Identity validation failed?

Question

I need some help. I'm new here. Identity validation failed, but there is no reason given.

Answer 1

Hi there, welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

I can understand how confusing this must be, especially when you're setting up Artifact Signing for the first time and the portal simply says "Identity validation failed" without explaining what went wrong.

Unfortunately, this is something other users have encountered too. Azure Artifact Signing doesn't always display the specific reason for a failed identity validation.

I'd suggest checking a few things first:

1. Email verification: Check your inbox and spam folder for Microsoft's verification email. The verification link expires after 7 days, and missing it means you'll need to submit a new validation request.
2. Identity details: If you're registering an organization, make sure the legal business name, address, and registration details match your official records. For individual validation, check that your identity documents and required account details match.
3. Contact Azure Support: If everything looks correct, go to "Azure Portal" (https://portal.azure.com/#blade/Microsoft_Azure_Support/HelpAndSupportBlade) → Help + support → Create a support request. Select Artifact Signing and explain that validation failed without providing a reason. The support team can investigate the specific request.

I'd avoid submitting multiple new requests until you know what caused the failure, unless it was simply an expired verification link.

Can I ask you two quick things? Are you validating an individual account or an organization? And did the failure happen immediately, or after you completed the verification process?

That would help narrow things down considerably.

Hope we can get this sorted out for you!

Answer 2

If Artifact Signing shows Failed without a reason, check the primary-contact email conditions below; if they are already satisfied, open an Azure Support request because silent validation failures may require service-side investigation.

1. Check the primary email

For organization validation:

• If the primary contact uses a free-hosted address such as Gmail or Outlook.com, replace it with an individual mailbox on the organization’s own domain. A closely matched silent-failure case was resolved by using an email associated with the legal entity rather than a free-hosted domain.^1^
• Do not use a distribution list.
• Check Junk/Spam and confirm the mailbox accepts external messages containing links.
• The verification link expires after seven days. If it was missed or expired, delete the failed request and submit a new one.^2^

Do not create additional requests while one for the same entity remains In Progress; doing so does not help or expedite validation.^2^

2. Delete and resubmit only when appropriate

To replace a failed request:

1. In the Azure portal, open Artifact Signing Accounts and select the account.
2. Select Identity Validation.
3. Select the failed request, then select Delete.
4. Review any associated accounts or certificate profiles before confirming deletion.
5. Create a new request with the corrected email and matching identity details.

Deletion requires the Artifact Signing Identity Verifier role. Checking all linked usage can also require read access at subscription level or across the relevant Artifact Signing accounts. Deletion is permanent and can affect linked certificate-profile renewal, so review the displayed dependencies first.^3^

3. Escalate a silent failure

If the mailbox is already organization-associated, the verification step was completed, or the new request still fails without an explanation:

1. In the Azure portal, open Help + support.
2. Create an Azure support request for the Artifact Signing identity-validation problem.
3. Include the following as helpful diagnostic context:
   • Identity Validation ID
   • Artifact Signing account name
   • Azure subscription ID
   • Validation type: organization or individual
   • Approximate submission and failure times
   • Whether the email link and Verified ID steps completed
   • A screenshot of the status, excluding sensitive identity documents
   • Any Authenticator incident ID or logs, if a technical Authenticator error occurred

Keep validation IDs, subscription IDs, account details, and identity documents inside the private support request rather than posting them publicly. Microsoft Q&A cases with the same silent-failure symptom required investigation of the validation and account details by support.^4^

Conditional Authenticator checks

If the failure occurs specifically during Microsoft Authenticator or Verified ID processing:

• Fully close and reopen Authenticator.
• Update Authenticator to the latest version.
• Clear the browser cache or use another browser.
• Avoid VPN/proxy connections and unstable Wi-Fi.
• Try another mobile device.
• If escalating, send Authenticator logs and the incident ID through support.^2^

If organization validation was not rejected because of a missed email and Microsoft ultimately cannot validate the supplied information, onboarding cannot proceed. Where extra documents were requested, the FAQ states that the process ends after all three attempts are exhausted; Microsoft recommends deleting the unused Artifact Signing account to avoid charges.^2^

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References

1. Artifact Signing identity validation failing repeatedly with no reason shown — need backend diagnosis - Microsoft Q&A
2. Artifact Signing FAQ
3. Renew or delete Artifact Signing Identity Validations
4. Trusted Signing: Public Trust organization identity validation keeps failing for a recently incorporated EU company - what makes it pass? - Microsoft Q&A