The way get verified on Twitter has changed over the years, so we considered a good idea to write an up-to-date article on the current procedure to request or acquire verification, especially because there are much of fake information around. This is updated information that includes changes made by Elon Musk in 2023.
Twitter verification through direct request
It used to be possible to complete a form to request verification from Twitter. The option was available in the account menu, and we were given the chance to include in our verification request some links to provide evidence of authenticity and notoriety. Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, the requirements to get verified have changed, so that is no longer possible, and the menu item has disappeared.
There are currently 3 ways to get verified on Twitter, and 3 types of checkmarks we can obtain: blue, gray and gold. Here we explain what they mean, how to get verified, and what kind of accounts can get verified.
Blue checkmark
Twitter allows you to verify your account simply by paying a fee. The service is called Twitter Blue and, once activated, the blue tick usually appears in the account in a couple of days, after the account has been manually reviewed.
Keep in mind that there are some requirements: the account has to be at least 90 days old, not violate any of the Twitter Rules, and it should have a verified phone number. Also, once the account has been verified, you should not change its name, username or profile photo. If you do, you will lose the blue tick and the account will have to be revised again. If you violate Twitter’s terms of use, you might lose the blue checkmark, even if you keep paying the fee.
Paying Twitter Blue not only adds the verification badge next to your username: it also comes with several features and benefits. Twitter Blue users have access to edit tweets, see less adds, post tweets of up to 4000 characters, upload NFT profile pics, and can post videos of up to 60 minutes of length. Also, your tweets will have a boost in reach and ranking, on search and replies.
As almost any account that pays Twitter Blue will get the blue tick, it is no longer a proper verification. It’s a symbol of status. When someone clicks on the blue checkmark, the following message shows up: “This account is verified”.
Twitter Blue can be bought from the website or the app. On the web, it has a cost of $8 USD per month or $84 USD per year, and $11 USD and $149.99 from the app.
Grey checkmark
Grey checkmarks are used to identify governmental and multilateral organisations, as well as governmental and multilateral representatives. This kind of checkmark exists to show that the accounts are authentic and represent the officials and organisations they claim to represent.
When clicked, grey checkmarks show the following message: “This account is verified because it is a government or multilateral organisation account”. This kind of verification is given to:
- Government organizations at the national level: executive office accounts, agency accounts overseeing specific areas of policy, main embassy and consulate accounts, and parliamentary or equivalent institutional and committee accounts.
- Government organizations at the state and local level: Main executive office accounts and main agency accounts overseeing crisis response, public safety, law enforcement, and regulatory issues.
- Government individuals: heads of state (presidents, monarchs and prime ministers), deputy heads of state (vice presidents, deputy prime ministers), national-level cabinet members or equivalent, the main official spokesperson for the executive branch or equivalent, and individual members of all chambers of the supranational or national congress, parliament, or equivalent.
- Multilateral organisations: the main headquarters-level, regional-level, and country-level institutional accounts.
- Multilateral individuals: the head and deputy-head or equivalent of the multilateral organization.
- Current US state governors and senior military leaders (US only).
The grey checkmark can be requested by filling this form: https://help.twitter.com/es/forms/grey-checkmark-request. In this case, as verifying governmental and multilateral organisations and officials is essential, the verification badge has no cost.
Gold checkmark
Twitter launched a new service called Twitter Verified Organizations, that allows companies and NGOs to get verified. The verification checkmarks obtained in this way are golden, and verified accounts in this way have square avatars, instead of round.
When clicking on a gold checkmark, the explanatory message that appears says “This account is verified because it’s an official organisation on Twitter”.
An advantage of this kind of verification is that every organisation that joined the program can link any number of individuals, businesses and brands to its account. Affiliate accounts will receive a small badge showing the profile photo of the Verified Organisation they belong to, next to their own blue or gold checkmark. This way organisations can link their directors, employees, businesses, trademarks and more. Each one will get its own checkmark and they will be linked to the main account.
When clicking on the affiliate account badge, the following message will appear: “This account is verified because it’s an affiliate of @username on Twitter”. The username will be the one of the Verified Organisation.
The gold tick can be requested by filling this form: https://twitter.com/i/es/verifiedorganizations/apply. It has a cost of $1,000 USD per month, and $50 USD per month for each affiliate account.
Hi! Thank you for the information. I’ve bought Twitter Blue, but still didn’t get the blue tick. I’ve been waiting for a week. What could be the problem? Will I get verified? Thank you.
Hi! There are many reasons why the verification might be delayed or not received. It could be that Twitter is getting too many requests at the moment, or there might be a problem with your specific account that prevents it from getting verified. I’ll contact you by email to ask you for your username.
Great article! One question: I bought Twitter Blue from the App Store where it’s more expensive. Now I want to cancel the subscription and get it again but on the web to pay less. Is that possible? Will I lose the blue tick? Thanks.
Hi! Yes, you can cancel and buy the service again. I’d recommend doing it close to the end of the paid month to avoid paying twice. Once you have cancelled, the blue tick won’t immediately disappear, so you might be able to continue with the verification uninterruptedly.
How long does it take to get verified once I bought Twitter Blue?
Hi! It depends. The quicker I’ve seen is 48 hrs. But it depends on how many people are signing up to Twitter Blue and how notable your account is.
What kind accounts can be verified? Do I have to put my real name, or it could be a fake one? Cheers.
Hi! At the moment there is no requirement for a real name. I’ve seen many accounts with random names getting the blue tick. But remember it’s not recommended you change it after getting verified, so I recommend choosing the definitive one before buying Twitter Blue.
Hello. If I get Twitter Blue, is it 100% sure I’ll get verified with the blue tick? Or it might not happen?
Hi! If your account meets the eligibility criteria, it’ll get verified. It has to be at least 90 days old, comply with Twitter Rules and have a verified phone number.
Hi! Thank you for your article and the kind responses to our questions. I have one remaining question: can Twitter accounts with few followers get verified? Or my account needs to be popular?
Hi! There’s no requirement on the number of followers the account must have. I’ve seen Twitter accounts get verified with only 5 followers.
Hi! I want to get verified but I don’t see a way to subscribe to Twitter Blue in my account. The option doesn’t show up. Can you help?
Hi! The most common reason for that is that you’re not residing in a country where Twitter Blue is available (the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK). But there are ways to subscribe anyway. Contact me via contact form on the website so I can help you.
Twitter Blue is not available in my country. Can you verify my Twitter account?
Hi! Yes, it’s possible. Please contact me via contact form.
My Twitter account has been verified years ago, through the old method. It now says “This is a legacy verified account. It may or may not be notable”. I’ve heard that only Twitter Blue verifications will remain. Will I lose the blue tick?
Hi! It does seem that Elon Musk is planning to remove all legacy blue ticks and leave only Twitter Blue verifications. However, considerable backlash would ensue from celebrities if he does that. So it’s uncertain at the moment.
Hi, thanks for the info. Once my account got the verified badge, will it stay indefinitely? Or should I keep paying the subscription for it to remain? Thank you.
Hi! You have to stay subscribed to Twitter Blue for the blue tick to remain in your account. If you cancel your subscription, it’ll disappear in a couple of days.