If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that my Twitter account is verified. Because of this, I get a lot of people asking if I can show them how to get a verified Twitter account. That’s what this brief message is about.
There are 2 steps to getting verified. I’ll show you what they are and how they work.
- Submitting a verification request to Twitter.
- Being selected for verification.
How to get a verified Twitter account: Step 1
The first step is very simple. You just visit this link and submit a verified account request. There’s a short form to fill in, plus you’ll need to have some ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.).
It takes minutes. Here’s exactly what you need to do.
How to get a verified Twitter account: Step 2
The second step to getting verified on Twitter is trickier. The person reviewing your application at Twitter, needs to believe that you fit their verification criteria. And yes, the process is still handled manually.
Here’s what Twitter’s website says about the types of account that get verified:
“What types of accounts get verified? An account may be verified if it is determined to be an account of public interest. Typically this includes accounts maintained by users in music, acting, fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, sports, business, and other key interest areas”.
In other words, unlike a credit card application, you need to do more than verify that you are really you. And this is where the problem (and frustration) comes for most Twitter users seeking to get verified.
In essence, you need to convince the person handling your verification request that your Twitter account is “of public interest”. I have no idea where their cut-off point is for public interest. Also, judging by some of the decisions these people make, if you want to get a verified Twitter account, you’ll need something else.
Twitter verified accounts… and luck
Also, as the process is based solely on the opinion of an individual Twitter employee, there’s a lot of luck involved. I have seen many accounts that Twitter has verified, which are used by notorious spammers and marketers who pump undisclosed affiliate links to unsuspecting followers. Equally, Twitter verifies accounts that use auto-follow software, which violates Twitter’s own terms of use. Twitter needs to address this. Not only does it devalue verification, it’s extremely frustrating, for those who are rejected.
Since my own verification, I have been approached by many well-respected businesspeople, who have been rejected by Twitter without any explanation. When I look at their credentials, it’s crystal clear they are more “worthy” of being verified than those automated marketing accounts, who use software to follow hundreds of thousands of Twitter users, in order to get more followers.
So, that’s the simple, yet extremely frustrating 2 step process for how to get a verified Twitter account. Please note, I have no way of getting you verified, so there’s no point in asking me. If you have any verification questions, please use the links in this post for more information. There’s lots of answers to common questions.
This post was last updated in July 2017.