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Once you have established your channel and built a solid fan base, it is natural to think about How to get verified on YouTube.
The YouTube Verification Badge adds the utmost credibility to your account and shows the world that YouTube has verified that you are who you say you are. Not everyone can get it, but for those who are eligible, verification is an important YouTube milestone.
Here you will find out everything you need to know about verification.
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What is YouTube verification?
There are actually different types of YouTube verification – account verification and channel verification. Let’s look at the differences.
Account verification
The easiest way to verify your YouTube profile is Account verification. To verify your account, you just need to confirm your phone number with a code that will be sent to your phone. This step ensures that you are a real person and not a bot.
There are two levels of YouTube account verification available to everyone that unlock some additional YouTube features:
- Upload videos longer than 15 minutes
- Use custom thumbnails
- Live stream on YouTube
For more information about this basic account verification process, see below:
To check if you have verified your account, go to Settings > Channel and click the tab Functional authorization.
Once your account is verified, you will see Enables in green next to Intermediate functions which require telephone confirmation.
If not, you will see Justified in gray and the option to verify your phone number. You can also go to youtube.com/verify to get started.
However, there are also Advanced features that require an additional level of verification. This gives you access to features such as:
- Appealing Content ID Claims
- More content creation
- Embedded live streams
- External links in video descriptions
- Monetization
To get advanced features, you must confirm your identity– You can do this via a valid ID, solid channel history, or video verification.
Channel inspection
Account verification is relatively straightforward. Channel inspection is a bit more complicated. During this process, you will receive a small verification badge next to your name that proves the legitimacy and authenticity of your channel.
It will look something like this:
The channel verification badge adds credibility. It shows the world that this is the official channel of a creator, artist, brand, or public figure. And, perhaps most importantly, it helps prevent scammers.
Why should you get verified on YouTube?
Although channel verification doesn't provide access to additional features, awards, or monetization, verification still offers a number of benefits. Having that badge next to your name adds credibility to your account, making it easier to grow further.
Here are some reasons why you should get verified on YouTube.
Increase your audience’s trust
Having a verification badge next to your channel name instantly builds more trust with your viewers. They know that you have gone through a verification process and have been verified and approved by the YouTube platform, increasing the trust and credibility of your channel.
Protect your brand or channel from identity theft
Verification gives you a badge that distinguishes you from anyone who tries to copy or imitate your channel. This acts as a protective measure and ensures that others cannot try to capitalize on your brand or channel name.
Stand out in search results
The verification badge will appear not only on your channel, but also everywhere else on YouTube next to your channel name – for example, in suggestions on the homepage and in search results. This means that YouTube users, whether they know it or not, are likely to choose a verified channel over an unverified one.
So, if your channel is verified, you are much more likely to stand out from the competition, your videos will be prioritized over others, and your channel will receive more clicks and views.
Get access to test new features
As YouTube releases and beta tests more and more features, it will likely draw on its pool of active, verified accounts to test them. If you're verified, you may be able to access new features much sooner than other, unverified accounts.
How to get verified on YouTube in 5 steps
Want to learn how to get verified on YouTube? Follow these five steps to get started.
Step 1: Make sure you are eligible
To receive the YouTube Channel Verification Badge, you must meet the eligibility requirements:
- Have at least 100,000 subscribers. For help with this, see our blog post on “How to get more YouTube subscribers.”
- Be who you say you are. YouTube puts it succinctly: “Your channel must represent the real creator, brand, or company it claims to be.” Makes sense for verification, right? YouTube will review you and may ask for documentation.
- Have an active, public and complete channel. You need a channel banner, description, profile picture, and regularly upload content to YouTube.
Channels with fewer than 100,000 subscribers may see a verification badge. There are several reasons why this could happen.
First, YouTube's verification requirements have changed over time, and the channel may have been verified under the previous requirements. Or second, YouTube sometimes proactively verifies a channel that is relatively small on YouTube but well-known elsewhere.
The eligibility requirements for the Official Artist Channel Music Note Verification Badge are slightly different:
- Represent only one artist or band.
- Have at least one official music video distributed on YouTube by a music distributor or label.
- And meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Work with a YouTube Partner Manager or join a label network that works with a Partner Manager.
- Join the YouTube Partner Program.
- Have your music distributed by a music partner listed in the YouTube Music Partner Services Directory
Step 2: Go to the application page
Go to the YouTube channel verification application.
If your channel is eligible for verification, you'll see the application form. If you're not yet eligible, you'll see a message asking you to check back when you reach 100,000 subscribers.
Please note that if you have just reached the 100,000 subscriber threshold, it may take a few days for the application to appear. Be patient and keep checking back.
Step 3: Fill out the application form
Fill out your application form. You will need your channel name and channel ID. If you don't know your channel ID, you can click the link below the channel ID field in the form to find it out.
You can also find your channel ID at any time in your YouTube account under Settings > Advanced Settings.
Once you have completed the form, click Submit.
Step 4: Wait
Now all you have to do is wait for YouTube to verify your account. This can take up to a few weeks. YouTube says: “We check various factors to confirm your identity, such as the age of your channel.”
You may also be asked to provide additional information or documentation to prove your legitimacy.
Step 5: Maintain your verification
Once you've earned your coveted badge, here's what you can do to ensure you don't lose your verification.
Do not violate the Terms of Service or Community Guidelines
It's one thing to get verified on YouTube; it's another to stay verified. Even if you've met all the criteria and earned a verified badge, YouTube can and will take it away if you violate the Terms of Service or Community Guidelines.
Do not change your channel name
If you change your channel name, you will also lose your badge. You can reapply for verification using the new name, but since the point of the badge is to confirm that you are who you say you are, it's not a good idea to change your name regularly.
How to improve your channel credibility without YouTube verification badge
Even if you are not yet eligible to apply for YouTube verification, you can still take steps to prove that your YouTube account is your brand's official account:
- Choose the correct channel name. Your brand name is an obvious choice. For developers, choose something unique that sets you apart from the competition.
- Use an easily recognizable profile picture. This will appear both in search results and on your channel, showing YouTube users that they have found the right account.
- Use YouTube's customization options to manage your channel layout, banner image and watermark. All these options increase your credibility.
- Create a … unique and consistent YouTube aesthetics. Your videos should look like your videos. Together on your channel, they form a recognizable whole.
- Interact with your followers. Respond to comments to show that you are a real person who cares about your viewers' opinions.
- Report scammers. If someone is impersonating you or your channel, report them to YouTube. Go to the channel page you want to report and click Aroundand then click on the Reporting flag.
Note that YouTube verification is not required to make money on YouTube. If you want to gain access to YouTube's monetization options and creator support teams, you'll need to apply to the YouTube Partner Program instead. Again, there are eligibility requirements, but they're much easier for creators to meet. You'll need to:
- 1,000 subscribers
- 4,000 valid public playback hours in the last 12 months
- You must have a good reputation on YouTube (no policy violations)
- Enable two-step verification
- Follow YouTube's monetization policies
- Live in a country where the program is available
- Have a linked AdSense account
You can find out all the details in our article on making money with YouTube.
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With files from Chloe West.
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Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
