> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.whetstone.au/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Advisor verification explained

> What happens during Whetstone advisor verification, what is checked, what to prepare, and what each outcome means.

Every advisor is checked by a real person before they can take bookings. Nothing is approved or rejected automatically, in either direction. This protects business owners and is a requirement for the insurance that covers every session.

## What is checked

<Steps>
  <Step title="Identity">
    That the uploaded ID document is genuine and matches you.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Credentials">
    That the licences, registrations and memberships you claim are real and current. These are checked with the issuing body, not just read off the certificate.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Background">
    Usually a reference call about the experience you have described — does the career you have written match the one someone else describes?
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What to prepare

* Government-issued photo ID
* Credentials relevant to what you will advise on
* Professional references who can confirm your work history

## The three outcomes

| Outcome                     | What it means                                                                                                                                                                      |
| --------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Approved**                | You become visible and bookable                                                                                                                                                    |
| **More information needed** | Something is missing or unclear. Read the note, update your application and resubmit — this returns you to the queue and is a normal part of the process, not a strike against you |
| **Not approved**            | The application was not accepted. The note explains why                                                                                                                            |

**Every decision comes with a written note.** That is mandatory — a status without a reason is not evidence — and the record is permanent, stamped with who made it. It exists for your protection as much as anyone's.

## How long it takes

It depends how quickly references respond. Most applications are completed within a few business days, though it can take longer if references are slow to reply.

## While you are pending

Your profile is **not visible to business owners**, does not appear on any shortlist, and cannot be booked. This is the platform's core promise and there is no way around it, including for people with impeccable credentials.

You keep your dashboard while a decision is pending, including after a "more information needed" — taking it away mid-decision would be both rude and confusing.

<Note>
  If an application is not approved, or you later deactivate, the advisor dashboard closes and you are taken to your verification status instead. You will not be left publishing availability that nobody can book.
</Note>

## Related articles

* [Become an advisor](/advisors/become-an-advisor)
* [Your advisor profile](/advisors/advisor-profile)
* [How Whetstone verifies advisors](/trust/advisor-verification)


## Related topics

- [How Whetstone Verifies Advisors](/trust/advisor-verification.md)
- [Advisors](/advisors/index.md)
- [Understanding Bounded Scope on Whetstone](/trust/bounded-scope.md)
- [Trust & Safety](/trust/index.md)
- [How to become a Whetstone advisor](/advisors/become-an-advisor.md)