Recovering blog access

Photo: Roy Harryman

What if you cannot sign in to your blogging account? 

Once, all you needed to manage your blog was your user ID (usually an email address) and your password.

Today, this may not be enough.

If you've been away from your blog for a few years, or are signing in from a new device, you will almost certainly be greeted with additional challenges from Google.

These are designed to prove that you are you.

If you can sign in...

There are other problems that can come up related to blog access. Some people report that they can sign in just fine but still cannot find their blogs.

That is a different problem, and one that can have different causes. Take your case to the Blogger help community to sort it out.

When Google doesn't know you

Often, the first sign that something is wrong is a confusing message from Google.

• You sign in to your account with your user ID (email)
• You enter your password at the prompt
• Then Google says something like this:

Google couldn't verify this account belongs to you

and maybe

You can't recover your account at this time because Google doesn't have enough info to be sure this account is yours.

This message sounds as though it is saying, "too bad, you can't sign in."

What it actually means is, "buckle up, the fun is just beginning."

This process is also what you must go through if you have forgotten your password, or if you have set up a recovery email or phone that you cannot access.

Spammers and scammers oh my

Google is in a sort of arms race with bad actors who steal Google accounts (like your blogging account).

They use stolen accounts to spread malware, mount phishing attacks, and so forth.

So Google looks for multiple indications that you really are you.

Buckets of trust

When your sign-in arrives at Google, it will be evaluated for trustworthiness by an automated system.

If you are signing in from the same device you used the last time, from the same general location and using the same ISP, you probably will not have a problem. Green light.

A sign in from a known spammer's configuration will be red-lighted and denied.

If you get the message 

Google couldn't verify this account belongs to you

you are in the "maybe, but prove it" bucket.

At this point, account access is in jeopardy. There is no longer any guaranteed path to recovery, unless you had set one up that still works (like a recovery phone number or email).

But you still have a chance to prove you are you.

20 questions

You might reach this stage on your own, or if you click the "try another way" link when prompted to use a recovery address or phone.

You can also just initiate account recovery.

Typically, Google asks you to answer some questions about your account history that only you would know.

The first bit of good news is that you do not need to answer all of them, and the answers can be approximate.

The second bit of good news is that if you sign in from the device you used in the past, that may be a significant proof point for Google. 

Answering questions gives you a chance to shift yourself from the "maybe" bucket to the "trusted" bucket.

If you succeed, you'll get access to your account. If so, better set up some reliable recovery options.

If you fail, you can try again. However, you may need to wait for a day or so. Google views multiple attempts with suspicion.

Fun not fun

I used the word "fun" in connection with this ordeal. I was being sarcastic.

Recovery is complicated and unfortunate. If you've encountered this roadblock for any reason, my sincere sympathy.

But if you are enmeshed in the guts of this thing, here is some more information to help you thread the labyrinth.

• Google's help page describes how to recover your Google account
• Google also has a page of recovery tips
• If you are still stuck, you may find a solution in this extremely detailed recovery guide
• Take any further questions to the knowledgeable volunteers in the Accounts help community

Once again, you can initiate the recovery process yourself.

If you have a Blogger blog, and you do not remember your user ID or password, the folks in in the Blogger help community may be able to help with that.

But only that.

There is no other way to get your account back, sorry.

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