Login and Authentication Issues

This article addresses common problems with signing in to AcaTrove, including credential errors, ORCID connectivity, email verification, and session management.

"Invalid email or password"

This message appears when the credentials you entered do not match any account in AcaTrove.

Steps to resolve:

1. Double-check your email address for typos. The email field is case-insensitive, but extra spaces can cause failures.
2. If you signed up with ORCID, Google, GitHub, or another OAuth provider, you may not have a password-based account. Use the corresponding provider button on the login page instead.
3. Use the "Forgot password?" link to reset your password if you are unsure of your current one.
4. If you have never created an account, navigate to /auth/signup to register.

ORCID Connection Problems

AcaTrove supports signing in with your ORCID iD. If the ORCID sign-in button does not work as expected:

1. Confirm that the ORCID service is online by visiting orcid.org directly.
2. Ensure your browser allows pop-ups and redirects from orcid.org. Some browsers or extensions block the OAuth redirect flow.
3. If you previously linked your ORCID account and it is no longer working, go to your profile settings and unlink the account, then re-link it.
4. If you see "Failed to sync ORCID data" after connecting, wait a moment and try the sync again from the Linked Accounts section of your profile. ORCID's API occasionally experiences delays.

Email Verification Failures

When verifying an institutional email address, you may encounter issues.

"Failed to send verification email": The verification service could not deliver the email. Check that the email address is correct and that your institutional mail server is not blocking messages from AcaTrove.

"[domain] requires SSO": Your institution requires single sign-on authentication. You cannot verify this email manually. Instead, sign in through your institution's SSO portal if it has been configured by your administrator.

Verification code not accepted: Ensure you are entering the six-digit code exactly as it appears in the email. Codes expire after a limited time, so request a new one if yours is more than 15 minutes old.

Session Expired

AcaTrove sessions have a limited duration for security. When your session expires, a dialog appears asking you to sign in again.

What to expect:

• The session-expired dialog overlays your current page. Signing in through it returns you to where you were.
• You cannot dismiss the dialog without authenticating. This prevents unauthorized access if you step away from your computer.
• Any unsaved form data on the page should be preserved after re-authentication, but it is good practice to save work frequently.

If sessions expire frequently:

1. Check that your browser accepts cookies from AcaTrove. Session tokens are stored as cookies, and blocking them forces repeated sign-ins.
2. Ensure your system clock is accurate. Significant clock drift can cause token validation to fail prematurely.
3. VPN or proxy changes during a session can invalidate the token. Try maintaining a consistent network connection.

Account Locked or Restricted

If you believe your account has been restricted, contact your institution's AcaTrove administrator. Administrators can manage user accounts from the Admin panel at /admin/users.

Tips

• Bookmark the login page at /auth/login for quick access.
• If you use multiple sign-in methods (email plus ORCID, for example), they must be linked to the same account in your profile settings. Otherwise, you may inadvertently create duplicate accounts.
• Clearing your browser cookies will sign you out. After clearing cookies, you will need to log in again on your next visit.