The green tick badge on WhatsApp signals instant trust. When a customer receives a message from a verified number, your company’s legal name appears even if the user has never saved your contact in their address book. Here is how Meta evaluates applications and how to get approved.
What is an Official Business Account (OBA)?
WhatsApp distinguishes between two types of accounts on its API:
- Standard Business Account: Uses the official API and displays your business profile, address, and catalog. The phone number displays as numbers until saved by the customer.
- Official Business Account (Green Tick): Meta has verified that the business is authentic and represents a notable brand. The brand name and green checkmark appear prominently in chat headers and contact lists.
Important Requirement: You cannot apply for a green tick from the standard WhatsApp Business mobile app. You must be connected to the WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API) through a compliant platform like PropFlow.
Eligibility Checklist before applying
Before submitting your request in Meta Business Manager, verify you have fulfilled every prerequisite:
- Verified Meta Business Account: Your Meta Business Suite account must have completed business verification (submitted commercial registration, tax license, or utility bill).
- Official API Connection: The phone number must be active on the WhatsApp Business Platform and disconnected from any personal SIM or phone app.
- Brand Notability (Organic PR): Meta requires proof that your brand is recognizable. Prepare 3 to 5 organic news articles or industry publications covering your business (paid press releases and Wikipedia edits are ignored by Meta’s review team).
- Consistent Display Name: The display name on WhatsApp must match the legal business name or public trademark on your official website and social accounts.
- Two-Factor Authentication: 2FA must be active on your Business Manager account.
Step-by-step: How to apply for the green tick
Follow these steps inside Meta Business Manager:
- Log into Meta Business Suite and navigate to Business Settings.
- Under Accounts, click on WhatsApp Accounts and choose your active account.
- Open WhatsApp Manager and select Phone Numbers.
- Click the Settings (gear icon) next to your phone number and choose Profile.
- Scroll down to Official Business Account and click Submit Request.
- Provide your business website, verified parent company details, and links to your 3–5 independent news articles demonstrating brand notability.
Common reasons Meta rejects applications
| Rejection Reason | What Went Wrong | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of Notability | Meta couldn't find enough independent media coverage | Publish organic PR in reputable news outlets before reapplying |
| Display Name Mismatch | Name on WhatsApp differs from company registration or website | Align your website header, social profiles, and WhatsApp display name |
| Unverified Business Suite | Legal documents were not approved by Meta | Complete Business Verification in Meta Settings first |
| Low Messaging Quality | Too many customer blocks or spam reports on outgoing templates | Only message opted-in contacts and maintain high template quality |
Next steps after approval
Once approved, the green checkmark appears automatically on all customer chats. With PropFlow, your verified number is paired with automated customer workflows, verified template broadcasts, and seamless team collaboration.
