Most signup and login problems on ConsultEarth come from one of a small number of causes. This article lists them in the order they tend to come up, with what each error means and what to do next.
Signup is blocked or returns an error
The signup endpoint rejects a few specific categories before creating an account:
- Disposable or throwaway email. The platform maintains a blocklist of common disposable-email domains. A signup using such an address is rejected. The fix is to use a permanent email address (work or personal).
- Too many signups from the same network in a short window. A rolling IP rate limit blocks repeated signup attempts to prevent automated abuse. If the address is shared (university, office, public Wi-Fi), the user can either wait a short period or try from a different network.
- Captcha challenge failed. ConsultEarth uses Cloudflare Turnstile to confirm a signup is not automated. Browser privacy extensions, strict tracking-protection settings, or some VPN providers can prevent Turnstile from completing. Disabling the extension or switching networks usually resolves it.
- Invalid email or password. Email must be a valid address. Password must be at least 8 characters and at most 200. The form returns a clear validation error when one of these is wrong.
If the rejection is unexpected and the user is confident the email and network are normal, contact support with the time of the attempt and the email used.
The verification email did not arrive
After signup, ConsultEarth sends a verification email to the address used. The session is not active until the link in that email is clicked.
If the email does not appear:
- Check the spam, promotions, and updates folders. Verification emails are transactional but can be misrouted by aggressive filters.
- Confirm the email address typed at signup. A typo means the email went to a different address.
- The verification link is valid for one hour. After that, request a new one from the login page.
If a verification email still does not arrive after these checks, contact support and a fresh verification link can be sent manually.
Resetting a password
A password reset is initiated from the sign-in screen. Entering the account email triggers a reset email with a one-hour link.
The link signs the user in temporarily and opens a screen to set a new password. After saving, all other active sessions are signed out as a security precaution, so any other tab or device must sign in again with the new password.
If the reset email does not arrive, the same checks as the verification email apply.
Logging in with Google
Google is offered as an OAuth sign-in method. By continuing with Google, you confirm you are 18 or older and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (shown as a notice next to the button), and that acceptance is recorded the same way as email signup.
A few situations cause OAuth to behave unexpectedly:
- Two accounts under the same email. If a user signed up with email and password and later tries Google with the same email, the platform treats them as one account and links the identity on first OAuth sign-in. The reverse is also true. There is no separate Google account and email account; the email address is the canonical identifier.
- One email, one role. Each email is a single account with a single role, expert or client. If you already have an expert account and later continue with Google from a client signup surface (or the reverse), you land on an "account already exists" notice and stay signed in to your existing account rather than creating a second one. To use ConsultEarth as the other role, sign up with a different email.
- Pop-up blocker or third-party cookies disabled. Google OAuth opens in a new window and relies on cookies. If pop-ups are blocked, the redirect silently fails. Allow pop-ups for
consultearth.comand retry. - Restricted browser environment. Some corporate browsers block OAuth redirects. Email signup is the workaround.
OAuth accounts can be unlinked from the Settings page, but only if another sign-in method is also linked. Removing the last sign-in method is blocked to avoid locking the account out.
"An account already exists with this email"
If a user tries to sign up with an email already on the platform, signup is rejected. The fix is to sign in instead and use password reset if the password has been forgotten.
Some users see this when they had a partial signup that did not complete the verification step. In that case, requesting a new verification or password reset email is usually enough to recover the account.
Still cannot sign in
If none of the above resolves the problem, contact support with:
- The email address used
- The approximate time of the attempt
- Which step failed (signup, verification, password reset, OAuth)
- The exact error message displayed, if any
Support can usually trace the issue from server logs and either fix it directly or send a new verification or reset link.
Related
- Getting set up as an expert: /help/getting-set-up
- Downloading your data and deleting your account: /help/data-and-deletion