Claude Login by Email: Link, Code and Which Address to Use

Updated October 13, 2026 · 6 min read

Claude has no password. On claude.ai, and in the Console where API keys are managed, you type an email address and Anthropic sends a message that signs you in. Every new device, and every browser you have signed out of, needs a fresh email. The address is therefore the only key to the account, and one more rule makes the choice matter: Claude's help pages say the email on an account cannot be changed. The only way to move to another address is to delete the account and create a new one.

What is in Claude's sign-in email: a link, a code, or both?

After you enter your address and continue with email, Anthropic sends a sign-in message. It carries a sign-in button (the login link), and some versions also print a 6-digit code to type instead. The subject usually mentions a login code or "Sign in to Claude".

What happens next depends on where you open it:

Same browser that asked for the email: you are signed in directly.
Another device or browser: Claude shows a verification code instead, and you type that code on the device where you started.
Later on: the link and the code are single-use and expire within minutes. If you asked twice, act on the newest message.

The simplest habit: request the email from the browser where you will actually use Claude, and open the link in that same browser.

Which address for which kind of Claude account?

Decide by how long the account must live and who will sign in.

Account	Address to use	Why
Personal account you keep or pay for	An address you will control for years	The email cannot be changed; losing the inbox means losing sign-in
Seat on a Claude team plan	Each member's own work address	Team plans invite members by their own email, rather than one shared address
Console account for API keys	An address the project owner keeps	The Console also signs in by email link, and by code when you switch device
Short evaluation, demo or test account	A separate address, rented if you like	It only has to receive mail during that session

"Continue with Google" is a different route: it signs in with a Google account and its password, so it only works with a Gmail you can open yourself. Why sign in with Google needs a real Gmail account explains the difference.

Where a rented inbox fits, and where it does not

Only the last row of the table suits a rented address. A rented @gmail.com or @icloud.com inbox on OTPGmail receives mail only within its order window, which the rent page shows before you pay. Extra codes cost nothing within the order period when the service sends more than one; the limit and time window are shown before you rent.

When the order ends, signed-in sessions keep working, but a new device or a signed-out browser needs an email you will no longer see. Sign in on every device you need while the order is open, and never put a paid plan on a rented address.

For an evaluation account, the Claude service page has the rental steps and its live 30-day figures; price, stock and the rules of the offer are shown on the rent form before you pay.

How Anthropic's email appears on your OTPGmail order

You never open the mailbox. The order row shows what arrived:

A code appears as a chip you click to copy, with View email beside it for the full message.
A link appears as a shortened address that opens in a new tab, with a copy icon (Copy link) and a View button. Open it in the same browser as claude.ai; otherwise you get the cross-device code described above.
Status moves from Waiting for code to Completed. If nothing arrives within 25 minutes, counted from when the address is assigned, the order cancels itself and shows Cancelled · refunded, with 100% back on your balance.

For scripted test setups the API service code is acz: send POST /v1/orders with {"service":"acz"}, then poll GET /v1/orders/{orderId}. The otp[].code field usually holds a short code or a link. There is no separate entry for the Console; choose Claude for both.

Claude email not arriving: what to check, in order

Route. Did you continue with email? Continue with Google sends nothing to the address you typed.
Address. Paste it with the copy button; a stray space sends the email elsewhere.
Requests. Ask once, wait, then ask once more at most, and use the newest message.
Device. A code on screen instead of a session means the link was opened elsewhere; type that code where you started.
Not an email problem. If Claude asks for a phone number after the email step, that is SMS verification of a number of your own; numbers from VoIP services or apps are not accepted, and OTPGmail provides inboxes only. Where Claude is offered is Anthropic's decision; no email address changes it.
Timeout. With a rented address, 25 minutes without mail means an automatic refund; rent a new address or switch between Gmail and iCloud.

For a wider checklist (captchas, the wrong verification method, network issues), see verification code not received: 7 checks.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a refund if Claude asks for my phone number after the email arrived?

No. The automatic refund covers orders where no email arrives within 25 minutes. Once Anthropic's message is on your order, the email step is done; the phone step is between you and Anthropic.

Can a teammate or client read the Claude sign-in email without my OTPGmail login?

Yes. Switch on a share code on your Account page: they enter it together with the email at otpgmail.net/otp to see the codes without an account. Viewing codes there never charges you; renting a cancelled address again through the link works only if you allow it on the Account page, and then it is charged to your balance.

Does Claude treat @icloud.com differently from @gmail.com?

Both are real mailboxes, so either works as a sign-in address. Choose by stock and price on the day; iCloud is often cheaper than Gmail, depending on the service.

I already opened a long-term Claude account on a rented address. What now?

Stay signed in on the devices you use while the order is open. The email cannot be changed, so for an account you will keep, Anthropic's route is to delete it and create a new one with an address you control.

Ready for a test account? Rent an inbox, or read the API docs to script the order. Follow Anthropic's terms and usage policy for the account.