Transactional

Security alert email template

Alert a user to a new sign-in with the time, device and location, and one button to secure the account if it was not them.

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A security alert tells someone that their account was used from a device you have not seen before. Usually it was them, and the email should let them confirm that in a second. When it was not, the email has to get them to the right action fast.

This template shows when, where and on what device, then offers one button for "this was not me". It avoids red alarm styling. If every sign-in email looks like an emergency, people stop reading them.

What this email must include

  • The time of the sign-in with its time zone, the device or browser, and the approximate location.
  • A plain statement of what to do if it was them: nothing.
  • A button for when it was not them, leading to a page that signs out other sessions and starts a password change.
  • A reminder that you never ask for passwords or codes by email, and that they can go to your site directly instead of clicking.

Subject line and preview text ideas

New sign-in to your Example Co account

Chrome on macOS, near Portland, US. Was this you?

Was this you?

We noticed a sign-in from a new device.

Security alert: new sign-in from Windows

If this was you, there is nothing to do.

When to send it

Send it within seconds of the sign-in. An alert that arrives an hour late gives an intruder an hour.

Send it only for a new device or location. An alert on every sign-in teaches people to ignore it, which defeats the point.

Deliverability and security notes

Security alerts are a favourite template for phishers. Publish SPF, DKIM and a DMARC policy so forged copies fail authentication, and send from the same address every time so the real ones are recognisable.

Do not ask for a password, a code or personal details in the email, and say that you never will. That one line helps readers spot fakes.

Location from an IP address is approximate. Write "near Portland, US" and stop at the city; a street-level guess is often wrong and alarms people for no reason.

What is in this template

Subject line
New sign-in to your Example Co account
Preview text
Chrome on macOS, near Portland, US. If this was you, there is nothing to do.
Blocks
8
Block types
Heading, Text, Html, Button, Divider, Footer

Tips for using it

  • Point the "secure my account" button at your own domain, never a link shortener.
  • Pair this with a password changed email, sent every time the password changes.
  • Show the same event on the account's security page so people can check it without trusting the email.
Live preview

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Send it with Broadcast

Broadcast is self-hosted email marketing software with a one-time price. Paste this template into a campaign and send to unlimited subscribers through Amazon SES, Postmark or any SMTP server.

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