What the green tick actually is
The green tick — Meta calls it the Official Business Account badge — is a verification mark that appears beside your business name in WhatsApp chats and in the contact list, instead of just a phone number.
It signals that Meta has confirmed this account belongs to a notable, authentic business. It is not a feature you unlock by paying, and it is not something a BSP can guarantee you, whatever their sales page implies.
Set expectations early: Meta grants this badge to a small minority of businesses on the platform. Most successful companies using WhatsApp at scale do not have it, and it does not hold them back.
Green tick vs. business verification — not the same thing
These two get conflated constantly, and the confusion causes real frustration. They are separate processes with very different bars.
Confirms your business legally exists. Needs a GST certificate, incorporation certificate or utility bill. Nearly every legitimate business passes. Required to raise messaging limits.
Confirms your business is notable. Judged largely on third-party press coverage. Most applicants are declined. Optional — affects nothing functional.
Being approved for the API and declined for the badge is completely normal. They test different things.
What Meta looks for
Meta does not publish a scoring rubric, but the pattern across approvals and rejections is consistent.
- —Genuine press coverage. The dominant factor. Meta wants substantial articles about your business in reputable, independent publications — commonly cited as around five. Paid placements, syndicated press releases, and directory entries do not count.
- —Completed business verification. A prerequisite. Apply for the badge only after this is done.
- —An active API account. The number must be registered on the WhatsApp Business Platform, not the free app.
- —Consistent identity. Your display name, website, and press coverage should all clearly describe the same business. Mismatches read as risk.
- —A clean policy record. Prior violations, a poor quality rating, or a history of blocks and reports will work against you.
How to apply
1. Confirm business verification is complete
In Meta Business Manager, check Business Settings → Security Centre. If verification is still pending, finish it before going further.
2. Open WhatsApp Manager and select your number
Go to WhatsApp Manager → Phone Numbers, then choose the number you want the badge on. Each number is assessed separately.
3. Find "Official business account" under Profile
Open the number's settings and locate the Official Business Account option, then click Submit request.
4. Submit your supporting evidence
Provide links to your press coverage. Lead with your strongest, most recognisable publications — a handful of genuinely notable articles beats a long list of weak ones.
5. Wait for the decision
Usually one to two business days directly, or up to three weeks via a BSP. If declined, you can reapply after 30 days.
If you were rejected
The instinct is to resubmit immediately. That almost never works, because nothing about the application has changed.
Use the 30-day window to build the thing that was actually missing. Pitch genuine stories to trade publications in your sector. Publish original data from your own business — journalists cover numbers nobody else has. Contribute expert commentary to industry coverage. Notability is earned outside Meta's product, not inside it.
A word on shortcuts: vendors offering "guaranteed green tick" for a fee cannot deliver it. Meta makes the decision, and no BSP has an override. Treat that guarantee as a signal about the vendor.
What to do instead — and it matters more
Customers decide whether to trust a WhatsApp message in about two seconds, and the badge is only one input. These carry more weight day to day:
- —A verified display name. Once business verification is complete, customers see your business name instead of a raw number — badge or no badge. This is the single biggest trust jump available.
- —A complete profile. Logo, description, address, email and website all render in the contact card.
- —Messages people asked for. Clean opt-in and relevant content protect your quality rating, which affects deliverability far more than a badge does.
- —Fast replies. Responsiveness is what makes a business look real on a messaging channel — one reason teams connect an AI agent to draft and send from where they already work.
