If you receive the Email/UserID has already been taken when trying to add/create a user (admin, manager, coach or parent) there could be a few reasons:
- The user has a child or spouse in GotSport that is using their email address as their email/userID
- The user's name is spelt differently than the name you inputted.
- A copy & paste error has caused an extra blank space in the user's name.
GotSport uses an email-based username login. Each username must be unique, therefore if an email is already being used as a UserID, any new users will not be able to use that same email address.
When you add a new user to GotSport the system first searches the database to see if the user already has an account. Important: To get a match the email address, first name and last name must ALL EXACTLY match - if one of these fields do not match you will be promoted to create a new user.
So if the email address you input as the username (Email/UserID) is already being used as a UserID in the system, you will get the "Email/UserID is already taken" error and be unable to create the user.
Scenario 1:
User's child or spouse is using their Email/UserID
In some cases, you are trying to add a user whose child or spouse already has a GotSport profile. In this case it may be possible that the player's profile is using their parent's email address as their username (Email/UserID). If that is the case, follow the steps below:
How To Fix Scenario 1
Find the player's profile within your Club, and move the email address from the "Email/UserID" box over to the "Contact Email box".
Then click "Save".
This will free up the email address so the parent can have it as their username (Email/UserID) - allowing you to add the parent to your club.
You can then proceed to try and create him as a new user.
- Don't forget to then list the new user you created as the child's parent - this will allow the parent to manage their child's profile via their login.
Instructions: How To Add a Parent/Guardian to a Player's Profile
If the player is not part of your club, please ask the parent or their child's club to do this step for you as they will probably have access to the child's account.
Please note that completing removing an email from the Email/User ID field will disable the the ability for that person to login because they will not have an email address to login with. If the person would still like to have the ability to login, you will need to replace the email with a new unique email in the Email/User ID field.
Scenario 2:
User's name is spelt differently to name inputted
You might get the "Email/UserID is already taken" error because the name of the user is spelt differently from the name you are inputting. Or you are unknowingly are using their nickname (ex. Jen vs Jennifer)
In the example below, Coach Joe Taylor has informed me he already has an account and given me his email address.
The system doesn't find a match and I am prompted to create a new user.
If Coach Joe Taylor has an account, and I proceed to try and create him as a new user, I am unable to create a user profile and got "Email/UserID is already taken" error.
How to Fix Scenario 2
I contact Coach Joe Taylor to confirm the exact spelling of the name he has used in his GotSport profile and discover he has used the name Joseph Taylor.
I now use these details and am able to find his existing account.
If you have confirmed the spelling of the user's name is correct, then please follow the instructions in scenario B.
Scenario 3:
A copy & paste error has caused an extra blank space in name
When adding users it is often convenient to copy & paste their names into the system. However, sometimes when we do this we inadvertently paste an extra blank space before or after the first and/or last name. GotSport treats this blank space as an extra character - just like Twitter does - and will not find a match, as one of the names contains an EXTRA character.
In the example below, I have confirmed the coach has a GotSport Account and the name used is Joseph Taylor. I have copied and pasted his details into the search fields.
NOTICE the flashing text cursor shows there is an extra blank space after his first name.
The system does not find a match and prompts me to create a new user.
I proceed to try and create him as a new user. However, I am unable to create a new user profile and get "Email/UserID is already taken" error.
How to Fix Scenario 3
I try the search again, but this time double check that there are no extra blank spaces before or after the first and last name.
NOTICE - There is no longer a blank space after the first name.
And when I search I am able to find Coach Joseph Taylor's Account.
