Running Facebook ads requires confirming your identity to ensure you are a real person or business. Facebook has identity confirmation steps in place to prevent fraud and fake accounts from advertising on their platform. Here’s how to confirm your identity when running Facebook ads so your campaigns can be approved and go live.
Why You Need to Confirm Your Identity for Facebook Ads
Facebook requires identity confirmation for a few important reasons:
- To prevent fake accounts and bots from running ads – Identity confirmation ensures real people or businesses are advertising on Facebook.
- To comply with advertising regulations – Many countries require advertisers to verify their identity to run political, social issue, or election-related ads.
- To protect users from scams – Confirming advertiser identities helps prevent users from encountering misleading or deceptive ads.
- To improve ad relevance – Verified advertisers can gain access to features like detailed targeting, custom audiences, and look-alike audiences.
Essentially, identity confirmation upholds the integrity and security of advertising on Facebook. It benefits both users and legitimate businesses looking to advertise on the platform.
How to Confirm Your Identity as an Individual
If you are an individual looking to run Facebook ads, you need to confirm your identity by providing the following:
- Legal Name – Provide your legal first and last name as it appears on your government ID.
- Home Address – Provide your residential street address; PO Boxes are not accepted.
- Phone Number – Provide a phone number associated with your Facebook account.
- Government ID – Submit a photo of your government-issued photo ID that matches the name you provided.
Acceptable government IDs include:
- Driver’s license
- Passport
- National identification card
- Alien registration card/Green card
To confirm your identity as an individual:
- Click “Confirm Your Identity” from Facebook’s Identity Confirmation page.
- Enter your legal name and home address.
- Submit a photo of your government ID by clicking the camera icon.
- Enter the verification code sent to your phone number.
- Click “Submit” to complete the process.
How to Confirm Your Identity as a Business
If you are a business manager looking to run Facebook ads, you need to go through Facebook Business Manager identity confirmation. This involves providing the following:
- Business Information – Legal business name, address, website, and phone number.
- Tax Information – Employer Identification Number (EIN) or other tax ID number.
- Business Documentation – Business formation documents like articles of incorporation, registration certificate, or partnership agreement.
- Government ID – Photo ID of the business manager or authorized representative.
To confirm a business manager identity:
- From Business Manager, click “Confirm Your Identity” on the Business Information page.
- Enter your business details like name, address, tax ID number, etc.
- Upload business documentation from the accepted file types.
- Submit a photo of your personal government ID.
- Enter the confirmation code sent to your phone.
- Click “Submit” to finish confirming your business identity.
Tips for Streamlining Identity Confirmation
Here are some tips to help make the identity confirmation process smoother:
- Make sure all information you provide matches your documentation exactly.
- Use high quality images of your photo ID without glare or blurriness.
- Triple check that the mobile number you provide is correct so you receive the verification code.
- If you have multiple ad accounts or Pages, use the same contact information for consistency.
- Keep your business information and documentation up to date in Business Manager.
- Respond promptly to any follow up requests from Facebook for additional information.
Troubleshooting Identity Confirmation Issues
If you run into problems confirming your identity on Facebook, here are some troubleshooting tips:
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Identity confirmation is stuck in review | Wait 1-3 days for the review to complete as processing times may vary. |
| Facebook asks for ID after already providing | Submit your ID again making sure it’s clearly visible and matches your details. |
| Ad account disabled due to unconfirmed identity | Confirm your identity then appeal the account disablement. |
| Error submitting business documents | Make sure documents are an accepted file type and try uploading again. |
For other issues, check Facebook’s Business Help Center for troubleshooting tips specific to your error messages or problems. If issues persist, reach out to Facebook Concierge support for personalized assistance getting confirmed.
Getting Confirmed Faster
To speed up the identity confirmation process, keep these best practices in mind:
- Maintain accurate info – Keep your personal and business details up to date in Facebook to avoid mismatches.
- Use high quality ID images – Submit crisp, well-lit photos where details are clearly visible.
- Watch for notifications – Respond ASAP if Facebook requests additional information or clarification.
- Add a card or payment method – Having a form of payment speeds up confirmation as Facebook can verify against your financial information.
- Appeal quickly if disabled – If your ad account is paused, go through the appeals process as soon as possible.
Proactively following Facebook’s guidelines around authorized identification and staying on top of any notifications or requests from Facebook can help facilitate quicker confirmation.
Maintaining Access After Confirming Identity
Once you confirm your identity, Facebook provides tips to maintain your access:
- Use the authorized funding source added during confirmation for your Facebook ad payments.
- Keep your account details like address, phone number, and payment info up to date.
- Respond to any follow-up confirmation requests if Facebook encounters inconsistencies.
- Add a second admin on your Facebook ad accounts in case your access is ever temporarily restricted.
Staying on top of your account information, notifications, and adhering to Facebook’s advertising policies can help prevent identity confirmations issues from reoccurring down the road.
Conclusion
Confirming your identity is a key step to gain access to Facebook advertising tools and ensure your ads abide by Facebook’s policies. While the confirmation process may seem tedious, it benefits the Facebook ecosystem by preventing fraudulent activities. With some advanced preparation using the right documentation and troubleshooting tactics, you can get confirmed quickly and maintain ongoing access to run Facebook ad campaigns.