How to Join and Get Approved
Four gates between signing up and being bookable, the follower bar that actually decides, and why nothing goes in your bio.
What this guide covers
Everything happens in the app
The creator side of Ainfluencer is mobile app only. Signing in to the website sends you to a download page.
Brands work on the web and creators work in the app. That split is deliberate, and it is the most common reason a new creator thinks the platform is broken.
If you are seeing campaign-creation screens, a brand dashboard, or a download prompt you did not expect, you are signed in on the wrong side. You cannot convert a brand account into a creator account; you need a second email address.
Four gates, not one
Signing up is the first of four steps, and most people who say nothing is happening are stuck on the third.
Only the last state lets you work.
| Status on the account card | What it means | Who moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Pending Verification | A reviewer is confirming you own the account | A person |
| Verification Rejected | Turned down. Tap the card for reasons | You, by fixing and resubmitting |
| Draft | Connected, but your media kit is unfinished | You |
| Pending Admin Approval | Media kit done, waiting on quality review | A person |
| Active | Approved. You can make offers | Done |
Connecting your account
Only Instagram uses a code, and nothing goes in your bio. If you have read otherwise, that described a method we retired.
1. Enter your username
Without the @ and with no trailing space. You get a code like ain-123456.
2. Tap Open Instagram & Follow + DM
This copies the code and opens a message to @ainfluencer.official.
3. Follow, then send the code
As a message on its own, from the account you are connecting.
4. Tap Confirm you did it
If the message arrived, @ainfluencer.official replies to confirm.
TikTok and YouTube use sign-in with the platform. There is no code at all. For YouTube, each channel becomes its own Ainfluencer account, and you pick which one.
Two causes cover almost every failure. The DM came from a different profile than the one you typed, or you re-entered your username at some point, which generates a fresh code and silently kills the old one. Use the code showing right now.
How many followers you actually need
The figure that decides at review is 5,000.
Accounts below it are usually rejected with The account doesn’t meet the minimum required followers (5K). Over the last three months that single reason accounted for roughly four in ten of all verification rejections, making it by far the most common.
| Requirement | TikTok | YouTube | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Followers at review | About 5,000 | About 5,000 | About 5,000 |
| Account must be public | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Authentic audience | Yes | Yes | Yes |
If you are close to 5,000, wait rather than apply. Rejections accumulate: after five rejected requests you cannot submit again for seven days, so a few hopeful attempts can lock you out for a week.
Buying followers to cross the line is the worst move available. It is visible at review, it is rejected under Violating guidelines, and that is much harder to recover from than being told to come back larger.
What the connection errors mean
Each message points at a different fix.
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| This Instagram account has already been added by another Ainfluencer user | It is on a different login, often an older one of yours. Email support with both addresses and the username |
| The account must be public | Switch it to public, then try again |
| We couldn’t find your verification code | Send the current code, as its own message, from the right account |
| You currently have a pending request | Wait. A second request is refused and does not speed anything up |
| Five verification requests have previously been submitted | You are locked out for seven days. Fix the reasons first |
The single most common rejection of all is invalid username or account, and a surprising share of those are nothing more than an @ typed in front of the handle or a trailing space.
If it has said Pending for days
The app says up to 24 hours. That is a commitment from our team rather than a timer: nothing escalates automatically.
Keep the account public
An account set to private at the moment a reviewer opens it is rejected.
Do not re-enter your username
That generates a new code and can confuse the check.
Do not submit again
While a request is pending, a second one is refused outright.
After 48 hours, contact support
With your username and the date you submitted.
Instagram accounts land in manual review more often than they should, because of a fault on our side rather than anything you did. A Pending status on Instagram is usually not a judgement about your account.
Once you are Active
Being approved is the start, not the finish.
Finish everything brands filter on
Niche, country, language and audience data. These are literally the search filters brands use.
Connect more accounts if you have them
One login holds several Instagram, TikTok and YouTube accounts, each verified separately, all paying into one wallet.
Tell support before you rename a handle
A rename archives the account and only an admin can restore it.
Start sending offers daily
Volume and personalisation decide your response rate far more than your follower count.
From downloading the app to your first offer
Every gate, and who has to move it.
Ready to join?
The Ainfluencer creator app is free on iOS and Android.
