Getting started

How to create your free account

Searching is free for everyone — an account lets you submit listings, reviews, appeals and community posts. Click Register free in the top menu (or go to the registration page) and fill in your details. Two things to note:

• Your username and your email address are separate — you sign in with your username. An email-style username works well.
• You must accept the Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy and our Community Standards.

We then email you a confirmation link — you must click "I agree — confirm my registration" in that email before you can sign in. Your recovery key is shown once at registration (and repeated in the email): save it somewhere safe, it is the only way back in if you lose your password.

Signing in: password, Quick Verification and your code

Signing in has three quick steps, and all three protect you:

1. Your username and password.
2. A Quick Verification challenge — a small puzzle that keeps automated bots out.
3. The 6-digit code from your authenticator app. The code changes every 30 seconds, so type the one currently showing.

If a code is rejected, wait for the next one to appear and try again — a phone clock that has drifted is the usual culprit. Too many failed attempts pauses sign-in for a short while; this is normal and clears itself.

Setting up your authenticator app (two-factor authentication)

Every account uses two-factor authentication — it makes a stolen password useless on its own. After your first sign-in you'll be guided through setup:

1. Install any authenticator app on your phone — Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator and Authy all work.
2. Scan the QR code we show you (or type the setup key manually).
3. Enter the 6-digit code the app shows to confirm it's working.

From then on you'll need the current code each time you sign in. If you get a new phone, move your authenticator entries across first — or use your recovery key to re-enrol.

Your recovery key, and what to do if you lose your password

Your recovery key is a 32-character code shown once when you register. Treat it like a spare front-door key.

• Forgot your password? Use Forgot password and we'll email you a reset link.
• Lost access to your email or authenticator? Use the recovery page with your recovery key — it lets you set a new password and, if needed, re-enrol your authenticator app.

Every reset issues a new recovery key (the old one stops working), so store the new one each time. We can never show you a key again — they are stored scrambled, just like passwords.