In an attempt to crack down on bots and misinformation, Facebook is ramping up its page publishing verification for accounts and publishers of those accounts. Assuming you’re not a bot or trying to fake your country of origin, the Facebook verification process is a quick and relatively painless procedure. 

And if you have a tendency to procrastinate or put things off (no judgment), there are some pretty serious consequences for failing to complete this process. To show that Zuck and his team mean business, failure to complete the authorization before the deadline will result in your Page’s default setting for “Posting as” and “Liking and commenting as” will change from your Page to your personal profile.

To avoid this, we’ve put together a quick guide for this verification process so you can get it done and get back publishing on your page before you finish your second cup of coffee.

Estimated time to complete: 5 minutes, depending on your Internet connection.

What you’ll need: your ID and your phone

To get authorized:

1. Turn on two-factor authentication for your Facebook account.
2. 1. Go to your Security and Login Settings.
   2. Scroll down to Use two-factor authentication and click Edit.
   3. Choose the security method you want to add and follow the on-screen instructions.
      1. When you set up two-factor authentication on Facebook, you’ll be asked to choose one of three security methods:
         1. Tapping your security key on a compatible device.
         2. Login codes from a third party authentication app.
         3. Text message (SMS) codes from your mobile phone

2. Confirm your location by turning on Location Services on your mobile device. Updating the current city listed on your profile and opening Facebook from your current location may also help Facebook determine which country you’re based in. It may take some time for Facebook to confirm your location.

And that’s it!

If you’re running social issues, elections, or political ads, you will need to go through a separate, more thorough verification process. In that case, you’ll want to follow these steps below:

1. Set up two-factor authentication.
2. Grab your US-based, government-issued ID, i.e. a driver’s license or a passport. Make sure your hands are steady and the picture is clear and easy to read or else it might get rejected.
3. Provide the last four digits of your SSN.
4. Provide your mailing address. (and it should be your actual mailing address, Facebook is going to send you some snail mail)
5.  You should expect to receive the Facebook ID confirmation form in 1-2 weeks (give or take) and a confirmation code to enter online.  
6. Enter the unique card code provided to confirm your address verification (you can do so by returning to www.facebook.com/id/us_political_ads_advertiser/)

Once confirmed, you will need to link all accounts and create a disclaimer to run along your ads to say who is paying for them. We’ll have more information on that coming soon.