This article clarifies how to allow users to receive password reset or activation notifications on a secondary email address. The secondary email receives password reset and activation emails. This feature helps when a user forgets the password and is unable to access the primary work email. The secondary email also provides an alternative method to activate an Okta account if the user is unable to access it. Okta recommends always enabling a secondary email address.

• Password reset emails
• Activation emails
• Secondary email

To allow end users to receive password reset or activation notifications on a secondary email address, follow the steps below:

1. In the Okta Admin Console, choose Customizations > Other.
2. Select Edit in the Optional User Account Fields section.
3. Select Enabled for the Secondary Email option.
4. Select Save.

NOTE: This also enables administrators to add a secondary email address during user creation, avoiding the workaround of creating the user and then editing the profile to add it. Adding a secondary email address when the user is created also requires that account activation emails be sent to both addresses. This ensures that creating a user through the User Interface (UI) occurs in a single step and that emails are sent automatically. When the secondary email option is enabled, users can also enter a secondary address for password reset and account management notices. When the security image option is enabled, users are prompted to select an image when they first sign in to Okta. Then, the selected image appears whenever a valid username is entered into the Okta sign-in page.