Dear Valerie Houghton , You MUST use institutional e-mail. I do not have verified RG profile also, as I am retired researcher. Verify your institutional affiliation to get your badge.
To get verified on ResearchGate, ensure your profile includes accurate academic or professional affiliations, a clear photo, and publications (even preprints or conference papers help). If you're an independent researcher, you can list your work, link to published material, and request verification through their support page if needed. A complete and active profile often speeds up the process. That said, having an institutional email—like one issued by a university or research body—is the easiest and fastest path to get the official Verified Badge on your profile.
What does one do if - after being verified for years - they ask for re-verification, but one has only just retired and no longer has an institutional e-mail address? How does one make sure not to lose one’s ResearchGate profile including the input accumulated over the years? I have been trying to contact ResearchGate for five weeks, but they are not available on phone and do not answer e-mails and verification expires soon. I’d be grateful for any advice!