My client says they can't log in / are seeing "no account exists" — how do I help them?

When a client tells you they can't log in or sees the message "No account exists for {email}. Maybe you signed up using a different/incorrect email address.", work through this checklist before doing anything destructive. Almost every "can't log in" case is a small fix — usually an email typo, an unactivated invite, the client downloading the wrong app, or a known capital-letter bug we can revert from our end. Don't delete and re-invite the client as a first response — you'll lose their history for no reason.

Run through these checks in order

1. Confirm the email the client is typing matches the email on their profile

Open the client's profile in your coach app and check the email field. Compare it character-for-character to what the client is typing into the login screen — including:

• Spelling. A single-letter typo on either end produces the "no account exists" error.
• Trailing or leading spaces. Easy to miss when copy-pasted.
• The "+alias" trick. If you invited the client using an alias like name+fitsly@gmail.com, they have to log in with that exact alias, not the plain name@gmail.com. (See the "How do I add a client and Fitsly says 'email already exists'" article for context on why aliases are sometimes used.)

If the email the client is typing doesn't match the email saved on the profile, that's the issue — have them retype the saved email exactly.

2. Make sure they've activated their invite

A new client cannot log in until they've followed the invite link in the activation email and set a password. The forgot-password flow returns a separate error in this state: "Your account hasn't been set up yet. Please use the setup link sent to your email by your coach."

If the client says they got the invite email but didn't click the link, ask them to open it and tap the activation button now. If they can't find the email, resend it from their profile (see the "How do I resend a client's invite email?" article).

3. Check they downloaded the right app

Fitsly publishes two separate mobile apps. The client must use the Fitsly client app, not the Fitsly Coach app. Logging into the wrong one returns "Looks like you're trying to login to the coach app with a client account. Please download the Fitsly app from the app store or play store to continue."

Send the client the App Store / Google Play link for the Fitsly app (not the Coach one). The two listings look similar in the store — the client one has no "Coach" suffix in the name.

4. Have the client try Forgot Password

If the email on file matches what they're typing, the invite is activated, and they're on the right app, the most common remaining cause is a forgotten or mistyped password. Ask the client to tap Forgot password on the login screen and follow the email to reset.

The forgot-password flow gives clear feedback on what's wrong:

• "No account exists for {email}…" — email mismatch (loop back to step 1).
• "Your account hasn't been set up yet…" — invite not yet activated (loop back to step 2).
• A reset email arrives — they're in the system; just need a new password.

5. Look for the capital-letter email bug

There is a historical bug where Fitsly stored a small number of email addresses with a capital first letter (e.g. Tiana.dawson@bigpond.com) even though the login flow lowercases what the user types. When this happens, the email saved on the profile looks correct but no login attempt matches.

If steps 1–4 don't resolve it, check the saved email on the client profile for capital letters or other unusual casing. If you spot any — or if you've checked everything and it still doesn't work — message us through Live Chat (avatar dropdown → Live Chat) with:

• The client's name.
• The exact email they're trying to log in with.
• Which app they're using (client mobile app, coach mobile app, etc.).

We can revert the saved email casing from our end and the client will be able to log in immediately. We don't need to delete or re-create the account — the underlying data fix preserves all their history, programs, and messages.

Don't delete and re-invite as a shortcut

Coaches often jump to "let me delete the client and add them again" when login fails. Don't do this. Deletion is not even self-serve in Fitsly today (see the "How do I fully delete a client" article), and even if it were, it would wipe the client's history. The data fix above through support is faster and non-destructive.

Things to watch out for

• The literal error string "No account exists for {email}. Maybe you signed up using a different/incorrect email address." comes from the Forgot password flow, not from the login screen itself. The login screen returns "Email or password is incorrect." instead. Both point to the same root causes — work through the checklist regardless of which message the client sees.
• Email comparisons are case-insensitive on the input side — the login flow lowercases whatever the client types. So if the client types JANE@example.com and the saved email is jane@example.com, login still works. The capital-letter bug above is on the stored email, not on what the client types.
• If the client sees "Your account has been flagged, please contact customer support to continue.", that's a separate state — message us directly so we can review the account.
• The activation email expires after a while. If the client never used the link and now it doesn't work, resend the invite from their profile rather than asking the client to click an old link.
• If you ever see a message saying the client's coach (you) is deactivated, that's an account-level issue — message support straight away rather than walking through this checklist.