Setting Up Two-Factor Authentication

This feature available on All Plans

Your security is important to us here at ShortStack; for this reason, we provide the ability to set up two-factor authentication (or 2FA) on your account. If you've never worked with two-factor authentication before, this is an added layer of security on top of your account password. It requires the use of a third-party app that gives you a random series of numbers (or a "code") that will allow you to access your account after you've entered your username and password.

Setting Up Your Account

Here are the steps to enable two-factor authentication on your ShortStack account:

1. Log into your ShortStack account.
   
   
2. On the Dashboard, click your name in the top right-hand corner, then select Preferences from the drop-down menu.
   
   
   
   
3. You should see that in the Username & Password section that it says Two-factor authentication DISABLED - we'll be changing that.
   
   
   
   
4. Click on the Edit button in the Username & Password section.
   
   
   
   
5. Check the Enable two-factor authentication box at the bottom of the Username & Password section.
   
   
   
   
6. Once checked, you'll see more fields appear below. To move forward you'll need a compatible authenticator app - the two we recommend are Google Authenticator (on iOS and Android) and Authy (also on iOS and Android).
   
           
   
   
7. With the app downloaded and set up on your mobile device, you'll use the app and the device's camera to scan the provided QR code.
   
   
   
   
8. If you don't want to/don't have access to your device's camera, you can manually type in the secret key to set up the authenticator instead.
   
   
   
   
9. When the app has been set up and is providing you with codes, type the code that the app is providing you currently into the field provided, then click Save.
   
   
   
   
10. You'll know that everything's set up correctly because you'll see the message change to Two-factor authentication ENABLED.
    
    
    
    

Using Two-Factor Authentication to Log In

Once you have your two-factor authentication set up on your account, logging into the site will have an extra step. Here's how you'll log in now:

1. Go to ShortStack and click Login at the top.
   
   
   
   
2. Enter your email address and password like normal, then click Sign In.
   
   
   
   
3. Open your authenticator app on your phone, and find the code for your ShortStack login.
   
   Note: The example shown here is from Google Authenticator.
   
   
   
   
4. Enter that code into the provided field, then click Validate. You'll then be directed to your account, like normal.