# WhatsApp Business blue tick: what is an official account? > An Official Business Account (OBA) is a WhatsApp Business number that Meta has verified as authentic, marked with a blue tick next to its name; the old green tick no longer exists. ## The definition in two minutes On WhatsApp, a business has a business account by default: its profile is labelled as a WhatsApp Business account. Some businesses also have a badge, a blue tick next to the name in the chat. It means Meta has verified the business based on its activity on WhatsApp and the documents it provides. In its developer documentation, Meta talks about an Official Business Account (OBA): a number owned by a business whose authenticity has been verified against specific criteria. Meta does not grant this status to a business’s employees, to test accounts or to WhatsApp Business app numbers. ## Two ways to get a badge Meta distinguishes two routes, depending on whether the number is on the WhatsApp Business Platform (the API) or in the WhatsApp Business app. - **Platform (API) number: the Official Business Account request**: The request is made in WhatsApp Manager or through the API. Meta sets five criteria: comply with its messaging policy, have been registered on the platform for at least 30 days, have a verified business portfolio, have switched on two-step verification for the number and have an approved display name. Meta’s help centre adds that the business must be “notable”: well known, with a substantial presence in the press. If the request is refused, a new one can only be made after 30 days. - **WhatsApp Business app number: the Meta Verified subscription**: Meta Verified is a paid subscription, offered only in some countries and to some businesses. It can lead to a badge, but does not guarantee one: Meta verifies the business from its activity or from documents it may ask for. The badge is not permanent, and Meta can remove it. In both cases, Meta decides. ## What the badge changes - Your customers see the blue tick in the chat, on the business profile, in the Calls tab and on incoming calls. - An official account appears in the search results of the WhatsApp app. Without that status, the number does not appear there, unless the person has saved it in their contacts: its display name then appears in their search. - Without the badge, the business sends its messages and keeps its profile: photo, email, website and description can be edited at any time. ## What about the green tick? There is no green tick any more: Meta’s current documentation only describes a blue tick. WhatsApp’s help says that a business that had received a badge to show its account was official keeps it. ## Should a small business ask for it? The badge is not needed to send messages, and the notability criterion that Meta’s help centre cites is aimed at well-known businesses. - Start with what is within your reach: an approved display name, a complete profile and business verification, which is useful in itself to unlock higher limits. - Be wary of an offer that guarantees the badge: no provider decides it, and the Meta Verified subscription itself does not guarantee it. - [WhatsApp Business number quality explained](https://wyp.chat/en/guides/whatsapp-quality-rating) - [Connect your number with WYP.chat](https://wyp.chat/en/channels/whatsapp-business-api) ## Example Illustrative case: a bakery chain known across its region asks for Official Business Account status for its API number. It meets Meta’s criteria, including the verification of its business, and submits the request in WhatsApp Manager. A neighbourhood bakery, meanwhile, works perfectly well without a badge, with an approved display name and a complete profile. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do you get the blue tick on WhatsApp Business? It depends on the number. For a platform (API) number, you request Official Business Account status in WhatsApp Manager, against criteria set by Meta. For a WhatsApp Business app number, Meta offers the paid Meta Verified subscription, which can lead to the badge without guaranteeing it. In both cases, Meta decides. ### Is the blue tick required to use WhatsApp Business? No. A business sends and receives its messages without a badge. The badge reassures customers and makes the number visible in WhatsApp search. ### Why does my number not show up in WhatsApp search? Meta says that a number that is not an Official Business Account does not appear in the app’s search results. It only appears if the person has saved it in their contacts. ### Are business verification and the blue tick the same thing? No. Business verification applies to the Meta business portfolio. It is one of the criteria for an official account, and it also unlocks higher limits. The badge, for its part, is attached to a number. ### Can you get a badge with the WhatsApp Business app? Not through the Official Business Account request: Meta does not grant that status to WhatsApp Business app numbers. For those numbers, the Meta Verified subscription can lead to a badge, depending on availability in the country and on the business’s activity. ### What if the request is refused? You have to wait 30 days before submitting a new one. In the meantime, the business keeps sending its messages and can edit its profile: photo, email, website and description. ## Related terms - [WhatsApp Business account (WABA) and business portfolio](https://wyp.chat/en/glossary/waba) - [WhatsApp Business API](https://wyp.chat/en/glossary/whatsapp-business-api) - [BSP, Tech Provider and Solution Partner](https://wyp.chat/en/glossary/bsp) - [Coexistence](https://wyp.chat/en/glossary/coexistence) **Read more** - [All glossary terms](https://wyp.chat/en/glossary) ## Sources 1. Meta, Official Business Accounts: [developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/official-business-accounts](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/official-business-accounts) ( checked on 20 October 2026) 2. Meta, about the WhatsApp Business display name: [www.facebook.com/business/help/338047025165344](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/338047025165344) ( checked on 20 October 2026) 3. WhatsApp Help Centre, about connecting with businesses: [faq.whatsapp.com/643460927283235](https://faq.whatsapp.com/643460927283235) ( checked on 20 October 2026) 4. WhatsApp Help Centre, about verified business accounts: [faq.whatsapp.com/794517045178057](https://faq.whatsapp.com/794517045178057) ( checked on 20 October 2026) 5. WhatsApp Help Centre, about Meta Verified for Business on WhatsApp: [faq.whatsapp.com/3872729742954601](https://faq.whatsapp.com/3872729742954601) ( checked on 20 October 2026) 6. Meta, about the WhatsApp Business Platform: [developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/about-the-platform](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/about-the-platform) ( checked on 20 October 2026) --- Source: https://wyp.chat/en/glossary/badge-bleu · Updated on 20 October 2026