Fitsly shows "Email address already exists" when the email you're inviting is already attached to any Fitsly account — a coach account, or a client account under another coach. Each email can be tied to exactly one Fitsly account at a time, so the invite is blocked until that's resolved.
Why this happens
Each Fitsly account is keyed to a single email address. A client cannot be assigned to two coaches at the same time, and there is no in-app "transfer client" flow to move a client between coaches. The error fires whenever the email you typed already exists in Fitsly — most commonly because:
- The client has an existing Fitsly account under a different coach.
- The client signed up to Fitsly themselves before you sent the invite.
- The client used to be on a previous Fitsly account of yours and is still in our system (archived or otherwise).
- You're trying to add yourself, another Fitsly coach, or any existing coach account as a client. Coach emails cannot be reused as client emails.
What to do
Option 1 — Use a different email for the client
The fastest fix is to invite the client using a different email address that has never been registered with Fitsly. They can update to their preferred email later from inside the client app, after they've activated the invite.
Option 2 — Use a Gmail "+alias" address
If the client only has one Gmail address available, you can use Gmail's plus-alias trick. For example, if their email is name@gmail.com, invite them as name+fitsly@gmail.com. Gmail still delivers everything sent to that address to their normal inbox, but Fitsly treats it as a new account. The client logs into Fitsly with the +alias version of the email and the password they create. They can change it to their preferred address later from inside their account.
Option 3 — Contact support
If none of the above explains the error — for example, the email has never been used with Fitsly to your knowledge — message us through Live Chat (click your profile avatar in the top-right corner and choose Live Chat) with the client's name and the email you're trying to invite. We can check what's holding it up and clear it for you.
Things to watch out for
- There is no in-app way to transfer a client from one coach to another. If a client is currently active with another coach, they need to be removed from that coach's account first, or invited to your account using a different email.
- A coach account and a client account cannot share an email, even on the same platform. You cannot add yourself or another Fitsly coach as a client using their coach email — use a different email or a +alias variant.
- Archived clients still occupy the email. If a client used to be yours and is now archived, their email is still in Fitsly and the invite will be blocked. Contact support if you need help reactivating an archived client rather than re-inviting them.
- After a client signs up with an alias email, they can change to their preferred email from inside their own client account at any time, so the +alias does not lock them in.