Feature Update
Product OTP and Automatic Verification Badges
Product buyers now verify by WhatsApp OTP so the code actually arrives, and connected Google or LinkedIn accounts show as automatic trust badges on your profile.
- Published
- Author
- Shubham N Datarkar
- Read
- 4 min
Two trust fixes shipped this week. Digital-product buyers now receive their one-time code over WhatsApp instead of hitting a dead end at checkout, and a connected Google or LinkedIn account now appears as an automatic verification badge on your public Book A Sloth profile. Both do the same job: they make trust work without adding a single step for you or the buyer.
Product OTP now arrives on WhatsApp
Buying a digital product now verifies the same way the rest of Book A Sloth does: with a one-time code sent to the buyer's WhatsApp. Previously the product checkout had a quiet mismatch. The code was issued phone-first, but the product paths checked email only, so a buyer who entered a phone number got an "invalid or expired code" error and could not finish the purchase.
We fixed the mismatch and made the number on the product page a required WhatsApp field, so the code is issued and delivered on WhatsApp every time. That removes a real leak at the last step: fewer dead ends, more completed purchases. If you sell downloads or templates, see how to sell digital products online for the full picture on pricing and delivering files.
Google and LinkedIn as automatic trust badges
If you signed in with Google or connected LinkedIn, that now shows as a verification badge on your public profile automatically. You do not request it or upload anything. The badge reflects an account you already connected, so it stays honest.
Trust is most of the booking decision for a stranger. A badge that reads "verified with Google" or "verified with LinkedIn" does quiet work: it tells a guest the profile belongs to a real, accountable person before they pay. Because the badge is derived from the connected account rather than a manual claim, it cannot be faked by typing a logo into a bio.
Independent trust signals carry real weight. In BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Survey, 49% of consumers said they trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation from friends and family. A verification badge is a different signal, but it works the same way: a neutral, external account vouching that you are who you say you are.
49% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey
The verification badge is generated from the OAuth account you actually connected at sign-in, not from text or an image you add to your profile. There is no "upload a badge" field, so a host cannot spoof one with a logo or a claim.
The two fixes at a glance
| Before | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Product checkout OTP | Code sent phone-first but verified email-only, so phone buyers saw "invalid code" | Product page number is a required WhatsApp field; code is issued and delivered on WhatsApp |
| Google / LinkedIn verification | No profile signal from a connected account | Automatic badge derived from the connected account, cannot be faked |
How to get your verification badge
- 01Sign in to Book A Sloth with Google, or connect your LinkedIn account.
- 02Open your public profile. The verification badge appears automatically from the connected account.
- 03Nothing to apply for, upload, or wait on. Disconnect the account and the badge goes with it.
Why these two shipped together
Both are trust mechanics. One makes sure a buyer can prove it is them and get their file; the other makes sure a guest can see, at a glance, that you are a verified person. Neither adds a step for you to manage. The OTP just works, and the badges appear from accounts you already linked. This sits alongside the identity and payout verification we already do: KYC only after you earn explains why we verify late, and what happens to your Aadhaar covers how sensitive identity data is handled.
For everything else that shipped recently, the September update has the two-plan pricing and the Build-with-Bolt page builder. Setting up now? Connect Google when you sign in and your badge is handled for you. Start your page. The craft is yours. The machinery is ours.
Common questions
Why wasn't my product OTP working before?
The code was sent phone-first but the product checkout verified email-only, so buyers who entered a phone number got an "invalid or expired code" error. The product page number is now a required WhatsApp field and verification matches how the code is sent, so the code arrives and works.
Do I have to request a verification badge?
No. If you signed in with Google or connected LinkedIn, the badge appears on your profile automatically. It reflects the connected account, so there is nothing to apply for or upload.
Can someone fake a verification badge?
No. The badge is derived from an account you actually connected at sign-in, not from text you type into your bio, so it cannot be spoofed with a logo or a claim.
Does the WhatsApp OTP cost the buyer anything?
No. The one-time code is delivered to the buyer's WhatsApp at no cost to them. They enter it to confirm the purchase and get their download.