Sign-in & sessions

What it controls: how long someone can be idle before being signed out, how often people must sign in again (needed for admin changes), and whether a browser can skip the authenticator code for a while.

Click path: Admin → Settings → Sign-in & sessions.

Who: owner and admin (Change settings).

On-screen note: Timeouts are enforced by the server, not the browser. A change applies to sign-ins after you save, anyone already signed in keeps their current timeout until they sign in again.

Each setting has a slider and a number box. Typing a number outside the range is pulled back into range.

Sign out after inactivity

Label: Sign out after inactivity, 15 min (5-120 minutes) (the label shows the current value, for example "1 hour" or "1 h 30 min").

• Allowed: 5 to 120 minutes (slider moves in steps of 5). Default: 15 minutes.
• If nobody clicks or types for this long, the person is signed out.
• Every session also ends 10 hours after sign-in, whatever the activity.
• Applies to sign-ins after you save.

Re-confirm identity for admin changes after

Label: Re-confirm identity for admin changes after, 1 hour (10-240 minutes).

• Allowed: 10 to 240 minutes (steps of 5). Default: 60 minutes.
• Settings, users, roles and sync changes need a sign-in that is newer than this.
• Applies immediately after saving.
• In practice the portal asks everyone to sign in again when this time is up: a yellow warning bar appears 5 minutes before, then the sign-in screen. See "Re-sign-in for sensitive changes" at the top of this page. Unsaved settings changes are kept.

The hint under this setting reads: Settings, users, roles and sync changes made later than this after sign-in need a fresh sign-in: five minutes before the window ends a yellow banner offers "Sign in again"; when it ends, the portal signs you out and back to the sign-in screen (unsaved Settings edits are kept for 20 minutes). This one applies immediately.

Trust this browser for

Label: Trust this browser for, always ask for the code (0-30 days) (or "N days").

• Allowed: 0 to 30 days (steps of 1). Default: 0 (always ask for the code).
• After one successful authenticator code, the same browser signs in with just the password until the trust runs out. The authenticator is still required for every account; this only decides how often the same browser is asked.
• Each person chooses Trust this browser on the code screen. On a shared computer, leave it unticked.
• Applies from the next sign-in.

Save

Save sign-in settings (saves the whole page).

Questions people ask

Q: Staff keep getting signed out after 15 minutes.

A: That is Sign out after inactivity. Raise it (up to 120 minutes) and save. It applies to their next sign-in.

Q: Why am I signed out after exactly one hour even though I'm busy?

A: That is Re-confirm identity for admin changes after (60 minutes by default). Raise it, up to 240 minutes. Every session also ends after 10 hours.

Q: Can people skip the authenticator code?

A: Not entirely. With Trust this browser for set above 0, a person who ticks Trust this browser on the code screen only needs their password on that browser until the trust runs out. The authenticator is never turned off.

Q: I changed the idle time but I still get signed out at the old time.

A: The new idle time applies to sign-ins after you save. Sign out and back in.

Q: Which authenticator app works?

A: Any standard authenticator app: Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy, 1Password, Apple Passwords, and similar.

Q: Our portal moved to a new address and everyone had to type the code again.

A: Sign-in and browser trust are tied to the web address. After an address change everyone signs in once more, and a trusted browser asks for a code one more time.