How Many Subscribers to Get Verified on YouTube, and What Else It Takes
YouTube's verification badge needs 100,000 subscribers to apply, plus 2-Step Verification and an authentic, complete channel. Here is the full checklist and a plan to get there.
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You need 100,000 subscribers to get verified on YouTube, or more precisely, to become eligible to apply for the verification badge. The subscriber count only opens the door. YouTube also requires 2-Step Verification on your Google account and a complete, active channel, and it reviews whether the channel really represents the creator or brand it claims to be. This guide covers every requirement and what to do while you work toward the number.
How many subscribers to get verified on YouTube
YouTube’s help page on verification badges sets the bar at 100,000 subscribers. Below that, you cannot submit an application. The number has stayed the same for years, but check that page before you apply in case the policy changes.
There is one exception. YouTube says it may proactively verify channels with fewer than 100,000 subscribers that are well known outside YouTube, such as public figures or established brands. You cannot request this. YouTube decides.
Reaching 100,000 also does not guarantee the badge. It makes you eligible to be reviewed.
The other requirements YouTube checks
Once you reach the threshold, YouTube looks at the account and the channel. Use this table as a pre-application checklist.
| Requirement | What YouTube looks for | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| 100,000 subscribers | The public subscriber count | Track it in YouTube Studio |
| 2-Step Verification | Turned on for the Google account that owns the channel | Turn it on in your Google account security settings |
| Complete profile | A banner image, profile picture and description | Use a current photo or logo and a description that says who you are |
| Public content | At least one public video, and a channel that is active | Keep uploading on a regular schedule |
| Authenticity | The channel represents the real creator, brand or entity it claims to be | Use your real name or brand name, and link to your official sites and profiles |
The authenticity check is where many applications stall. A fan channel, a channel named after a meme or a channel that looks like someone else’s brand will not pass, however large it is.
What does not get you verified
A few common shortcuts waste time or put the channel at risk:
- Buying subscribers or views. Paid or automated engagement breaks YouTube’s fake engagement policy. YouTube can remove that engagement and take action against the channel, up to termination.
- Third-party “verification services.” Nobody outside YouTube can grant the badge. Treat any offer to do so as a scam.
- Joining the YouTube Partner Program. The Partner Program is about earning money on YouTube. It has its own requirements and does not give you a badge.
YouTube also says it can remove verification from channels that break its Community Guidelines or Terms of Service, so the rules keep applying after you have the badge.
How to grow toward 100,000 subscribers
The badge comes after the audience, so most of the work is the same as growing any channel. A few habits make the biggest difference.
Pick a lane people can describe
Viewers subscribe when they know what they will get next. Choose a clear subject and a recognizable format, such as a weekly review, a series of tutorials or a recurring challenge. Series and playlists keep people watching one video after another, which tells YouTube the channel is worth recommending.
Treat the title and thumbnail as part of the video
Most viewers decide whether to click in a second. Write titles that say what the video delivers, use thumbnails with one clear subject and readable text, and test new versions on videos that underperform.
Use Shorts to get discovered
Shorts reach people who have never seen your channel. Use them to show a strong moment from a long video or a quick version of an idea, and point viewers to the full video. Regular Shorts are easier to keep up when you plan them ahead; the guide to scheduling YouTube Shorts explains how.
Publish on a schedule you can keep
A consistent rhythm, even one long video a week, beats bursts followed by silence. It gives returning viewers a reason to check back and keeps your channel active, which also matters for verification.
Talk with your audience
Reply to comments, especially in the first hours after a video goes live. Ask questions you actually want answered, and use the answers to plan new videos. People who feel heard tend to subscribe and come back.
Collaborate and cross-promote
Collaborations with creators of a similar size in your niche introduce you to viewers who already like that kind of content. Then make it easy for people who find you on Instagram, TikTok or X to reach your channel.
Make your channel easy to confirm as yours
Authenticity is easier to judge when your identity is consistent everywhere. Use the same name and photo on every network, link your YouTube channel to your official website and social profiles, and make sure those profiles link back.
A single page that lists every official channel helps here, and it gives viewers one place to find you. On a Linkme page for creators and athletes, you can add platform links for your other networks, a YouTube video feed or a featured YouTube video that plays on the page, and an email sign up so you can reach your audience outside YouTube. With Plus or Pro, connected accounts add up into one total follower count shown on your page, which gives brands and visitors a clear picture of your reach across every network.
If you post to more than one network, Post to All sends one post to your connected accounts on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, Threads and LinkedIn, now or at a scheduled time. That makes it easier to keep the cross-promotion going while you focus on the videos.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get verified on YouTube with fewer than 100,000 subscribers?
You cannot apply below 100,000 subscribers. YouTube may still verify a channel with fewer subscribers on its own if the person or brand is well known outside YouTube, but there is no way to request it.
Do you automatically get verified at 100,000 subscribers?
No. Reaching 100,000 makes you eligible to apply. YouTube then reviews whether the channel is authentic, complete and active, and whether the Google account has 2-Step Verification turned on.
Does YouTube verification help you make money?
Not directly. The badge confirms identity. Earning on YouTube runs through the YouTube Partner Program, which has separate requirements, and through income you build yourself, such as merch, products and brand deals.
How long does YouTube verification take?
YouTube does not publish a fixed review time. Check that your channel meets every requirement before you apply, so the review is not delayed or declined over something missing like a banner or 2-Step Verification.
The number gets the attention, but the rest of the checklist is what YouTube reviews. Build a channel that is clearly yours, keep it active and connected to your other profiles, and you will be ready to apply when you reach 100,000.
