---
path: onboarding/member-onboarding/account-activation.mdx
title: Account activation
sidebar_position: 2
slug: account-activation
pagination_next: null
pagination_prev: null
description: >-
  How to activate your Passwork account: accepting an invite, signing in via SSO or LDAP,
  registering a local account, and setting up the master password for client-side encryption.
keywords:
  - Passwork
  - account activation
  - invite
  - registration
  - SSO
  - LDAP
  - master password
  - client-side encryption
  - sign in
---

## Step 1 — Accept the invite

Your administrator sends an invite via email or provides a direct URL to the Passwork sign-in page. Open the link to register.

:::info
If you did not receive an invite email, check your spam folder or ask your administrator to resend it. Invitations expire after a period set by the administrator.
:::

<ImageComponent
  src="/img/assets/email-invite.png"
  alt="Email invite"
  format="regular"
/>

## Step 2 — Choose your sign-in method

Passwork supports three authentication methods. The available options depend on your organization's configuration.

### SSO (Single Sign-On)

If your organization uses an identity provider such as Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), AD FS, or Keycloak, you will see an SSO sign-in button on the login page. Click it to authenticate with your corporate credentials.

No separate Passwork password is required when signing in via SSO.

<ImageComponent
  src="/img/assets/registration-3.png"
  alt="Sign-in page with SSO and local login options"
  format="regular"
/>

### LDAP (Active Directory)

If LDAP integration is enabled, sign in with your domain username and password — the same credentials you use to log in to your workstation.

### Local account

If your organization does not use SSO or LDAP, create a local Passwork account:

1. Go to the sign-up page provided by your administrator.
2. Enter your **login**, **password**, and **email address**.
3. Click **Sign up**.

<ImageComponent
  src="/img/assets/registration-1.png"
  alt="Passwork registration form"
  format="regular"
/>

Depending on your organization's settings, account registration may require administrator approval before you can sign in.

## Step 3 — Set up the master password (if required)

If your organization has **client-side encryption** enabled, Passwork will prompt you to create a master password immediately after your first successful login.

The master password encrypts your private key on your device. It is **never transmitted to the server** and cannot be recovered by anyone — including your administrator. If you forget it, your encrypted data cannot be decrypted.

<ImageComponent
  src="/img/assets/registration-2.png"
  alt="master password setup screen"
  format="regular"
/>

The master password must be at least 8 characters long (your organization may enforce a higher minimum), mix uppercase and lowercase letters with digits and special characters, and must not match your Passwork login password or your domain/SSO password.

:::danger Store your master password securely
Write down the master password and store it in a physically secure location (e.g., a printed document in a locked drawer). Do not store it in a digital notes app or email draft
:::

There is no recovery mechanism for master passwords, but if you forgot it, your Passwork administrator can perform a reset, but all your private data will be lost.

After setting the master password, you will be redirected to the main Passwork interface.

## Next step

Proceed to [Install tools](./install-tools.mdx) to set up the browser extension and mobile app.