Verified User Badges

Better Messages displays verified-user badges next to display names throughout the messenger — in conversation headers, member lists, mini-chat tooltips, and message author labels. The status is read from whatever already knows it on your site, through a single filter, so there is no separate database to maintain: verified once, badged everywhere in chat.

What it adds#

Verified badge icon shown beside the user's display name in every messenger surface
Automatic sync from BP Verified Member or Youzify — no manual badge management
Visible in DMs, group chats, chat rooms, mini-chats, and members directories
Helps users distinguish official accounts, paid members, or trusted contributors at a glance
No additional setting in Better Messages — the integration handles the lookup transparently

How it works#

When Better Messages builds a user item (for a conversation header, a message author label, a recipient picker, or a members directory) it runs better_messages_is_verified for that user and carries the answer in the payload as verified. If anything hooked to that filter returns true, the badge renders next to the display name.

Two sources are wired up out of the box, both through the BuddyPress integration:

Plugin	Source of verification	Detected by
BP Verified Member	the plugin's own verified-user list	`BP_Verified_Member` class exists
Youzify	the Youzify account-verification setting	`youzify_is_user_account_verified()` exists

Anything else — PeepSo, BuddyBoss, Ultimate Member, a custom field of your own — is not wired up automatically. Use the better_messages_is_verified filter below. It is the single point every surface reads from, so one hook badges the user everywhere.

If more than one source is active, verifying in any of them is enough — each filter only ever turns the flag on.

When verification badges matter#

Site type	Why verified badges help
Community / social network	Distinguishes original creators from look-alike accounts
Marketplace (Dokan / WCFM)	Marks officially-vetted vendor accounts vs new sign-ups
LMS	Shows instructors / TAs apart from students at a glance
Membership site	Visually rewards paying members with status
Fan / paid newsletter community	Signals creator accounts vs subscribers

Frequently asked questions#

Can I add a custom verified-badge source from my own plugin?#

Yes — hook the better_messages_is_verified filter, which receives (bool $verified, int $user_id). Return true for any user your plugin considers verified, based on whatever logic you choose (custom user meta, role check, external API, etc.).

What does the badge icon look like?#

The badge is a small checkmark icon rendered next to the user's name. It scales with the surrounding text and respects the messenger's light/dark theme.

Are verified badges shown to non-logged-in users?#

Yes — in chat rooms with guest access, guests see verified badges on participants too. The badge is a visual property of the message author and is rendered for all viewers.

Does verification gate any messenger feature?#

No. Verification is a display-only signal. To gate features by verification, combine the better_messages_is_verified check with the better_messages_can_send_message filter to allow or reject a send based on the sender's verified status.

Why doesn't a verified user show the badge?#

Most often because nothing is hooked to the filter. Only BP Verified Member and Youzify wire themselves up, and only when their own class or function is present. If you verify people some other way — PeepSo, BuddyBoss, Ultimate Member, a user meta field, a role — nothing reads that on its own. Hook better_messages_is_verified yourself. If a source is active, check that the user really is marked verified there.