Verifying your Buffer email address and logins
Buffer uses email verification to protect your account and confirm your identity. This article explains how to verify your email address, why Buffer may ask you to confirm a login, and how to troubleshoot missing emails or expired links. It's for anyone who is setting up Buffer, logging in on a new device, or is locked out because they can't get our email.
In this article:
- How email verification works and who needs it
- How do I verify my email address?
- Which Buffer account email should I look for?
- Why am I being asked to verify my login?
- I didn't receive the verification or login email
- The confirmation link doesn't work or has expired
- I can't access the inbox for the email address on my account
- Adding a backup email to your account
- FAQ
How email verification works and who needs it
Email verification adds a layer of security to your account by confirming that you own the email address connected to your Buffer account.
Until your email is verified, some actions in Buffer are unavailable. For example, you won't be able to invite team members or publish a Start Page, and Buffer will ask you to verify your email if you try. Verifying your email removes these restrictions and helps protect your account.
How do I verify my email address?
To verify your email address, open the confirmation email from Buffer and click the button inside it.
- If you're a newer customer, you'll receive the verification email automatically when you create your Buffer account.
- If you created your account earlier and want to verify manually: from your Buffer dashboard, click your profile avatar, select Settings, then click Re-send Verification Email.
Then complete these steps:
- Go to the inbox for the email address connected to your Buffer account.
- Find the email from hello@youraccount.buffer.com with the subject line "Confirm your email address."
- Open it and click Confirm email to verify your address.
If the email isn't there, see I didn't receive the verification or login email.
Which Buffer account email should I look for?
Buffer sends four types of account-related emails, all from hello@youraccount.buffer.com. Each contains a clickable button or link rather than a numeric verification code.
- “Confirm your email address”: Sent when you create a Buffer account or need to verify your email address.
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“Confirm your recent login attempt”: Sent when Buffer needs to verify that you’re signing in.
- “Choose a new password for Buffer”: Sent when you request a password reset.
- “Confirm your new email address”: Sent to your new email address after you update the email connected to your account.
📝 Note: These emails are separate. Resetting your password will not verify a login, and verifying a login will not change your password. If you're being asked to verify a login, you don't need to reset your password to get in.
Why am I being asked to verify my login?
If you see the screen below, Buffer does not recognize the login attempt and needs to confirm it’s you. This can happen when two-factor authentication (2FA) is not enabled, and you sign in from a new device, an updated browser or operating system, a different location, or an unfamiliar or changing IP address. You may also be asked to verify on a device you’ve used before if you haven’t signed in for a while.
To continue, open the email with the subject "Confirm your recent login attempt" and click the button to approve the login.
📝 A few things that trip people up:
- It's a link (button), not a code. There's no number to type. Open the email and click the button.
- Only the most recent email works. Each time you try to log in, we send a fresh email, and Links in previous emails stop working. If you've tried a few times, delete the older emails and use the most recent one.
- The link expires quickly. If too much time passes before you click it, try logging in again to trigger a new email, then click that one promptly.
💡 Setting up two-factor authentication (2FA) stops login verification emails because Buffer uses 2FA to confirm your identity instead. If you receive these prompts frequently, enabling 2FA is the best long-term solution.
- If you don’t receive the login email, follow the troubleshooting steps in I didn't receive the verification or login email.
I didn't receive the verification or login email
If the email hasn't arrived, work through these steps in order. Most missing emails are caused by the message being filtered, delayed, or blocked before it reaches you, and the last step covers what to do when it's blocked on our side.
1. Confirm you're checking the right inbox. The email goes to the exact address on your Buffer account, which may not be the address you typed to log in. If you have more than one email, check the one your account was created with. If you're not sure which address that is, see I can't access the inbox for the email address on my account.
2. Check your spam, junk, trash, and other folders. Look in Spam, Junk, Trash, All Mail, and, in Gmail, the Promotions, Socials, and Updates tabs. Email providers sort messages differently, so check each location. Look for an email from hello@youraccount.buffer.com with the subject “Confirm your email address” or “Confirm your recent login attempt.” If you find it, mark it as Not spam, then click the button in the email.
3. Use only the newest email, and wait a few minutes. The email can take several minutes to arrive, and each new login or resend makes earlier links stop working. Trigger a fresh email, wait a few minutes, then click the button in that most recent message.
4. Resend the verification email (if you can log in). If you're able to access your dashboard on the web, click your profile avatar in the bottom-left corner, choose Settings, and click Re-send Verification Email at the top of the screen.
5. Safelist Buffer’s emails and contact your IT team if needed. Add hello@youraccount.buffer.com, hello@buffer.com, and any address ending in buffer.com, youraccount.buffer.com, or buffermail.com to your contacts or allowlist to prevent your email provider from filtering them. If your email is managed by an employer, school, or government organization, security software such as Barracuda, Cisco, or Proofpoint may be quarantining our messages. Ask your IT or email administrator to allow these senders and domains.
6. Still not receiving the email? Contact us. If you’ve checked the correct inbox and spam folders, sending to your address may have been paused because an earlier email bounced or was marked as spam. Your email provider may also be rejecting our messages. Email hello@buffer.com with the subject “Email verification help” and include the email address connected to your Buffer account. We’ll check our mail logs and remove any blocks on our side.
The confirmation link doesn't work or has expired
If you click the link and it doesn’t sign you in, it has likely expired or been replaced by a newer link. Try these steps:
- You see “We were unable to verify your login attempt” or “Failed to verify login.” The link has expired or been replaced by a newer one. Return to Buffer and try signing in again to request a fresh email, then click the button in the newest email right away.
- Nothing happens when you click the button, or the email has no button. Some workplace and government email systems rewrite or remove links for security. Open the email in another email app or on your phone, or copy the visible link into your browser. If the button still does not appear, follow step 6 in I didn't receive the verification or login email and contact us so we can help verify your login another way.
- You clicked a link from an older email. Each login attempt invalidates the previous link. Delete older confirmation emails and use only the most recent one.
I can't access the inbox for the email address on my account
If verification or login emails are being sent to an address you can no longer access, resending them will not resolve the issue. This can happen when:
- The account was created with a typo in the email address, such as .com instead of .org, or a missing letter.
- You’ve lost access to the inbox, or the email address has been deactivated.
- The account was set up using the email address of a team member who has since left.
- The address uses a forwarding alias or privacy relay, such as iCloud's Hide My Email, that isn't forwarding Buffer’s emails.
In all of these cases, the fix is to change the email address on the account, which we can do for you once we've confirmed you own the account. Contact us at hello@buffer.com. We’ll ask you to verify ownership, usually by confirming your payment method and sending us a direct message from a social channel connected to Buffer. Once ownership is verified, we'll update the account email and send a confirmation to your new address.
📝 Each email address can be linked to only one Buffer account, so we'll move you to an address that isn't already in use. Adding a backup email is the best way to avoid this situation entirely.
Adding a backup email to your account
Adding a backup email is a simple but important step that helps you retain access to your account if you lose access to your primary email address.
Why it matters
Your backup email acts as a safety net. If you're locked out of your main account email, for example, if it's deleted, hacked, or you forget the password, we can use your backup email to verify your identity and help you regain access quickly. Without a backup email, recovery options may be more limited and can take longer.
How to add a backup email
- Click your profile avatar in the bottom left of your dashboard
- Choose Settings from the menu.
- Under Backup Email, enter a valid secondary email address that you can access.
- Click Save Changes.
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Check your backup email inbox for a confirmation message and click the verification link.
Once verified, your backup email will be securely stored and used only for account recovery.
💡 Tips:
- Choose an email you check regularly, ideally on a different domain from your primary email in case one provider has an outage.
- Keep your backup email up to date, especially if you change jobs or email providers.
FAQ
Why am I getting a login email if two-factor authentication is off?
Login verification and two-factor authentication (2FA) are different security measures. When 2FA is turned off, Buffer sends an email link to confirm new or unfamiliar login attempts. Enabling 2FA replaces these login verification emails with a 2FA prompt.
Why am I being asked to verify my login if I know my password?
Login verification is separate from your password. Even when your password is correct, Buffer may ask you to confirm an unfamiliar login attempt. You do not need to reset your password. Open the “Confirm your recent login attempt” email and click the verification button.
Can I verify my account by SMS or another method instead of email?
No. Buffer does not support SMS for account verification, login confirmation, password resets, or two-factor authentication (2FA). When 2FA is turned off, login verification is completed by email. If you cannot receive the email, contact us so we can verify your identity another way.
Why do I need to verify my email to use the Buffer API?
Some actions, including generating an API token, require a verified email address. If you’ve already verified your email but the API still shows it as unverified, contact us so we can check your account’s verification status.
Why does Buffer say I’m using a new device when I’m not?
Buffer may identify a login as new when something has changed, such as your browser, operating system, location, or IP address. This can also happen if it has been a while since you last logged in. Verifying the login usually resolves the prompt. If it keeps happening, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to replace email verification for future logins.
📝 Need help verifying your email or logging in? Send us an email at hello@buffer.com, and our Advocacy team will be standing by to assist!