Verification badges on channels

When you see a or verification check mark next to a YouTube channel's name, it means that YouTube has verified that channel.

Apply for channel verification

To be eligible to submit a request for a channel verification:

• You must have 100,000 subscribers.
• Your Google account must have 2-step verification turned on.
• You must have a complete profile including a banner image, profile picture, description, and at least one public video.

Only the channel owners or the managers of a channel can submit the application. To submit your application:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio on your computer.
2. Click Settings Channel Verified badge.
   • If the verified badge tab does not appear, then you are not eligible to apply for channel verification based upon the 100,000 subscriber requirement.
3. Click Apply.
   • If you have 100,000 subscribers but are missing 2-step verification or a complete profile, you will see the option to Turn on 2-step verification or Edit your profile. Once these requirements are met, you will see the option to Apply.

Note: Sometimes our systems take a few days to update. If you've recently reached 100,000 subscribers or turned on 2-step verification, but can't open the application form, check back in a few days. Make sure you're signed in with the email address for the eligible channel. We won’t verify channels that are trying to impersonate another creator or brand. If we find a channel is deliberately impersonating someone else, we may take more actions.

About verified channels

If a channel is verified, it's the official channel of a creator, artist, company, or public figure. Verified channels help distinguish official channels from other channels with similar names on YouTube.

Keep in mind:

• Verified channels don't get extra features on YouTube. They also don’t represent awards, milestones, or endorsement from YouTube. For info on awards, learn more about YouTube’s Creator Awards program.
• If your channel is verified, it will stay verified unless you change your channel name. If you change your channel name, the renamed channel won’t be verified, and you'll need to reapply.
• Changing your channel’s handle will not remove your verification badge.
• YouTube reserves the right to revoke verification or terminate channels that violate our Community Guidelines or the YouTube Terms of Service.
• Verification has changed over time, so you may see many types of channels with verification on YouTube.

Verified channel eligibility

To be eligible to apply for verification, your channel must reach 100,000 subscribers.

After you apply, we’ll review your channel. We verify channels that:

• Are authentic: Your channel must represent the real creator, brand, or entity it claims to be. We’ll check different factors to help verify your identity, such as the age of your channel. We may also ask for more info or documentation.
• Are complete: Your channel must be public and have a channel banner, description, and profile picture. The channel also needs to have content and be active on YouTube.

Sometimes, YouTube may also proactively verify channels with fewer than 100,000 subscribers that are well-known outside of YouTube.

Distinguish your channel without verification

If your channel isn't verified, here are some other ways to distinguish your channel from similar channels:

• Use a unique channel name or handle that represents who you are and the type of content you publish.
• Use a high-quality image for your profile picture to make your channel look professional in search results.
• Customize your channel layout and branding for a personalized look and feel on your channel homepage.

If someone is impersonating you or your channel, report it to us.