Troubleshooting verification links
Overview. Most verification hiccups come down to three things: the client did not receive the email, the link expired before they finished, or they were asked to resubmit. All three are easy to resolve. The fixes below are the quickest way to get a client verified, and there is a note at the end on keeping your evidence for the file.
My client did not get the email
Start with the simple checks, in this order:
- Spam and junk. Ask the client to look in their spam, junk and promotions folders. Verification emails sometimes land there.
- Check the email address. Open the client's record and confirm the address is spelled correctly. A small typo is the single most common reason an email does not arrive. If it is wrong, correct it and send again.
- Use SMS as a fallback. SMS delivery of the verification link is a feature we can enable on your account on request. Once it is switched on, a client with a mobile number on the record also receives the link by text message, so ask them to open the SMS link instead. If you would like SMS enabled, raise a support request.
- Resend or copy the link. You can send the request again at any time. You can also copy the verification link straight from any active verification page and paste it to the client yourself, which is handy if their email is being troublesome. Clients who have not finished can be nudged by an automated reminder if your account has reminders enabled.
If the client still cannot find it after these steps, double-check that their mailbox is not full or blocking outside senders, and try resending once more; the help centre has further options if it still will not arrive.
The check expired, what now?
An expired result simply means the link timed out before the client finished, for example if they started and got distracted, or opened it days later. Nothing has gone wrong and the client has not failed anything.
To fix it, send the client a fresh verification. They open the new link and complete the check as normal. Before you resend, it helps to give the client a quick heads-up: have your ID ready, find a few quiet minutes, and finish it in one sitting. That avoids a second timeout. If a client repeatedly runs out of time, a short call to walk them through it while they have the link open is often the fastest path.
My client was asked to resubmit
Resubmission means the check could not be completed from what was captured, and the client is being asked to try again. It is a normal step towards a clean result, not a decline. The usual causes are a blurry or dark photo, glare across the ID, a finger over part of the document, or the edges of the document cut off.
What to do, in order:
- Ask the client to reopen their original verification link and try again. Resubmission continues on the same request, so the quickest fix is for the client to open the link they already have (in the original email or SMS) and redo the step. Nothing new needs to be sent.
- If they no longer have the link, resend the active one. Open the verification from your dashboard (identity.stackgo.io/dashboard). While a request is still open, the page shows the live link with a copy button. Copy it and send it to the client through another channel, for example paste it into a text message or a direct email, so a mislaid or filtered email is no longer in the way.
- If the link has expired or lapsed, send a fresh verification. An expired request cannot be resumed. Start a new one from the trigger you use in your integrated platform, or via Direct Verification (identity.stackgo.io/direct-verification), and the client completes the new link as normal.
When you ask the client to retake their photos: use good, even light, avoid glare and shadows, place the whole document flat and fully in frame, and hold the camera steady. For the selfie, a plain background and a clear view of the face work best. Most resubmissions succeed on the second attempt once the photos are clearer.
My client's document was rejected as a photo or a copy
If a check comes back Negative with a reason about the image not being an original, the client most likely photographed a photocopy, a scan, or the document displayed on a computer or phone screen. The platform detects a photo of a photo and will not pass it. Ask the client to photograph the original, physical document in good, even light with the whole document in frame. It helps to send them the short guide on completing an identity check before they start.
How do I run the check again? The old link will not reopen
Once a check has completed, whether Positive or Negative, that verification is finished and its link will not work again, so copying the old link will not help. To check the same client again you send a fresh verification. Depending on how you work, that is the AML Command on the client record in Xero Practice Manager, the equivalent trigger in your integrated platform, or Direct Verification. This is different from a Resubmission, which continues on the same link.
Keeping your evidence
Captured ID images are available on the verification record for about 45 days. After that, the record and its report remain, but the images are no longer shown. So that you always have a complete record for your file, download the PDF report while the verification is recent. The PDF captures the report summary and the images together, giving you a shareable, archivable piece of evidence you can keep for as long as your record-keeping obligations require.
Frequently asked
My client says they never got the email. What do I do? Ask them to check spam and junk folders first. Then confirm the email address on the record is correct; a small typo is the most common cause. If it is wrong, correct it and resend. If a phone number is on file, the client also receives a link by SMS, which is a reliable fallback.
The verification expired. Can I still verify the client? Yes. An expired check simply means the link timed out before the client finished. Send the client a fresh verification and they can complete it as normal. It is worth checking they have their ID ready and a few quiet minutes before you resend, so it is finished in one go.
My client was asked to resubmit. What does that mean? Resubmission means the check could not be completed from what was captured, often a blurry photo, glare, or a cut-off document, and the client is asked to try again. It is not a rejection. First, ask the client to reopen their original verification link and retake the photos in good light with the whole document in frame; resubmission continues on the same link. If they have lost the link, copy the active link from the verification page and resend it by another channel. If the link has expired, send a fresh verification instead.
How do I run the check again? The old link will not reopen. Once a check has completed, that verification is finished and its link will not reopen. Send a fresh verification instead, using the AML Command in Xero Practice Manager, the equivalent trigger in your integrated platform, or Direct Verification. This differs from a Resubmission, which continues on the same link.