The WhatsApp "green tick" is now a blue checkmark, and as of November 2026 there are two ways to get it. On the WhatsApp Business API, you request Official Business Account status in WhatsApp Manager after verifying your business. On the free WhatsApp Business app, you subscribe to Meta Verified. Meta business verification alone doesn't give you a badge, but it's the first step for the API route.
Badges have changed names and colours a few times, so a lot of advice online is out of date. Everything below is based on Meta's current documentation, which I've linked as I go.
What is the WhatsApp green tick now?
The WhatsApp verified badge is a checkmark next to a business's name showing that Meta has confirmed the account belongs to that business. It used to be green. It's now blue, in line with Facebook and Instagram, which is why people search for both.
Today there are two separate products that put a badge on a business:
Subscribe in the WhatsApp Business app under Tools
Key requirements
Business verification, two-step verification, approved display name, 30+ days on the platform, policy compliance
Business and account info confirmed by Meta
What you get
Blue checkmark beside your name
Verified badge plus extras like impersonation protection and priority support
If your Shopify store uses WhatFlow WhatsApp Business API or any other Cloud API app, the OBA route is the one that applies to you. Meta's OBA docs say OBA status isn't granted to WhatsApp Business app phone numbers.
Is a verified badge worth it for a Shopify store?
It helps, but it's not the main event. A badge tells customers the number really belongs to your brand, which matters more as you grow and as scammers impersonate stores on WhatsApp. For a large brand it's close to essential.
What it doesn't do: it won't raise your messaging limit, get templates approved faster or improve delivery. A store with no badge, a clear display name, opted-in customers and useful messages will outperform a verified store that spams. Get the basics right first: WhatsApp marketing for Shopify: the complete guide.
Step 1: verify your business with Meta
Business verification confirms to Meta that your business is real and that you're authorised to represent it. You do it in Meta Business Suite, in the Security Center of your business portfolio settings. Meta's help article on verifying your business covers the current flow.
Have these ready:
Your legal business name and address, exactly as on official documents
A business phone number and website on a domain you control
Official documents showing the name and address (registration certificate, tax document, utility bill; accepted documents vary by country)
Access to the business email or phone so Meta can confirm you
Three tips from watching merchants go through this:
Match everything exactly. If the registration says "Leafy Home Trading LLP" and your portfolio says "Leafy Home", expect questions.
Use a website on your own domain that shows the business name and contact details. A Shopify store on a custom domain with a proper contact page works.
Start early. It can be quick, or it can take a while if Meta asks for more documents.
Business verification pays off beyond the badge. It's one of the paths that lifts your messaging limit to 2,000 unique customers a day, and verified portfolios can hold more templates. How quality ratings and messaging limits work.
Step 2: get your display name approved
Your display name is the business name customers see on your WhatsApp profile. Use your store's real brand name, the one customers know from your website and packaging.
Per Meta's display name docs, a display name goes through verification automatically when your number reaches a higher messaging limit. Names get rejected for things like using a person's name instead of the business, a name unrelated to the business, or formatting that doesn't fit Meta's rules. Keep it simple: "Leafy Home", not "LEAFY HOME 🌿 Best Deals".
Step 3: turn on two-step verification
Two-step verification is a six-digit PIN on your business phone number. Meta requires a PIN when you register a number on the platform, and it's a listed requirement for OBA. If you connected through Embedded Signup you likely set one already. Check in WhatsApp Manager under your phone number's settings. Store the PIN somewhere your team can find it, because you'll need it to change or remove the number later.
The business complies with the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy
It's been registered on the WhatsApp Business Platform for at least 30 days
The business portfolio that owns the number is verified
The number has two-step verification enabled
The number's display name has been approved
To request it:
Open WhatsApp Manager and go to Overview, then click your business phone number.
Turn on two-step verification if it isn't already.
Under Phone numbers > Profile > Official business account, click Submit Request.
If approved, a blue checkmark appears beside your business name. If rejected, Meta says you can submit a new request after 30 days.
One knock-on effect to plan for: once your number is an OBA, Meta says you need to contact direct support to change your display name. Settle your brand name before you apply.
What improves your chances?
Meta doesn't publish a scoring guide, so I won't pretend to know one. But the rejections I've heard about usually come down to mismatches. Before you submit, check:
The display name, business portfolio name and website all clearly refer to the same business
Your WhatsApp business profile is complete: description, address, website, email, logo
Your website links to your WhatsApp number (a chat button does this nicely)
You've been sending policy-compliant, opted-in messages for those 30+ days
How does Meta Verified work for the WhatsApp Business app?
If you run your store's WhatsApp from the free Business app, Meta Verified is your route. According to Meta's Meta Verified for business page, it's a subscription that gives you:
A verified badge shown in places like your business profile, chats, the Calls tab and incoming calls
Help protecting your business against impersonation
Prioritised in-app support
Extras that depend on the tier, such as a custom web page and multi-device access for agents
You sign up in the WhatsApp Business app under Tools > Meta Verified, pick a package and pay. Meta lists tiers but not prices on that page, and availability varies by country, so check in the app.
If you're weighing up staying on the app versus moving to the API, read moving from the WhatsApp Business app to the API first. A badge is a poor reason on its own to stay on a tool that can't automate your order messages.
Common misconceptions about the WhatsApp verified badge
"Business verification gives me the tick." It doesn't. It's a prerequisite for OBA.
"I need a badge to use the API." No. You can send templates and run a full inbox without one.
"The badge raises my messaging limit." Business verification is a scaling path; the badge itself isn't.
"Only famous brands get it." Meta's current OBA criteria don't mention notability; they focus on verification, compliance and setup. Approval still isn't guaranteed.
Where does WhatFlow fit?
WhatFlow WhatsApp Business API connects your number to Meta's official Cloud API through Embedded Signup inside Shopify admin. That means your number lives in your own Meta business portfolio and is eligible to request Official Business Account status through WhatsApp Manager like any other Cloud API number. Your verification, display name and badge belong to you, not to us.
That matters for bigger brands especially: an official, verified number with a shared team inbox and no seat fees is what customers and support teams both expect from an established store.
Free plan available
Run WhatsApp for your Shopify store with WhatFlow
Templates, COD confirmation, Shopify Flow automations and a shared team inbox with no seat fees. Every feature is included on every plan, including Free.
Verify your business in Meta Business Suite, get your display name approved, enable two-step verification, wait out your first 30 days on the platform, then request Official Business Account status in WhatsApp Manager. On the Business app, subscribe to Meta Verified instead. And whichever route you take, keep sending messages customers actually want, because a badge on a number people block doesn't help anyone.
Frequently asked questions
Does WhatsApp still have a green tick?
The verified badge for businesses is now a blue checkmark, but many people still call it the green tick. On the WhatsApp Business Platform it comes from Official Business Account status; on the WhatsApp Business app it comes with a Meta Verified subscription.
How do I get the blue tick on the WhatsApp Business API?
Request Official Business Account status in WhatsApp Manager. Meta's criteria as of November 2026 include business verification, two-step verification on the number, an approved display name, at least 30 days on the platform and compliance with WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy.
Does Meta business verification give me a badge?
No. Business verification confirms your business to Meta and is a prerequisite for Official Business Account status, but it doesn't add a badge to your WhatsApp profile by itself.
What happens if my Official Business Account request is rejected?
Meta says you can submit a new request after 30 days. Use the time to check that your display name, profile and website clearly match the verified business.
