Meta business verification and your website
To verify a business on Meta, which you need for some ad, WhatsApp and developer features, you give Meta your website along with your legal details. The site has to load, use HTTPS and match what you tell Meta.
Quick answer
Meta business verification asks for your legal business name, address, phone number and website, and they must exactly match your legal business entity. Meta states the website must load and be HTTPS compliant. You then confirm you are connected to the business by email, phone, text, WhatsApp or domain verification. The email option needs an address on the same domain as your website, so a Gmail address does not qualify. Verification is required before a WhatsApp number can become an Official Business Account with the blue tick.
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Know when you actually need verification
Plenty of businesses run Facebook pages and the WhatsApp Business app for years without verifying. Meta asks for verification when you want certain advertising, billing, spending and developer features, and on WhatsApp when you move to the Business Platform to send messages at scale or apply for an Official Business Account. If you are hitting a limit or a prompt in Business Suite, that is the trigger.
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Have a website that loads over HTTPS
Meta's own requirement is that your business website loads and is HTTPS compliant, meaning the address starts with https:// and the browser shows no security warning. A site that times out, shows a certificate error or still points at a parked domain fails here. Open it on your phone, off your home wifi, before you submit.
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Make the details match your legal business exactly
Meta compares what you enter with public records. Use the registered legal name, not a shortened trading name, and the same address and phone number your registration shows. Then make the website agree: the same name and contact details in the footer or on a contact page. A site that says "Bella's Hair" while the company is "Bella Martin Hair Ltd" is the sort of mismatch that gets a submission rejected.
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Choose how to confirm you are connected
Meta offers email, phone call, text message, WhatsApp message or domain verification. Email only works with an address on your website's domain, for example [email protected] for yourbusiness.com. Domain verification means adding a meta tag or DNS record that Meta gives you, which proves you control the site; you need access to the site or your DNS provider to do it.
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Upload documents if asked
Meta may ask for official documents to back up the details: a business registration or incorporation certificate, a business licence, a tax registration certificate, articles of incorporation or a partnership agreement. The name and address on the document need to match what you entered. Have a clear PDF or photo ready before you start, because the flow can time out.
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On WhatsApp, verification comes before the blue tick
Meta's criteria for a WhatsApp Official Business Account, shown with a blue checkmark, include: the business portfolio has passed business verification, the number has been on the Business Platform for at least 30 days, two-step verification is on, the display name is approved, and the business follows WhatsApp's messaging policy. Business verification is the step that depends on your website.
Tips & best practices
- Get an email address on your own domain before you start. It opens the quickest confirmation method and makes the submission look consistent.
- Put your legal name, address and phone number on the website as plain text, so a reviewer can match them without searching.
- If your website is only a link-in-bio page or a social profile, it will not show the matching details Meta is looking for.
- Do not resubmit with changed details to get through. Correct the website or the records so they agree, then submit once.
Common questions
Can I verify without a website?
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Meta's verification form asks for your website, and the email confirmation route depends on one, so in practice you need a working site. A one-page site on your own domain with your legal name, address, phone number and a description of what you do is enough for this purpose.
Why was my verification rejected?
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The common reasons are details that do not exactly match the legal entity, a website that does not load or is not HTTPS, an email address on a free provider rather than your domain, and documents that show a different name or address. Fix the mismatch at its source, usually the website or the business record, before trying again.
Is this the same as Meta Verified?
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No. Business verification confirms your business is real so you can use certain tools. Meta Verified for businesses is a separate paid subscription with its own badge and checks. You can have one without the other.
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