesn't make posts better, and platforms don't promise extra growth for having one.

Business verification in Meta's business portfolio is a separate check that gives access to some advertising features and does not add a badge.

Because a checkmark can be bought on some platforms, a badge alone isn't proof that an account is who it says it is. Check the handle exactly, look at when the account was created and how long it has been posting, and be wary of any account that asks for payment or passwords in messages.

Tell customers where your real accounts are, for example on your website, so they can check. If someone impersonates your business, report the account through the platform's impersonation form.