Short answer: you can't buy a Bluesky blue check. Bluesky verifies notable, authentic accounts itself, takes requests from them through a form, and lets approved organizations called Trusted Verifiers verify their own people. The verification anyone can do today is setting their own domain as their handle.

Here's how both kinds of check work, what you can do to look credible, and how to tell a real verified account from a fake.

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The Direct Answer

Question Answer
Can I request a blue check? Yes, if you're notable – through Bluesky's verification form
Can I pay for one? No – verification isn't sold
Who hands them out? Bluesky, plus approved Trusted Verifiers
What does the scalloped check mean? The account is itself a Trusted Verifier
What can I do myself? Use your own domain as your handle
Does a check boost reach? Not officially – it's an identity signal

The Two Kinds of Blue Check on Bluesky

Bluesky launched visible verification in April 2025. There are two marks:

  • A round blue check means the account has been verified as authentic and notable – by Bluesky itself or by a Trusted Verifier.
  • A scalloped blue check (a wavy-edged badge) means the account is a Trusted Verifier: an organization Bluesky has approved to verify other accounts. The New York Times was one of the first. A newsroom can then verify its own journalists, for example.

Tap the check on any profile to see who verified the account. Bluesky reviews verifications made by Trusted Verifiers as well, so a check from an organization still has Bluesky behind it.

Under the hood, a verification is a public record written by the verifying account and pointing at the verified one, the same way follows and blocks are records. That means anyone, including you, can see who verified whom.

Who Gets Verified on Bluesky?

Bluesky's stated standard is authentic and notable. In practice that means accounts people are likely to look for and likely to be impersonated: public figures, journalists at established outlets, government officials and agencies, well-known organizations and brands, and prominent creators. Our list of the most-followed Bluesky accounts shows what that mix looks like.

Follower count alone doesn't qualify you, and there is no published threshold. Bluesky's verification announcement links to a request form for notable and authentic accounts, and for organizations that want to become Trusted Verifiers. Filling it in is free and there is no guarantee of a check or a reply. Anyone else offering to get you verified, especially for money, is not Bluesky.

If you work at a news outlet or large organization

Ask whether your employer is a Trusted Verifier. If it is, the organization verifies its own staff directly, which is currently the most reliable route to a check for most journalists and employees.

The Verification You Can Do Yourself: a Domain Handle

Before blue checks existed, Bluesky's answer to “how do I prove this is me?” was the domain handle, and it still works. If your handle is yourname.com or you.yourcompany.com, it proves the account is controlled by whoever controls that domain. It's free, it takes about five minutes, and it doesn't need anyone's approval.

For organizations this is often stronger than a check: @nasa.gov can't be faked without control of nasa.gov. For individuals with a personal site, it ties your Bluesky account to the rest of your online identity. Our step-by-step guide covers it: how to use a custom domain as your Bluesky handle.

A domain handle and a blue check are not mutually exclusive. Many verified accounts use both.

How to Make Your Account Easy to Verify

Nobody can promise you a check, but the same things that make an account easy for Bluesky to verify also make it easy for people to trust:

  • Use your real name or your organization's official name as the display name.
  • Set a domain handle on a domain clearly associated with you.
  • Link back from your official presence. Put your Bluesky profile on your website, your newsroom bio, or your other social accounts. Two-way links are a strong authenticity signal.
  • Write a clear bio that says who you are and where you work.
  • Post consistently and keep a real profile photo and banner.
  • Grow a genuine audience. Notability is the other half of the standard; our guide to gaining Bluesky followers covers what actually works.

How You Can Lose a Blue Check

A verification is tied to the account as it looked when it was verified. Changing your handle or display name can remove the check until you're re-verified – that stops someone from getting verified and then renaming themselves into someone else. If you're verified and planning a rename, expect the check may disappear for a while. Verifications can also be revoked by whoever issued them, and accounts that break Bluesky's rules can lose them.

How to Check If a Verified Account Is Real

  • Tap the check. It should name who verified the account. A check drawn into an avatar or banner image is not a real verification.
  • Look at the handle. A handle on an official domain is hard to fake; a near-miss spelling is a red flag.
  • Watch for Invalid Handle. If the handle shows as invalid, the name isn't proven. See what Invalid Handle means.
  • Report impersonation. Use the report option on the profile. Our moderation settings guide covers reporting and labelers.

If the checks bother you, Bluesky lets you hide them: Settings → Moderation → Verification settings has a Hide verification badges option, which applies to everyone's badges, not just yours.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get verified on Bluesky?

Bluesky verifies notable, authentic accounts itself and accepts requests from them through a form linked in its verification announcement. Trusted Verifiers such as news organizations verify their own people. Anyone can set a domain handle to prove control of a domain.

Can you pay for a blue check on Bluesky?

No. Bluesky verification is not sold, and anyone offering to get you verified for money should be treated as a scam.

What does the scalloped blue check mean on Bluesky?

It marks a Trusted Verifier: an organization Bluesky has approved to verify other accounts. A round check means the account itself has been verified.

Is a custom domain handle a form of verification?

Yes, a self-serve one. It proves the account is controlled by whoever controls that domain. It is free and does not require approval.

Why did my Bluesky blue check disappear?

Changing your handle or display name can remove the check until the account is re-verified. Verifications can also be revoked by the account that issued them.

Does verification help reach on Bluesky?

Bluesky presents verification as an identity signal, not a ranking boost. Reach still comes from what you post and who follows you.

Verification in Skyscraper

Skyscraper reads verification and handles from the network, so a check or a domain handle shows the same way it does on Bluesky. A few related tools:

  • Search and Find Friends – find official accounts and the people you already know
  • Starter packs and lists – follow curated sets of accounts instead of guessing which ones are real
  • Report posts and accounts – flag impersonators without leaving the app

Download Skyscraper →