Email Verification

Why Email Verification Is Required

Every DigitVA account must have a verified email address before the user can log in. Email verification ensures that:

  • The email address belongs to the person it was registered to.
  • Password reset and notification emails will reach the correct inbox.
  • Account creation cannot be performed with fake or unreachable email addresses.
You cannot log in until your email is verified. If you attempt to log in with an unverified account, you will see the message: "Please verify your email address before logging in."

When Verification Is Sent

A verification email is sent automatically when an administrator creates your account. The email contains a unique link that you must click to confirm ownership of the address.

Verification Link Expiry

Verification links expire after 24 hours. If your link has expired, you can request a new one from the Resend Verification page.

What Happens After You Verify

After clicking the verification link, one of two things happens:

New User (First-Time Setup)

The link opens a page with a "Verify my email" button. If you do not have a password yet (the normal case for new accounts), pressing it also emails you your password; the page never shows it. If you already have a password, it keeps working.

Already-Onboarded User

If your email was unverified for another reason but you already have a password set, you will see the message "Email verified successfully! You can now log in" and be redirected to the login page.

Resending a Verification Email

If you did not receive the verification email, or your link has expired, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Resend Verification page (you can also reach this page from the login page).
  2. Enter the email address registered to your account.
  3. Click "Send Reset Link".
  4. Check your inbox and spam folder for the new verification email.

The resend endpoint is rate-limited to 3 requests per hour per IP address.

Tip: The confirmation message always reads "If that email address needs verification, we've sent a new link." This message is shown regardless of whether the email exists in the system, to prevent email-address enumeration.

Troubleshooting

I never received the verification email

  • Check your spam or junk folder.
  • Verify that the administrator used the correct email address when creating your account.
  • Request a new verification link from the Resend Verification page.
  • If emails repeatedly fail to arrive, ask your administrator to check the email delivery configuration. In some cases, repeated delivery failures to an address may cause a temporary suppression entry that blocks further sends.

My verification link says "invalid or has expired"

  • Links expire after 24 hours. Request a new one from the Resend Verification page.
  • Each link can only be used once. If you already clicked it successfully, your email is verified and you can sign in with the password we emailed you.

Email Delivery Resilience

DigitVA suppresses outbound email delivery to addresses that have previously caused permanent delivery failures (such as non-existent mailboxes). These suppression entries expire automatically after a configured period. If your address was suppressed, email delivery will resume once the suppression entry expires. Contact your administrator if you suspect this is happening.

Note: Suppression is a safety measure to prevent bounce storms and SMTP provider abuse. It does not affect your account status or security. Your account still requires verification to complete onboarding.