Xiaohongshu Business Account: Complete Setup, Verification & Best Practices Guide
Date Published
Table Of Contents
• What is a Xiaohongshu Business Account?
• Business Account vs. Personal Account: Key Differences
• Prerequisites for Setting Up a Xiaohongshu Business Account
• Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Business Account
• Xiaohongshu Business Account Verification Process
• Post-Verification Setup and Optimization
• Best Practices for Xiaohongshu Business Accounts
• Compliance and Platform Guidelines
Setting up a business presence on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RedNote) represents a critical entry point into China's thriving social commerce ecosystem. With over 300 million monthly active users and a highly engaged consumer base that actively seeks product recommendations and brand content, Xiaohongshu has become essential for international brands targeting Chinese consumers. However, navigating the platform's business account setup and verification process can be challenging without proper guidance, especially for brands unfamiliar with Chinese platform requirements.
Unlike Western social media platforms, Xiaohongshu has specific documentation requirements, verification processes, and compliance standards that international brands must meet. The difference between a properly configured business account and a basic personal account can significantly impact your marketing capabilities, access to analytics, advertising options, and overall brand credibility on the platform. Understanding these distinctions and following best practices from the outset will save time, resources, and potential compliance issues down the line.
This comprehensive guide walks you through everything you need to know about Xiaohongshu business accounts, from initial setup requirements to advanced optimization strategies. Whether you're a beauty brand looking to tap into Xiaohongshu's highly influential community or an F&B company planning your market entry, this guide provides the actionable insights you need to establish a professional, compliant, and effective presence on China's fastest-growing social commerce platform.
What is a Xiaohongshu Business Account?
A Xiaohongshu business account (企业号) is a verified commercial profile designed specifically for brands, retailers, and businesses operating on the platform. Unlike personal accounts used by individual creators and influencers, business accounts unlock a comprehensive suite of professional features that enable brands to build credibility, access advanced analytics, run official campaigns, and integrate e-commerce functionalities directly into their Xiaohongshu presence.
Business accounts display a verified badge that immediately distinguishes your brand from personal accounts and unofficial sellers. This verification signals authenticity to Xiaohongshu's discerning user base, which is particularly important given the platform's emphasis on trusted recommendations and genuine user experiences. The verification badge helps combat counterfeiting concerns and builds consumer confidence, especially critical for international brands entering the Chinese market.
Beyond credibility, business accounts provide access to Xiaohongshu's professional center (专业号中心), which includes detailed analytics dashboards, content performance metrics, audience demographic insights, and advertising campaign management tools. These features allow brands to make data-driven decisions about content strategy, influencer partnerships, and paid promotion investments. For brands serious about building a sustainable presence on Xiaohongshu, a properly set up and verified business account is not optional but essential.
Business Account vs. Personal Account: Key Differences
Understanding the distinctions between business and personal accounts helps you make an informed decision about which account type aligns with your marketing objectives. While both account types can post content and engage with users, the capabilities and restrictions differ significantly.
Verification and Credibility: Business accounts undergo a formal verification process that requires submitting official business documentation, while personal accounts have no such requirement. The blue verification badge that appears on business accounts immediately communicates legitimacy and official brand status to users browsing your content or storefront.
Analytics and Data Access: Business accounts receive comprehensive analytics including post impressions, engagement rates, follower demographics, traffic sources, and conversion tracking. Personal accounts have extremely limited analytics, making it nearly impossible to measure content performance or optimize marketing strategies effectively.
Advertising Capabilities: Only verified business accounts can access Xiaohongshu's full advertising platform, including feed ads, search ads, and KOL collaboration tools through the official system. Personal accounts cannot run paid advertising campaigns, severely limiting growth potential and reach beyond organic content performance.
E-commerce Integration: Business accounts can integrate with Xiaohongshu's shopping features, link to official stores, tag products in posts, and access live-streaming commerce tools. These e-commerce capabilities are either restricted or unavailable for personal accounts, limiting monetization opportunities.
Content Guidelines: Business accounts must adhere to stricter content guidelines and compliance requirements, including mandatory disclosures for promotional content and adherence to advertising laws. Personal accounts have more flexibility but less credibility when promoting products or services.
Customer Service Features: Verified business accounts gain access to professional customer service tools, including automated responses, inquiry management systems, and direct messaging capabilities that support customer relationship management at scale.
Prerequisites for Setting Up a Xiaohongshu Business Account
Before beginning the business account setup process, you'll need to gather specific documentation and meet certain requirements. Xiaohongshu's verification standards are thorough, designed to ensure only legitimate businesses operate on the platform.
Business Registration Documents: You'll need valid business registration documents from your operating jurisdiction. For companies registered in China, this includes your business license (营业执照). International companies need equivalent registration documents, typically requiring Chinese translation and notarization depending on your account management approach.
Legal Representative Information: The platform requires identification documentation for your company's legal representative or authorized signatory. This typically includes government-issued ID and authorization letters demonstrating the individual's authority to represent the business on Xiaohongshu.
Brand Trademark Documentation: If you're representing a specific brand, you'll need trademark registration certificates demonstrating legal ownership or authorization to represent the brand. This is particularly important for international brands to prevent trademark squatting and ensure brand protection on the platform.
Chinese Business Presence or Partnership: International brands typically need either a registered entity in China (WFOE, JV, or representative office) or partnership with a qualified Chinese agency or distributor who can manage the account on their behalf. Some brands work with authorized Xiaohongshu marketing service providers who handle account setup and management.
Bank Account for Verification: Certain verification steps may require a Chinese bank account for identity confirmation and payment processing, especially if you plan to use advertising features or integrate e-commerce functionalities.
Contact Information: You'll need a valid Chinese mobile phone number for account registration and verification. Some businesses use local staff numbers, while others obtain business phone numbers specifically for platform registration purposes.
Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Business Account
The business account setup process involves several distinct stages, from initial registration through final verification. Following these steps carefully ensures a smoother approval process and reduces the likelihood of delays or rejections.
1. Download and Install the Xiaohongshu App – While you can browse Xiaohongshu via web browser, the full business account setup and management functions require the mobile app. Download the official Xiaohongshu app from the iOS App Store or Android app stores (note that you may need to access Chinese app stores or use APK files for Android depending on your location).
2. Create Your Initial Account – Open the app and select the registration option (注册). You'll need to provide a Chinese mobile phone number to receive a verification code. Enter the code to complete basic registration. At this initial stage, you're creating what will become your business account, so use contact information associated with your business rather than personal details.
3. Complete Basic Profile Information – After initial registration, set up your basic profile including username, profile photo, and bio. Even though you'll enhance these later, choose a professional username that reflects your brand name (check availability beforehand as popular brand names may already be taken). Use your official logo as the profile photo and write a concise bio that introduces your brand.
4. Navigate to Business Account Upgrade – Within the app, access your profile settings and look for the option to upgrade to a business account or professional account (升级专业号 or 企业认证). The exact menu location may vary with app updates, but it's typically found under account settings or profile management sections.
5. Select Your Business Account Type – Xiaohongshu offers different business account categories including brand accounts, retail accounts, and service provider accounts. Select the category that best matches your business type. This selection affects the features you'll access and the verification documents required, so choose carefully based on your primary business activity on the platform.
6. Submit Required Documentation – Upload all required documents as clear, legible photos or scans. This includes your business license, trademark certificates, legal representative ID, and any authorization letters. Ensure all documents are current, valid, and match the business information you're providing in the application. Document quality matters as poor images may result in application rejection.
7. Provide Detailed Business Information – Complete the application form with accurate business details including registered business name (exactly as it appears on official documents), business registration number, business address, industry category, and business scope. Any discrepancies between your application and official documents will cause delays or rejections.
8. Pay the Verification Fee – Xiaohongshu charges a verification fee for business accounts, typically ranging from 600 to 1,200 RMB annually depending on account type and category. This fee is non-refundable even if your application is rejected, so ensure all information is correct before submission. Payment typically requires Chinese payment methods like WeChat Pay or Alipay.
9. Submit for Review – After completing all sections and uploading documentation, review your application thoroughly before final submission. Once submitted, Xiaohongshu's verification team will review your application, typically taking 3-7 business days. You'll receive notifications within the app regarding your application status.
10. Respond to Any Verification Requests – During review, Xiaohongshu may request additional documentation, clarification, or corrections. Monitor your account notifications closely and respond promptly to any requests. Delayed responses can significantly extend the verification timeline or result in application expiration.
Xiaohongshu Business Account Verification Process
The verification process is where many international brands encounter challenges, often due to unfamiliarity with Chinese platform requirements or documentation standards. Understanding what reviewers look for helps you prepare a successful application.
Xiaohongshu's verification team examines several key elements during review. They verify that all submitted documents are authentic, current, and properly match the business information provided in your application. Document consistency is critical as any discrepancies between your business name, registration number, or legal representative information across different documents will trigger rejection or requests for clarification.
The platform also assesses whether your business category and industry align with Xiaohongshu's platform guidelines and commercial categories. Certain industries face additional scrutiny or restrictions, including healthcare products, financial services, and tobacco or alcohol brands. If your business operates in a regulated industry, expect more thorough review and potentially additional documentation requirements demonstrating proper licensing and compliance.
Trademark verification deserves special attention, particularly for international brands. Xiaohongshu takes intellectual property seriously and will verify that you have legitimate rights to represent the brand you're claiming. If you're a brand owner, provide your trademark registration certificate. If you're an authorized distributor or retailer, you'll need official authorization letters from the brand owner, often requiring notarization and Chinese translation.
Geographic and legal entity considerations also factor into verification. International brands without Chinese legal entities often face additional complexity. Some brands work around this by partnering with Chinese distributors or authorized agencies who manage the business account on their behalf. Others establish a Chinese legal presence specifically to operate official brand accounts. Understanding your options and choosing the approach that aligns with your broader China market strategy is important before beginning the application process.
If your application is rejected, Xiaohongshu typically provides a rejection reason through in-app notification. Common rejection causes include incomplete documentation, information discrepancies, trademark issues, or business categories that don't meet platform standards. You can typically resubmit after addressing the specific issues identified, though you may need to pay the verification fee again depending on the reason for rejection.
Post-Verification Setup and Optimization
Once your business account receives verification approval, several important setup steps will maximize your account's effectiveness and ensure you're leveraging all available features properly.
Begin by completing your extended profile information. Add detailed business descriptions, contact information, business hours, and location details if you operate physical stores. Upload high-quality visual assets including a professional profile photo (your logo in most cases) and an engaging cover image that represents your brand identity. Your profile serves as the first impression for many users, so invest time in creating a polished, professional appearance.
Configure your professional dashboard and analytics settings. Familiarize yourself with the analytics interface, understanding which metrics matter most for your business objectives. Set up conversion tracking if you're planning to drive traffic to external destinations or measure specific user actions. The more thoroughly you configure analytics from the beginning, the better data you'll have for optimizing future content and campaigns.
Establish your content categories and hashtag strategy. Xiaohongshu's algorithm and discovery features rely heavily on proper content categorization and relevant hashtags. Research which categories and hashtags perform well in your industry by exploring successful competitor accounts and trending content in your niche. AllXHS provides industry-specific marketing strategies that include detailed hashtag research and category optimization for over 20 verticals.
Set up your customer service and communication tools. Configure automated greeting messages, frequently asked questions, and response templates for common inquiries. Business accounts receive significantly more direct messages than personal accounts, so having organized communication systems from the outset prevents overwhelm as your follower base grows.
If you plan to use e-commerce features, integrate your product catalog and shopping tools. Link your Xiaohongshu store if you have one, set up product tagging systems for your posts, and configure checkout and fulfillment processes. E-commerce integration can be complex, particularly for international brands, so consider consulting with specialists who understand cross-border e-commerce regulations and Xiaohongshu's specific requirements.
Best Practices for Xiaohongshu Business Accounts
Operating a successful business account requires more than just technical setup. The most effective brands on Xiaohongshu follow specific practices that align with platform culture and user expectations.
Maintain Authentic, User-Centric Content: Xiaohongshu users highly value authentic experiences and genuine recommendations. While business accounts are inherently commercial, the most successful brands create content that provides real value rather than purely promotional messaging. Share educational content, user stories, styling tips, recipe ideas, or other value-adding information relevant to your products. Balance promotional posts with genuinely helpful content that users would save and share even without purchase intent.
Engage Consistently with Your Community: Business account success on Xiaohongshu correlates strongly with engagement consistency rather than just posting frequency. Respond promptly to comments on your posts, engage meaningfully with user-generated content mentioning your brand, and participate in relevant community conversations. This engagement signals to Xiaohongshu's algorithm that your account provides value, improving your content's organic reach.
Leverage User-Generated Content Strategically: Encourage customers to create content featuring your products and develop systems for discovering, engaging with, and amplifying this content. User-generated content (UGC) performs exceptionally well on Xiaohongshu because it aligns with the platform's core value proposition of peer recommendations. Consider running campaigns that incentivize content creation, making it easy for customers to tag your brand and use campaign-specific hashtags.
Optimize Posting Timing and Frequency: Research indicates that Xiaohongshu engagement peaks during specific time windows, typically evening hours (7-10 PM) and lunch breaks (12-1 PM) when users browse during leisure time. However, optimal timing varies by industry and audience demographics. Test different posting schedules and use your business account analytics to identify when your specific audience is most active and engaged.
Integrate KOL Partnerships Thoughtfully: Influencer marketing is powerful on Xiaohongshu, but effective KOL partnerships require careful selection and authentic collaboration. Choose influencers whose audience demographics align with your target customers and whose content style matches your brand values. Micro-influencers (10,000-100,000 followers) often deliver better ROI than mega-influencers for many brands due to higher engagement rates and more affordable partnership costs.
Use Data to Inform Content Strategy: Your business account analytics provide valuable insights into what content resonates with your audience. Regularly review performance metrics including impression rates, engagement percentages, save rates, and traffic sources. Identify patterns in your top-performing content and use these insights to guide future content creation. The most successful brands on Xiaohongshu follow a continuous optimization cycle of creating, measuring, learning, and refining.
Maintain Compliance and Transparency: Always follow Xiaohongshu's advertising disclosure requirements, clearly marking sponsored content and paid partnerships. Transparency builds trust with the platform's discerning user base, while compliance violations can result in content removal, account restrictions, or verification revocation. Stay updated on platform policy changes as Xiaohongshu regularly updates guidelines to improve user experience and meet regulatory requirements.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many international brands make predictable mistakes when setting up and operating Xiaohongshu business accounts. Avoiding these pitfalls saves time, resources, and potential account issues.
Rushing Through Verification Documentation: Incomplete or inconsistent documentation is the most common cause of verification delays and rejections. Take time to gather all required documents, ensure they're current and valid, and verify that all business information matches exactly across different documents. Having documents professionally translated when required and getting proper notarization prevents common rejection scenarios.
Neglecting Cultural Localization: Simply translating Western content into Chinese rarely succeeds on Xiaohongshu. The platform has distinct content aesthetics, communication styles, and cultural references that differ significantly from Western social media. Invest in proper cultural localization that goes beyond language translation to include visual style adaptation, culturally relevant messaging, and content formats that match platform norms.
Treating Xiaohongshu Like Instagram or Other Western Platforms: While Xiaohongshu shares some similarities with Instagram, the platforms differ fundamentally in algorithm behavior, content discovery mechanisms, user expectations, and commercial features. Strategies that work on Western platforms often fail on Xiaohongshu without proper adaptation. Understanding platform-specific best practices is essential for success.
Ignoring the Search Optimization Aspect: Xiaohongshu functions partly as a product search engine, with many users actively searching for specific products, brands, or recommendations. Optimizing your content for search through strategic keyword usage in titles, descriptions, and hashtags significantly impacts discoverability. Many brands focus exclusively on feed content while neglecting search optimization, missing valuable traffic opportunities.
Inconsistent Posting or Long Gaps: Xiaohongshu's algorithm favors accounts that post consistently. Long gaps between posts signal inactivity to the algorithm, reducing the reach of your next post when you return. Even during slower periods, maintain minimum posting frequency (typically 2-3 posts per week at minimum) to preserve algorithm favorability and audience engagement.
Over-Promoting Without Providing Value: Users come to Xiaohongshu for inspiration, education, and authentic recommendations, not hard sales pitches. Accounts that post exclusively promotional content without providing genuine value quickly lose followers and engagement. Follow the general guideline that at least 70% of your content should be value-focused rather than directly promotional.
Failing to Monitor and Respond to Negative Feedback: Your business account will inevitably receive questions, concerns, or occasional negative feedback. How you respond significantly impacts brand perception. Ignoring negative comments or defensive responses damage credibility, while thoughtful, solution-oriented responses demonstrate customer care and can actually strengthen brand trust.
Compliance and Platform Guidelines
Operating a business account on Xiaohongshu requires adherence to both platform-specific guidelines and broader Chinese regulations governing digital marketing and e-commerce.
Understand and follow China's Advertising Law requirements, which are stricter than Western advertising regulations in several areas. Superlative claims ("best," "number one," "most effective") require substantiation and may be prohibited in certain contexts. Health and efficacy claims for products like cosmetics, supplements, or wellness items face particular scrutiny. Ensure all product claims in your content can be supported with appropriate evidence and comply with category-specific regulations.
Content disclosure requirements mandate clear identification of commercial content. When posting promotional content or paid partnerships, use Xiaohongshu's official disclosure tags that identify the post as promotional. This transparency is legally required and builds trust with users who appreciate knowing when content is sponsored versus organic recommendations.
Intellectual property protection works both ways on Xiaohongshu. While you need proper authorization to represent brands, you also need to protect your own intellectual property. Monitor for counterfeit products or unauthorized sellers using your brand name, and understand Xiaohongshu's intellectual property complaint processes for addressing violations.
Data privacy and user information handling follow Chinese regulations including the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL). If you collect user data through campaigns, contests, or customer service interactions, ensure you have proper consent mechanisms and handle data according to legal requirements. This is particularly important for international brands that may also need to comply with GDPR or other international data protection regulations.
Stay informed about platform policy updates by regularly checking official Xiaohongshu announcements for business accounts. The platform evolves its policies, features, and requirements regularly in response to regulatory changes and user experience priorities. What was acceptable six months ago may violate current guidelines, so ongoing education is essential for compliance.
For brands navigating these complexities, particularly those without in-house China market expertise, working with specialists who understand both Xiaohongshu's platform requirements and Chinese regulatory environment can prevent costly compliance mistakes. AllXHS offers comprehensive resources including compliance guidelines, regulatory updates, and industry-specific best practices that help international brands maintain compliant, effective Xiaohongshu presences.
Setting up and verifying a Xiaohongshu business account represents an important investment in your China market presence, providing the foundation for authentic engagement with one of the country's most influential consumer communities. While the process involves specific documentation requirements and verification steps that may seem complex initially, following the structured approach outlined in this guide significantly increases your likelihood of smooth approval and successful long-term platform performance.
The difference between a properly optimized business account and a hastily configured one extends far beyond verification badges and analytics access. Brands that invest time in understanding Xiaohongshu's unique ecosystem, cultural expectations, and platform-specific best practices consistently outperform those treating it as just another social media channel. From content localization and search optimization to KOL partnerships and compliance adherence, success on Xiaohongshu requires both technical setup excellence and strategic operational practices.
As you move forward with your Xiaohongshu business account, remember that platform mastery is an ongoing journey rather than a one-time setup task. The most successful international brands continuously refine their approaches based on performance data, platform updates, and evolving user preferences. Whether you're just beginning your Xiaohongshu journey or optimizing an existing presence, the combination of proper technical foundation and culturally informed content strategy positions your brand for sustainable success on China's premier social commerce platform.
Ready to Launch Your Xiaohongshu Business Account?
Navigating Xiaohongshu's business account setup, verification, and optimization can be complex, especially for international brands new to the Chinese market. AllXHS provides the expertise, resources, and hands-on support you need to establish a professional, compliant, and effective presence on China's fastest-growing social commerce platform.
Whether you need comprehensive account setup assistance, industry-specific strategy guidance, or ongoing optimization support, our team of Xiaohongshu specialists can help you avoid common pitfalls and accelerate your path to success.
[Contact our team today](https://www.allxhs.com/contact) to discuss your Xiaohongshu business account needs and discover how AllXHS can help you unlock the full potential of this powerful platform for your brand.