How To Create A GIPHY Brand Channel

At the end of 2019, CEO Alex Chung said that GIPHY now serves over 10 billion GIFs every day and is the 2nd largest search engine in the world, behind only Google in search volume.

The world's biggest brands like Pepsi, Wells Fargo, and McDonald’s are all using GIFs to reach consumers in messaging apps and vertical video within social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.

You can too. But before you can make your GIFs publicly available via GIPHY search, which is integrated in all major messaging apps and social platforms, you need to have a verified GIPHY brand channel.

GIPHY requires all content that it shows in 3rd-party messaging and social media apps comes from a verified brand channel to ensure the content is safe and appropriate.

The process is simple. You need to first create a GIPHY account. Once you have a GIPHY account, you can apply for a GIPHY brand channel.

The application is simple, and usually takes anywhere from one day to two weeks to get approved once submitted.

Follow these steps to create a GIPHY brand channel: 


1. Login or create a GIPHY account and start the application

2. Enter you contact name, this is usually the name of the person who will manage the GIPHY account

3. Choose your display name, usually you’ll want to put your brand name here. 

4. Provide a link to your company website, as long as you are a legitimate company with a legitmate looking website, you should be fine. 

5. Link to relevant social media profiles. If you have a big social following, the approval process may be quicker. 

6. An avatar (profile pic) for your channel. Must be 250x250px in JPG, PNG, or GIF format.

7. Upload five original GIFs to your GIPHY channel. These could be GIFs or GIF stickers, but you need to own the rights to the content and it should be high-quality. 

8. After a few weeks, your channel should be approved. If you need your channel approval expedited in time for an event, the GIPHY support team is usually accommodating if you ask nicely. 


GIPHY requires your channel has five original GIFs uploaded before you can be approved for a brand channel. This is the most challenging part of the process, since they require that the content be high-quality custom animation or video content that you own. You can't upload derivative works (memes) from content that you don’t own the rights.  


The easiest way to get original content onto your GIPHY channel is to take existing video content that you own, this could be a commercial or video, and cut it up into funny GIF content using a tool like GIPHY Capture.  


As long as you properly fill out the application, have a legit-looking website, a modest social media presence, and five original GIFs on your GIPHY channel, you’ll most likely be approved.

Once approved you can start sharing your GIFs with the world and generating millions of high-quality brand impressions with consumers.

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