Didn't get the activation email? Here is why
An activation (or verification) email contains a link or code that proves the address is yours. When it does not arrive, the cause is almost always one of five things, and most take a minute to fix.
Check Spam or Junk (and Gmail's Promotions tab), search your mail for the company's name, then check you typed the address correctly. Wait a few minutes, then use the site's Resend button once. Clicking resend over and over can lock you out for a while.
Free tool: check an address or a list right now with the EmailNa email checker. It catches typos, throwaway domains and domains with no mail server.
The five usual causes
- Spam or Junk folder. Automated emails often land there. Also check Gmail's Promotions and Updates tabs.
- A typo in the address. gmial.com, hotmial.com and .con instead of .com are common. Run the address through the email checker.
- Delay. Busy services can take several minutes, and codes are occasionally delayed longer.
- Too many resends. Each new email can cancel the last one, and repeated requests can trigger a temporary lock.
- Your mailbox is full, or a filter you set up moves or deletes the email.
What to do, in order
- Search all your mail, including Spam, for the company name or "verify".
- Check the address shown on the site's screen.
- Add the sender to your contacts (for Google, [email protected]; for Microsoft, codes come from @accountprotection.microsoft.com).
- Wait 5 to 10 minutes, then request one new email.
- Use the newest link or code only. Older ones usually stop working.
- Still nothing? Contact the site's support and ask them to confirm the address on file.
The link says it has expired
Activation links are deliberately short-lived. Go back to the site, sign in or start again, and request a fresh link. Then open it soon after it arrives.
How to spot a fake activation email
- You did not sign up for anything. An unexpected "verify your account" email is a common phishing trick. Ignore it.
- Check the link before you click. Hover over it on a computer, or press and hold on a phone, and check the real web address.
- Real sites never ask for your password by email. A genuine activation link just confirms the address.
- When in doubt, go to the site yourself by typing its address, and look for a "resend verification" option there.
Running a website? Fewer missing activation emails
Check addresses at sign-up for typos and throwaway domains, publish SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your sending domain, and send activation emails from a recognizable address. Test your setup with the DMARC and SPF checker.
Questions people ask
- How long does an activation email take?
- Usually seconds to a few minutes. If nothing arrives after 10 minutes, check Spam and the address you entered before you ask for another.
- Why do I get a new code every time I click resend?
- Each request creates a new code and cancels the old one. Use only the most recent email.
- What does activating my email mean?
- It means clicking the link or entering the code the site sent, which proves you own the address so the account can be used.
Sending one email to a whole list? Check the addresses first with Veml, which removes bad and risky emails before you hit send. (Veml and EmailNa have the same owner.)