# Classic User Accounts

Email-based authentication is replacing the username-based authentication of our Classic User Accounts. Enabling email-based authentication provides access to the new Equinix Identity and Access Management features.

After enabling email-based authentication, you can link your classic user accounts to conveniently switch between them without having to re-login.

> **Info**
>
> Email-based login is NOT available to users with masked email addresses.

> **Warning**
>
> After enabling this feature, you can't log in using your user name.

## Enabling Email-based Login[​](#enabling-email-based-login "Direct link to Enabling Email-based Login")

To enable email-based login:

1. Sign in to any Equinix portal using your user name.

2. On the *Migrate Your Account* page, enter your email address and click **Continue**.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/classic-email-auth-prompt-6bbb9ac5ca645127dca2201f85fdda0f.png)

   > **Note**
   >
   > This page is displayed each time you log in. You will have 3 chances to skip the migration process. After that, the migration process will be enforced and the skip button will no longer be available.

3. Enter the verification code you received in an email and click **Verify Email**.

4. Select other username-based accounts that you want to link with the email-based account and click **Continue**.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/classic-email-auth-multiple-accounts-00d53c9cf5dca4f896dd82040120a008.png)

   > **Info**
   >
   > After enabling email-based login, you won't be able to log in using the selected user names.

5. Enter a password that meets the password security criteria.

   * Must be at least 14 characters long.
   * Must contain at least one lower-case letter (from a-z).
   * Must contain at least one upper-case letter (from A-Z).
   * Must contain at least one numeral (from 0-9).
   * Must contain at least one special character: `# ! $ ^ & \* @`.
   * Must **not** include any of these special characters: `; < > [ ] { } % ' "`.
   * Must **not** include spaces.
   * Must **not** contain two identical characters consecutively.

6. Repeat the password, then click **Create Password**.

7. Click **Confirm Change** to complete the process.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/classic-email-auth-migration-success-b6a8e844f8e34e191fa187017eb80899.png)

8. Click *Sign in to Equinix Customer Portal* to navigate to the portal.

## Linking User Accounts[​](#linking-user-accounts "Direct link to Linking User Accounts")

User accounts linking enables consolidating multiple username-based accounts under one with an email-based login. Linked accounts are available as identities that you can switch between without having to re-login.

> **Note**
>
> Before you proceed with linking user accounts, you must enable email-based login. For details, see [Enable Email-based Login](#enabling-email-based-login).

> **Info**
>
> Linking classic user accounts is irreversible. Once you link a classic user account, you will no longer be able to log in using the username.

To link a classic user account:

1. Sign in to any Equinix portal using your email-based account.

2. From the user menu, select *User Account*.

3. From the left menu, select *Classic User Accounts*.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/classic-user-account-7d6f648d08de1fe863ece04b41ff6478.png)

4. Click *Link Classic User Account*.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/classic-link-account-d2a55fea4c42df8c62a88c6d26e0f5bf.png)

5. Read account linking information and click **Continue** to proceed.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/classic-link-account-information-89e40d0968a178f2e0775aeaa00ab70e.png)

6. Enter your classic user account credentials and click **Sign In**.

7. Click **Proceed** to confirm linking the classic account to your email-based account.

8. Click **Sign in to User Account** to sign in.

You can also link a classic user account by logging into the portal using its login credentials.

1. Sign in to any Equinix portal using a user name that hasn't been migrated to email-based login.

2. Provide an email address that you use for email-based login.

3. Enter your password and click **Continue**.

4. Click **Proceed** to confirm linking the user name to the existing account associated with the given email address.

5. Click *Continue to Portal* to navigate to the portal.

## Accessing Your Classic User Accounts[​](#accessing-your-classic-user-accounts "Direct link to Accessing Your Classic User Accounts")

The *Classic User Accounts* page provides an overview of your linked classic user accounts.

To access Classic User Accounts page:

1. Sign in to an Equinix portal.

2. From the user menu, select *User Account*.

3. From the left menu, select *Classic User Accounts*.

![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/classic-user-accounts-annotated-9f5a7cea72b148ed604c927245a8f0c6.png)

## Setting a Default Identity[​](#setting-a-default-identity "Direct link to Setting a Default Identity")

Identities represent classic user accounts linked to an email-based account. You can select identity when you log in or [switch identities](https://docs.equinix.com/iam/your-user-account/iam-users-switch-identities.md) later on. Set a default identity to have it automatically selected after you log in.

To set your default identity:

1. Sign in to any Equinix portal using your email-based account.

2. From the user menu in the top-right corner, select *User Account*.

3. From the left menu, select *Classic User Accounts*.

4. Locate the identity you want to set as your default and from the options menu, select *Set as Default*.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/classic-set-default-dbf962079dd67440ff1c8f76547802cc.png)

5. Click **Set as Default** to confirm.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/classic-set-default-confirm-618c6ede6f5010db60d6744ed454f48e.png)

6. Enter your classic user account credentials and click **Sign In**.

7. Click **Proceed** to confirm linking the classic account to your email-based account.

8. Click *Sign in to User Account* to sign in.

## Resetting a Default Identity[​](#resetting-a-default-identity "Direct link to Resetting a Default Identity")

If you no longer want an identity to be automatically selected when you sign in, you can reset your default identity. When no default identity is configured, all available identities are displayed after you sign in, allowing you to select the identity you want to use.

To reset your default identity:

1. Sign in to any Equinix portal using your email-based account.

2. From the user menu in the top-right corner, select *User Account*.

3. From the left menu, select *Your Organizations*.

   ![Your Organizations page showing the identity options menu with Reset as Default](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/reset-identity-67a92d6b2301c07b93816a0723e115f8.png)

4. Locate the identity that is currently set as the default.

5. From the options menu, select *Reset as Default*.

6. Confirm the action.

> **Note**
>
> You can reset a default identity at any time. When no default identity is set, all available identities are displayed after sign-in so you can choose the identity you want to use.

## Transferring a User-Based Account to an Email-Based Account[​](#transferring-a-user-based-account-to-an-email-based-account "Direct link to Transferring a User-Based Account to an Email-Based Account")

Transfer your PDS account to an email-based account using the self-service transfer feature.

1. Sign in to any Equinix portal using your email-based account.

2. From the user menu in the top-right corner, select *User Account*.

3. From the left menu, select *Your Organizations*.

4. Locate the identity you want to transfer and from the options menu, select **Transfer Account**.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/PDS-transfer-account-945717ae3cfb065e4c42a03250a4b0e5.png)

5. Enter the email address you want to use for email-based login.

6. Click **Send Transfer Request**.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/PDS-send-transfer-request-369f436de441816dfb94362a086bce0a.png)

7. Sign into the Equinix Portal using the email you are transferring to.

8. In the **Account Transfer Request** section, click **Accept**.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/PDS-accept-transfer-f48d510c1ed4d9fc410368fc0805f341.png)

> **Info**
>
> You can only transfer to email addresses that are already registered with Equinix. This feature does not support transfer to new email addresses.

## Renaming an Identity[​](#renaming-an-identity "Direct link to Renaming an Identity")

Change your identities' display names to more meaningful strings that reflect their purpose.

> **Note**
>
> Renaming identity doesn't modify the original account's username.

To rename an identity:

1. Sign in to any Equinix portal using your email-based account.

2. From the user menu in the top-right corner, select *User Account*.

3. From the left menu, select *Classic User Accounts*.

4. Locate the identity you want to rename and from the options menu, select **Rename**.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/classic-user-identity-rename-8e23fd6979c630a68191bfb7ea450598.png)

5. Enter new display name for the given identity and click **Save**.

You will see the new username in your *Classic User Accounts*. The old username is displayed next to it in brackets.

![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/classic-user-identity-brackets-67874ee904011b2fb1bacceac074872e.png)

In the **Switch Identity** screen, only the new username will be displayed.

![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/classic-user-identity-rename-switch-72da815eb1dafdc7656b040d9fd24aea.png)