Login Troubleshooting Script
Use this to pinpoint why someone can't sign in and, in most cases, fix it without escalating to Tier 2. Walk the user through each step in order and stop at the first one that explains the problem. Each test rules something out: the app, the web address, the browser, and then what happens when they enter their username.
Look-ups, status checks, and sending a password reset are done in BackOffice. Anything that needs a change beyond that, or that this script says to escalate, goes to Tier 2. The full list is in the last section.
Two things to know before you start
The password box showing up doesn't mean the account exists. Motivosity shows the password box even for usernames it doesn't recognize, so a wrong email looks like a wrong password.
Several problems show the same message. "Username and/or password do not match" can mean the wrong password, the wrong username, or a duplicate account. Always confirm the username in BackOffice before suggesting a reset.
The Script at a Glance
Step 1: Collect the basics.
Step 2: App or browser?
Step 3: Which web address?
Step 4: Try a private window.
Step 5: Enter the username and click Next, then follow the matching path: Path A (password), Path B (code), Path C (SSO), or Path D (mobile app only).
Step 1: Collect the Basics
Get these before testing anything:
The email or phone number they sign in with
A screenshot of what they see, with the web address bar showing
Screen recordings: only ask for one when the user signs in with SSO and gets stuck in a loop or redirect, when they use SSO in the mobile app (to see their MFA steps), or as a last resort for a regular login user who still can't get in after the steps below. Ask them to start recording before opening the browser, keep the address bar visible, and go until it fails. Never ask for a recording that shows them typing their password.
If an admin reports it, and they haven't already said, ask:
Which users can't sign in (names and the emails or phone numbers they use)?
Or is it everyone at the company?
If the admin says it's company-wide, escalate to Tier 2 right away. Don't run the rest of the script.
If a user reports it, don't ask whether others are having trouble. But if the user or their admin mentions it, note it. If 5 or more people at the same company can't sign in, stop and escalate to Tier 2. That points to a company-wide SSO problem, a sync that deactivated users, or an outage.
Step 2: App or Browser?
Ask whether they're using the mobile app or a web browser.
Mobile app: ask them to sign in at app.motivosity.com in their phone's browser instead.
Browser works, app doesn't: go to Path D: Mobile app only.
Neither works: keep going with Step 3, in the phone's browser.
Web browser: go to Step 3.
Step 3: Which Web Address?
Ask exactly what's in the address bar when they sign in (or check the screenshot).
They're on | What it means | Next |
app.motivosity.com | The standard sign-in page. Works for every company with an email or phone number. | Step 4 |
Their own company's address (yourcompany.motivosity.com) | Their company's sign-in page. | Step 4 |
Another company's address (a subdomain that isn't theirs) | They got there from a Google search, an old bookmark, or address-bar autocomplete, and landed on a different company's page. That page doesn't recognize them, so it acts like their account doesn't exist. Usually they get a password box and then "Username and/or password do not match," or "Oops! We can't log you in with that username from here." | Have them type app.motivosity.com directly instead of searching for Motivosity. Delete any wrong bookmark or autocomplete suggestion, then bookmark the right page. Retest. |
A link from Teams, an email, or a bookmark | Could be outdated or point to the wrong company. | Have them type app.motivosity.com by hand. Retest. |
A blocked or error page ("out of service," 429) | Their network or IP is being blocked. Common with company proxies. | Have them try on their phone's data, off VPN. Works there = IP block. Check Access Restrictions in BackOffice. If you can't resolve it, escalate to Tier 2. |
Signing in from the welcome email? The activation link in the welcome email only works once, to set up the account. If they already set up their account and keep clicking it, they'll see "The account activation link has already been used" or get stuck. Have them go to app.motivosity.com (or their company's address) instead, and bookmark it. The same goes for an old password reset link: "The password reset has already been used."
Searching "Motivosity" on Google? Results can include other companies' sign-in pages. Always have them type the address directly.
Step 4: Try a Private Window
Have them open a private window (Chrome: Ctrl+Shift+N or Cmd+Shift+N, Edge: Ctrl+Shift+N, Safari: File > New Private Window), type app.motivosity.com by hand, and sign in.
Works in the private window: it's their browser. Have them clear cookies and site data for motivosity.com, turn off extensions (ad blockers, password managers), and sign in normally again. Done.
Same problem in the private window: it's not the browser. Go to Step 5, still in the private window.
Step 5: Enter the Username and Click Next. What Happens?
This is the most useful question in the script. Match what they see:
What happens after Next | What it means | Next |
Sent to their company's sign-in page (Microsoft, Okta, Google, Rippling) | Their company uses SSO and it's redirecting correctly. | Path C: SSO |
Asked for a password | Either their account has a password, or Motivosity doesn't recognize the username. You can't tell which from this screen. | Path A: Password |
Told a code was sent, or asked for a code | Their account has no password set (new account, or after a reset), so it signs them in with a code. | Path B: Code |
"Oops! We can't log you in with that username from here. Please check your login URL…" | Wrong company address, or the username matches more than one account and none is clearly the right one. | Recheck Step 3. If they're on app.motivosity.com, search the username in BackOffice for duplicate accounts. |
"Too many login attempts. Please try again in N minutes." | Temporary block after repeated failed tries. | Wait the full time without clicking anything, then try once. Each click on "resend code" or "forgot password" counts as an attempt. |
Page refreshes, nothing happens, or it goes back to the email box | Usually one of three things: their IP is being rate-limited (the page doesn't show the message), a failed SSO handoff, or a known issue. | Ask whether it briefly went to their company sign-in page. Yes: Path C. No: wait 5 minutes and try once on phone data. Still nothing: escalate to Tier 2. |
Path A: Asked for a Password
First: does their company use SSO? If yes, they shouldn't normally see a password box. Possible reasons: they're an admin (admins always get the password box), the company allows password sign-in alongside SSO, or Motivosity didn't recognize the username. Have them try their company's address (yourcompany.motivosity.com), which goes to SSO. If that works, they're set.
Otherwise, have them enter their password and match the message:
Message | What it means | Next |
"Username and/or password do not match." | Wrong password, or the username isn't on any account, or it matches more than one account. | Search the exact username in BackOffice. Not found: they're using the wrong email, so find the right one. Found once: send a password reset. Found more than once: it's a duplicate account, so escalate to Tier 2. |
"No account with that email exists." | Misleading. The account usually does exist but is deactivated, or their company's contract is inactive. | Check the user's status in BackOffice. Deactivated: their admin reactivates them. |
"Please follow the instructions that we sent to your registered email." | Password was right. They're on a new browser or device, so a confirmation code was sent. | Path B: Code |
Password expired message | Their company makes passwords expire. A reset email was sent automatically. | Check email (and spam) for the reset link. This also shows if the password is over 60 characters. |
"…locked for security reasons. Please check your email to reset your account." | 30 failed attempts. Locked for about an hour. | Reset the password from the email, which clears the lock. |
Account paused, company not active, or "deactivated" naming a contact | The company account itself is paused or inactive. | Escalate to Tier 2. It usually goes to their admin or CSM. |
Forgot password tips:
Request it once. Each request wipes their current password and sends a new link, and 4 or more requests block resets for 15 minutes.
Use the newest email only, opened in a web browser, not inside the app.
If no email arrives in 5 minutes, check spam, then confirm the email on their profile in BackOffice and send a reset from BackOffice.
Path B: Verification Code
Codes go to the email on their profile, and also by text if a phone number is on their profile.
What happens | What it means | Next |
Code never arrives | Wrong username (Motivosity still says "check your email" for usernames it doesn't recognize), spam folder, or a blocked email or text. | Check spam and texts. Confirm the username. If still nothing, confirm the email and phone number on their profile in BackOffice. |
No text messages | No phone on their profile, or they opted out of texts. | To opt back in, text START to +1 833-923-1135. |
Email arrives but shows no code | A known issue with some email programs (SD-5203). | Have them open it in a different email app or browser. Escalate to Tier 2 if that doesn't work. |
Code is rejected | An older code, or a typo. | Request one new code, wait for it, and type it in (don't paste). Use only the newest one. |
"Too many…" after requesting codes | 6 or more code requests block new codes for 15 minutes. | Wait the full 15 minutes, then request one code. |
Asked for a code every single time | Browser isn't saving cookies, or they're in a private window. | Sign in from a normal window with cookies allowed. If it keeps happening, escalate to Tier 2. |
Stuck in a loop: reset, then code, then reset again | Each reset request clears their password, which sends them back to the code step. | Tell them to stop requesting resets. Send one reset from BackOffice, and have them finish that link in a browser before trying anything else. |
Path C: SSO
With SSO, their company (Okta, Microsoft, Google, Rippling) owns the password. Motivosity can't reset it. Ask: where does it stop?
Where it stops | What it means | Next |
Error on their company's sign-in page (e.g. "AADSTS…", "app_not_configured_for_user", "403") | Their company's SSO setup. Usually the user isn't assigned to the Motivosity app, or they're using a personal email that isn't in the company directory. | Send them to their IT team with the exact error text. Nothing to fix on our side. |
Company password doesn't work | Their company password, not ours. | Their IT team or company password reset page. |
Company sign-in works, then they land back on the Motivosity email box with no message | Motivosity got their sign-in but couldn't match it to an active account. Usually the email their company sends doesn't match their Motivosity email (for example a different domain or an old name), or the account is deactivated. | Get a screen recording. In BackOffice, compare their Motivosity email with the email their IT system sends, and check their status. If the emails match and the account is active, escalate to Tier 2 with the recording. |
Loops between Motivosity and their company page | Same as above, or a known issue. | Get a screen recording, then escalate to Tier 2. |
Never sent to their company page; asked for a password instead | They might be an admin (admins sign in with a password), the company allows password sign-in, or the username wasn't recognized. | Have them go to their company's address (yourcompany.motivosity.com). Still not redirected: escalate to Tier 2. |
Started after a name or email change | Their company's system still has the old info, or the two don't match. | Their IT or HR team updates it. If their Motivosity profile also needs updating, escalate to Tier 2. |
If 5 or more people at the same company hit this at once, escalate right away. It's likely their SSO settings changed (expired certificate, deleted setup) or a known issue.
Path D: Mobile App Only (Browser Works)
Signs in with SSO in the app? Ask for a screen recording right away. Have them start recording before opening the app and keep going through every screen: the company sign-in page, any MFA prompts (authenticator app, text code, push approval), and any app switching, until it fails or loops. This shows which MFA and apps are involved, which a screenshot can't.
Update the app to the latest version, then close and reopen it.
Delete and reinstall the app, then sign in again.
Getting the code from email? Switching to the email app can close the sign-in screen. Have them check the code on another device, or sign in through the phone's browser.
SSO hangs on a blank Microsoft or Okta page, or loops back to the company's MFA? This has been an app bug before. Have them use the phone's browser for now, get a screen recording and the app version, and escalate to Tier 2.
Still failing: get a screenshot, the app version and phone model, and check BackOffice for a duplicate account.
When to Escalate to Tier 2
Escalate as soon as any of these is true. Don't keep troubleshooting past them.
An admin reports that no one at their company can sign in.
5 or more people at the same company can't sign in (mentioned by the user, their admin, or seen across tickets).
BackOffice shows more than one account for the username (a duplicate account).
SSO works on their company page, then fails at Motivosity, and their email and status check out in BackOffice.
The company account is paused or inactive, or the problem is an IP block you can't resolve from Access Restrictions.
The user is a customer admin who's locked out, or needs their MFA (finance) password reset.
The user reports a loop or blank page and has sent a screenshot (or a recording, for SSO).
The user has gone through the script and is still stuck, or has replied twice without progress.
Pass along with the escalation: company, the email or phone number they use, app or browser, the web address, whether the private window worked, what happened after Next, the exact error text, and any screenshot or recording. That way Tier 2 doesn't have to ask again.
Customer-Facing Articles You Can Send
Based on the Login Triage Script by Bekah (Nov 6, 2026).