• This page, Understanding MyMassGov help messages, is   offered by
  • MyMassGov

Understanding MyMassGov help messages

If you’re using MyMassGov and more information is required or you need to review and make changes to what you entered, a message will appear on the screen to let you know. Learn more about these messages and get suggestions to help guide you.

Table of Contents

This information about help messages in MyMassGov may help you register for and use your MyMassGov account. You can find additional instructons in the MyMassGov Guide.

If you need additional assistance, contact an agency for direct support

Email and Password

You may need to enter information in a different way when creating or logging in to your account or resetting or changing your password. 

On-screen help messageWhat’s happeningTry this
Please enter a password.You select the “Log In” button without typing your password firstType your password and select "Log In” again.
Please enter a valid email address.You type an email address that doesn’t work or is incompleteMake sure you’re using an email address that you know works and have access to. It must be something like: name@email.com
The email or password you’ve entered is incorrect. To reset your password, select “Forgot Password”.You use an email address that isn’t connected to an existing account or a password that is incorrectCheck that the email address you typed is the one you used to create your account. If you have forgotten your password, select the “Forgot Password” link to reset it.
The password entry fields do not match. Please enter the same password in both fields and try again.You create a new password, typed it again to confirm it, and the two passwords don’t matchReview both passwords and make sure they are typed correctly. Select the “Show Password” eye icon to see what you’ve typed. 

Code and code entry

The following on screen messages may appear when you’re setting up MFA as part of creating a new account, verifying your email when logging in to your account, or if you’ve forgotten your password. 

On-screen help messageWhat’s happeningTry this
Incorrect code entered, please try again.You type a 6-digit verification code that doesn’t match your authenticator app, text,or phone Get the correct code from your authenticator app or phone and try again.
The code you entered is incorrect or has expired. Try again or select “Get a new code” above.You’re setting up MFA options and type a code that has expiredSelect “Get a new code” and type the new code you receive.
You have entered an incorrect code.You type an incorrect email verification codeGet the correct one-time password from your email, type it, and verify again.
You have exceeded the number of code generation attempts allowed.You don’t get a verification code by email and select “Get a new code” more than 10 times in a rowClose the browser and try again after at least 10 minutes.
You have exceeded the maximum time allowed.You receive a verification code by email and wait more than 10 minutes to type it into MyMassGovSelect “Get a new code”, get the new code from email, type it into the “Verification code” field, and try again.
You have tried too many times. Please try again later.You type an incorrect verification code more than three timesSelect "Cancel" and start over.
You hit the limit on the number of verification attempts. Try again shortly.You request too many authenticator verification codes in a rowClose the browser and try again later after at least 10 minutes. 

Missing or incorrect information

These on-screen messages may guide you when creating an account, setting up MFA, resetting a password, or changing an existing password. 

On-screen help messageWhat’s happeningTry this
This information is required.You don’t fill out a required field like “Email,” “Verification code,” “First Name,” “Last Name” or if you don’t select an MFA option, or don't type a phone number or authenticator codeIf you’re creating an account, make sure you complete all fields. If you’re setting up MFA, make sure you choose an MFA option and complete all fields.
A required field is missing. Please fill out all required fields and try again.

If you’re verifying your email, make sure you type in both your first and last name before selecting “Continue."

Make sure you complete all details if you’re:

  • Creating an account
  • Resetting a password
  • Changing an existing password
  • Setting up MFA 
Fill out the required field(s) and try again.
One or more fields are filled out incorrectly. Please check your entries and try again.You type a password that doesn’t meet required password rules. You may see this when creating, resetting, or changing a password. 

Make sure that the password meets the following rules and try again. You can select the “Show Password” eye icon to see what you typed. 

Password rules:

Passwords must be between 8 and 64 characters and meet at least three of the following requirements:

  1. Contains a special character (e.g., @ # $ % ^ & *)
  2. Contains a number
  3. Contains an uppercase character
  4. Contains a lowercase character 

You may get help messages on your screen if there is a problem with the phone number you use when creating a new account, setting up MFA, or during MFA authentication. 

On-screen help messageWhat’s happeningTry this
Please enter a valid phone number.You type an incomplete or incorrect phone numberType a correct, complete phone number. In North America it must be 10 digits (including the area code).
The phone number you provided is busy or unavailable. Please check the number and try again.You select “Call me” for MFA verification and then don't answer your phoneReview the last four digits of the phone number shown above the error message to make sure the correct phone number is displayed. Try again, answer the phone and follow the instructions. 
The phone number you provided is unreachable.The phone number you typed for MFA doesn’t workType a working phone number that you have access to and try again. 

The following on screen messages may let you know if something isn’t right when updating, creating or managing your account. 

On-screen help messageWhat’s happeningTry this
We are having trouble signing you in. Please try again later.Login functionality is having difficulty connecting to the networkWait a few minutes and try to log in again.
Your account is temporarily locked to prevent unauthorized use. Try again later.You type multiple incorrect passwords in a row. The limit is 10 attempts, and the passwords typed must be different.The account will automatically unlock after one minute. If you can’t remember the password, select the “Forgot Password” link in the “Log In” screen.

Contact

Online

Contact an agency for help Services and applications using MyMassGov 
Learn about MyMassGov About MyMassGov 
Date published: April 25, 2025
Last updated: April 25, 2025

Help Us Improve Mass.gov  with your feedback

Please do not include personal or contact information.
Feedback