With more than 15 million content creators on YouTube, it’s important that your YouTube channel gets credibility through a verification badge. It is that little shimmer of authenticity that separates your channel from someone simply using your videos. It also improves your chances of being discovered and thereby, growing your fan base faster.
If you want to get verified, one thing that has proven to help is - posting good quality content! And while there's a lot that goes into making a good video from scripting to shooting, one thing you have complete control over is the editing process. And you can simplify that using a robust, intuitive online editor like InVideo.
In this article, we cover everything you need to know on how to get verified on YouTube and how to keep it that way. Let’s jump right in!
Plan of action
1. What is YouTube verification?
2. How to get verified on YouTube?
3. How to improve your YouTube verification chances?
4. How to keep your verification badge?
1. What is YouTube Verification?
YouTube verification is simply you letting the platform know that you’re an actual person. There’s a stark difference between a verification badge and getting your account verified.
Verification Badge
A verification badge is that gray tick mark or a music note that shows up next to a channel’s name. It lets other users know that you are an authentic or established entity, brand or organization.
A verification badge is a sign of social proof that prevents copycats or impersonators from stealing your content and subsequent traffic. Albeit, having this badge doesn’t mean you get access to any exclusive features. It’s just a mark of legitimacy.
Pro-tip: In order to make your videos stand out, we recommend using an online video editor like InVideo that provides endless customizations and templates.
Verifying Your Account
Verifying your account on the other hand lets YouTube know that you are a real person and not a bot that will spam their platform. When you first create an account, YouTube asks you to enter your phone number to verify your account and they confirm it by sending a message to the number or a voice call.
Once verified, you get to upload videos over 15 minutes long, add custom thumbnails, go live and appeal content ID claims. Verifying your account is also necessary if you want to monetize your channel.
2. How to get Verified on YouTube in 2024?
If you’re wondering about how to get verified on YouTube and get that verification badge, the rule is simple! You need to have over 100,000 subscribers. You can then apply for a verification badge but that does not guarantee that you’ll get one. There are a lot of factors that come into play here:
- Is your channel authentic? Does it represent the real creator, brand or organization it claims to be?
- Is it public?
- Does it have a proper icon and description?
- Is the channel active and posting quality content?
Ticking yes on the above questions won’t hurt your chances of getting verified quickly. All this being said, there’s a fair chance that YouTube may proactively verify channels with less than 100k subscribers if it represents a well-known entity, brand, business or individual.
You may also come across anomalies such as the channels below with no real social identity who have the verification badge but there’s a fair chance that they got it before the system was put into place.
Keeping the anomalies aside, if you meet all the criteria set by YouTube, follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Go to YouTube’s Support Page
Click on this URL or copy-paste it to your browser and you’ll be led to the page below:
If your channel is eligible, click on the Apply Now anchor text and you’ll be led to the application form. If your channel is not eligible, you’ll see the message below:
Step 2: Fill the form
Once you access the application form, all you need to do is fill in your channel name and your channel id.
To know your Channel ID, head over to your YouTube account, go to settings, click on ‘View Advanced Settings’ under ‘Your Channel’ and you’ll be led to a page that will have your Channel ID.
Once done, click on the submit button and you’ll get a notification from YouTube and they will confirm the same on an email to your registered account as well. You may have to wait a few weeks to get the results.
3. How to improve your YouTube Verification chances?
As mentioned above, just filling the form won’t ensure that your channel gets a verification badge. YouTube strictly mentions that it will not verify channels that are impersonating other creators, brands or organizations and/or stealing their content. To ensure that your channel gets the verification badge there are a few things you need to follow.
A. Create quality content
Create incredible videos that attract more views and be regular about it. This doesn’t mean that you post every day. You can post as much as once or twice a week and still get the views you want if you publish quality content. Choosing the right equipment, identifying your niche and scripting your videos to focus on audience retention are just a few ways of ensuring that your content is more appealing.
There are a number of ideas you can explore to get more views for your channel. We’ve picked the top 10 in the video below:
B. Respond to comments
There’s no better way to establish authenticity than to engage with your viewers directly. It helps build trust, recognition and lets everyone know that you are who you claim to be. Replying to comments also encourages your audience to subscribe to your channel. Having clear CTAs like asking your audience to like, subscribe and share the video also helps your channel grow.
C. Be authentic
Tell people what exactly you or your brand does. Talk about your product or service without overexaggerating its benefits. Relevance is key here. Avoid any unethical techniques like buying followers or spamming users. Violating any YouTube policies or terms and conditions could black marks decrease your chances of getting a verification badge.
4. How to keep your Verification Badge
If you get verified on YouTube, there are chances that the verification badge can be revoked under 2 circumstances:
#1 - You change your Channel Name
If you change your channel’s name, the renamed channel won’t be verified and you will have to go through the application process again. If you’re wondering why famous YouTuber Logan Paul doesn’t have the verification badge, it’s because he changed his channel name from TheOfficialLoganPaul to Logan Paul.
#2 - Do not violate Community Guidelines
Even if you’ve got the verification badge and you meet all the requirements, YouTube can revoke your badge if you violate their community guidelines or terms of service. Make sure that you keep your account clean.
Having a verification badge on your channel is great. If you meet the 100k subscribers criteria, create quality content, have a strong brand identity, drive engagement, and don’t break the rules, you’ll get verified in no time!
Summing up
Found this guide useful? Have more questions about YouTube? Come continue the conversation on our community where you can collaborate with and learn from 25,000+ other creators and marketers just like you.
If you are new to YouTube or are looking to grow your channel rapidly this year, we'd definitely recommend you to check out this video where we show you how you can find super relevant and unique YouTube video ideas for your channel.
And don’t forget - if you’re looking to create thumb-stopping videos in minutes (even if you’re not a PRO)- Sign-up for an account on InVideo.io today
FAQs
1. How do you get a verified YouTube account?
To be eligible for a verified YouTube account, you need to have over 100,000 subscribers and meet certain criteria like having an active channel and an updated bio.
2. Do you have to be verified on YouTube to get paid?
You do not need a verification badge to make money on YouTube. All you need to do is verify your account, have over 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours in the past year. You can then apply for YouTube’s partner program to start making money off your channel.
3. How many subscribers do you need to get verified on YouTube?
You need 100k subscribers to be eligible to apply for a verification badge on YouTube. Apart from 100k subscribers, YouTube will also check if your channel is authentic, has a description, channel icon and if your channel has been active.
