Enable a new login check for your Practice Dashboard
This article explains how to enable the new login check in FreeAgent.
If you aren’t already using our two-factor authentication (2FA) for your Practice Dashboard, email login checks will provide an easy way for you to prevent unauthorised logins and meet modern security and GDPR standards. You can also add a recovery email address to recover your account if you ever lose access to your main email address.
When enabled, if you log in to your dashboard using a new device that isn't a known device, or after clearing cookies, you'll be sent a verification code to your email address that you'll need to enter to verify your account.
Read more on how the new login check will work once enabled.
Please note:
- If you signed up for a Practice Dashboard before 23rd April 2026, you currently need to activate email login checks on your dashboard as they aren’t activated by default. But in the coming months, it will be turned on by default as a crucial part of protecting your practice’s and customers’ data from unauthorised access, fraud and abuse.
- If you signed up for a Practice Dashboard on or after 23rd April 2026, email login checks will be activated by default. Please speak to your Account Manager in FreeAgent if you want the new login check to be disabled.
- Each account manager will need to have their own login details to ensure they can access verification codes sent to their email address so having shared dashboard login credentials isn’t recommended.
- Once enabled, the security prompt will only appear when logging in to your dashboard using a new device or after clearing cookies. However, if you have any browser settings or extensions that clear cookies, the security prompt may appear each time you log in.
Enable a new login check
Select 'Settings' from the drop-down menu below your practice name.
Select ‘Sign-in and Security’ under the ‘Account Security’ section.
Select the ‘Set up’ button next to the ‘New login check’ option.
Setting up a new login check involves four steps:
- Sending a verification email
- Entering the verification code
- Adding a recovery email address
- Entering the verification code from the recovery email address
1. Send the verification email
Select the ‘Send verification email’ button to start the process.
You’ll be prompted to check your email inbox for the code.
2. Enter the verification code
Enter the code from the email in the ‘Verification code’ field and select ‘Verify code’. The code will only be valid for 20 minutes.
If you didn’t receive the code or it has expired, select ‘request a new code’ to have another code sent to the listed email address.
3. Add a recovery email address
We highly recommend adding a recovery email address to avoid being locked out of your dashboard if you lose access to your primary email for any reason. However, you can skip this step if you prefer.
To add a recovery email address, select ‘Add a recovery email’.
Enter a different email address to the one you use to log in to your dashboard, in the ‘New email address’ field and select ‘Send verification email’.
4. Enter the verification code from your recovery email address
Enter the verification code that was sent to your second 'recovery' email address in the ‘Verification code’ field and select ‘Verify code’. The code will only be valid for 20 minutes.
If you didn’t receive the code or it has expired, select ‘request a new code’ to have a new code sent to the second 'recovery' email address.
What happens next?
Once verified, the login email and secondary recovery email will be listed in the ‘Email’ section of the Sign-in and Security page.
To edit either of the email addresses, find out how to update your login or recovery email address.
The ‘New login check’ will show as ‘Enabled’.
Read more on how to log in to your Practice Dashboard when a new login check is enabled.
Disable the new login check
Once the new login check has been turned on by default, you won't be able to disable it. If you don't want the new login check enabled on your Practice Dashboard, please speak to your Account Manager in FreeAgent.
We wouldn't recommend disabling the new login check as it will leave your dashboard vulnerable to security threats. Another optional security feature we would highly recommend is two-factor authentication (2FA).