The unwritten checklist
Meta's public documentation for the green tick (Official Business Account) badge says only that applicants must be "notable" and demonstrate "broad reach". That is deliberate. The real checklist exists in their internal reviewer guidance and is reverse-engineered from approval and rejection patterns across thousands of applications.
This wizard encodes what we have learnt from operating 100+ WhatsApp accounts at NuvenarHub, including the green-tick applications we have submitted for clinic chains, agencies, and consumer brands. It is not a perfect predictor, but the score correlates strongly with outcome.
The four pillars Meta actually weighs
- Identity: Companies House registration, trading age, domain ownership, business email. The bedrock. If any of these are weak, the rest barely matter.
- Notability: Verified social presence, press coverage, Wikipedia (if applicable). Meta wants to see that someone independent of you has acknowledged your existence.
- Trust signals: Google Business Profile, Facebook Business page age, customer reviews. Tertiary but cumulative.
- Account state: Standard WhatsApp Business verification first, no past quality issues, vertical not in the regulated-and-restricted list.
What to do if you score in the "Borderline" band
The single highest-leverage move is usually verified social. Meta Verified for Business is $14.99/mo and covers your Instagram and Facebook. That single subscription can move a Borderline application to High. Set up the verified accounts, post regularly for 60 days, then submit.
The second-highest move is press coverage. Three independent placements on regional press, trade press, or established industry blogs takes you from "unknown to Meta" to "Meta has external evidence you exist". Pitch a story angle (launch, milestone, hire) to two or three relevant outlets and most will publish.
What to do if you score "Will be declined"
Do not submit. A declined application creates a record on your business account that affects re-submission. Focus on the Identity pillar first (Companies House, domain, business email), then the standard WhatsApp Business verification (blue tick), then build the Notability case over 3-6 months.