Arun Chandran

Can’t Log in to Salesforce? Here’s What Might Be Going Wrong (And How to Fix It)

Salesforce is the lifeline of many businesses—so when you hit a login wall, it’s frustrating, stressful, and can halt productivity fast. Whether you’re a new user trying to access your org for the first time or a seasoned admin dealing with a sudden lockout, this blog post walks you through the most common login issues in Salesforce and how to troubleshoot them effectively.

Can’t Log in to Salesforce? Here’s What Might Be Going Wrong (And How to Fix It)

Incorrect Username or Password

Symptoms:

  • “Your login attempt has failed. Make sure the username and password are correct.”
  • Password resets don’t seem to work.

How to Fix:

  • Double-check your credentials: Salesforce usernames are usually email addresses but not always your work email.
  • Caps Lock check: Passwords are case-sensitive.
  • Reset your password via the “Forgot Your Password?” link.
  • Admin help: If your password reset email doesn’t arrive, ask a Salesforce admin to manually reset your password.

Admins can navigate to Setup → Users → [Your User] → Reset Password.

User Is Locked Out

Symptoms:

  • You entered the wrong password too many times.
  • “Your account has been locked. Please contact your administrator.”

How to Fix:

  • Salesforce locks accounts after a defined number of failed login attempts (typically 5).
  • Only Salesforce admins can unlock your account via Setup → Users → [Your User] → Unlock.

IP Restrictions (Login IP Ranges)

Symptoms:

  • “Your login attempt has been blocked. Please contact your administrator.”

How to Fix:

  • Your Salesforce org may restrict logins to specific IP ranges.
  • Try accessing Salesforce from a corporate network or VPN.
  • Admins can:
    • Add trusted IP ranges via Setup → Network Access
    • Modify user-specific login IP ranges via Profile settings

Login Hours Restrictions

Symptoms:

  • “Login not allowed at this time.”

How to Fix:

  • Each profile can be assigned login hours (e.g., 9am–5pm).
  • If you’re trying to access Salesforce outside those hours, access will be denied.
  • Admins can go to Setup → Profiles → [Your Profile] → Login Hours to adjust the allowed times.

Stuck in a Login Loop or Redirect

Symptoms:

  • You enter your credentials, and Salesforce redirects you back to the login screen.
  • Happens frequently with SSO (Single Sign-On) setups.

How to Fix:

  • Clear browser cache and cookies.
  • Try a different browser or private/incognito mode.
  • If you use SSO:
    • Ensure your Identity Provider (IdP) is functioning.
    • Contact your IT team if SSO settings changed.

Single Sign-On (SSO) or Federated Login Failures

Symptoms:

  • You’re redirected to an SSO page but can’t log in.
  • Errors like “SAML Assertion Failed” or “Your login attempt using single sign-on with an identity provider certificate has failed.”

How to Fix:

  • Check your email and username formats; sometimes SSO requires a different ID.
  • Confirm with your IdP administrator whether:
    • The SSO certificate has expired.
    • You’re authorized in the IdP to access Salesforce.
  • Use the bypass login URL: https://login.salesforce.com?un=username to skip SSO temporarily (if allowed).

Verification Code or 2FA Issues

Symptoms:

  • You’re asked for a verification code but never receive it.
  • You’ve lost access to your mobile device.

How to Fix:

  • Try checking your email and SMS inbox (depends on org settings).
  • Check Salesforce Authenticator app if previously set up.
  • If you lost access to your authenticator or phone, ask your admin to reset your MFA settings.

Using the Wrong Salesforce Instance (URL)

Symptoms:

  • You’re trying to log in at login.salesforce.com, but it doesn’t work.
  • You get redirected or land on a sandbox, not production.

How to Fix:

  • Production login: https://login.salesforce.com
  • Sandbox login: https://test.salesforce.com
  • Custom domain login: https://[yourdomain].my.salesforce.com
  • Confirm with your admin or bookmark the correct URL.

Sandbox Access Issues

Symptoms:

  • You can access production but not the sandbox.
  • “Username or password invalid.”

How to Fix:

  • Sandbox usernames often include a “.sandboxname” suffix.
    • Example: user@example.com.sandbox
  • Passwords don’t carry over automatically when a sandbox is refreshed.
    • Ask the admin to reset your sandbox password after a refresh.

Profile/Permission Set Changes

Symptoms:

  • You used to log in fine, but now receive access denied or redirection errors.

How to Fix:

  • A recent permission set or profile change might have affected:
    • IP range
    • Login hours
    • App visibility
  • Contact your Salesforce admin to review recent changes to your access.

Browser or Device Compatibility Issues

Symptoms:

  • Login page doesn’t load correctly.
  • Buttons don’t respond or pages freeze.

How to Fix:

  • Use supported browsers: latest Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.
  • Disable extensions or ad-blockers.
  • Try private/incognito mode.
  • Update your browser to the latest version.

Caching Problems

Symptoms:

  • You’re stuck on outdated pages or receive old error messages.

How to Fix:

  • Clear browser cache and cookies.
  • Use Ctrl + Shift + R (hard refresh).
  • Log in via incognito/private window to bypass cache.

Account Deactivated

Symptoms:

  • You suddenly can’t log in even with correct credentials.
  • “Your account is inactive.”

How to Fix:

  • Only Salesforce admins can reactivate a user via:
    • Setup → Users → [Your User] → Uncheck “Active” box and re-enable.
  • If you’ve left a company, your access may be intentionally removed.

You may also like...