What is a security check (checkpoint)?
Sooner or later, a platform will stop and ask you to prove it is really you: a code by email, a new sign-in or a tap to confirm in the app. These are called security checks, and some tools call them checkpoints. They are normal and usually not a sign of trouble. Here is what they are, why they happen and how to clear one safely.
In one sentence
A security check, sometimes called a checkpoint, is when a platform such as Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook pauses an account and asks the owner to confirm it is really them, for example with a code sent by email or text, before the account can carry on.
In more detail
Platforms protect accounts by watching for anything unusual: a sign-in from a new place or device, a sudden change in activity, a password change or a pattern that looks like someone else might have access. When something looks different, they ask the owner to confirm.
The check can take a few forms. The most common is a code sent to your email address or phone, which you type in. Others include signing in again, confirming the sign-in from the app on your phone, answering a question about your account or solving a simple puzzle.
Until the check is done, the account may be partly paused. You might be able to read but not send, or you might be signed out altogether. Once you clear it, the account usually carries on as before.
A security check is not a ban. It is the platform being careful. That said, if checks keep coming back often, it can be a sign that the account is doing something that looks unusual to the platform, such as sending a lot more than usual, and it is worth slowing down.
You should only ever clear a security check through the platform itself or through a tool you connected yourself. Messages that say "your account will be closed, click here to verify" are a common scam. Platforms do not ask you to verify through a link in a DM.
An example
| What you see | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Instagram asks for a code sent to your email | A routine check, often after a new sign-in or connection |
| LinkedIn asks you to confirm a sign-in from your phone app | A routine check on a new device or location |
| Facebook asks you to sign in again | Your session ended, or the platform wants a fresh sign-in |
| WhatsApp shows the linked device has gone | A sign-out; link the device again with a QR code |
| The platform says the account is temporarily limited | A restriction, which is more serious than a check |
Why security checks happen
- You signed in from a new device, browser or connected tool.
- You signed in from a new place, or your internet connection changed.
- You changed your password or your security settings.
- Activity on the account changed suddenly, such as many more messages than usual.
- The platform is doing a routine check on many accounts at once.
Most of these are harmless. Connecting a new tool is one of the most common triggers, which is why a check soon after connecting an account is nothing to worry about.
Security check, sign-out, restriction or ban
| What it is | How serious | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Security check | Routine | Confirm it is you with the code or step the platform asks for. |
| Sign-out | Routine | Sign in again, or link the device again with a QR code. |
| Temporary restriction | Serious | Follow the platform's steps in its app, wait it out and slow everything down afterwards. |
| Ban or disabled account | Very serious | Use the platform's own appeal process. No outside tool can lift it. |
How to clear a security check safely
- Check where the request came from. It should be in the platform's own app or website, or in a tool you connected yourself.
- Look for the code in your email or texts. Check the sender is the platform.
- Enter the code only where the platform or your connected tool asks for it.
- If the code does not arrive, wait a minute and ask for a new one rather than trying lots of times.
- If the platform shows a puzzle or asks you to confirm in its app, do that yourself in the app.
- Once cleared, check the account is working, then carry on at a normal pace.
What if...
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| The code goes to an old email address you cannot reach | Use the platform's own account recovery steps in its app. Then update your contact details. |
| You get a code you did not ask for | Do not share it with anyone. Change your password and check where the account is signed in. |
| A message says your account will be closed unless you verify through a link | Treat it as a scam. Open the platform's app directly and check there instead. |
| The check appears every few days | Slow down, keep to replies to people who messaged you and make sure you are not signed in from devices you do not need. |
| A check turns into a restriction | Follow the platform's steps, wait for it to lift, then send much less for a while. |
In every case, the safe route is the same: go to the platform's own app or website, or to a tool you connected yourself, and never act on a link or a request for a code that arrived in a message. If you are unsure whether something is genuine, close it and open the app directly to see whether it shows the same request.
How to see fewer security checks
- Keep your email and phone number up to date on each platform, so codes reach you.
- Turn on two-factor sign-in. It sounds like more checks, but it protects the account and often makes platforms more relaxed about it.
- Avoid sudden jumps in activity. Grow how much you send slowly, especially on new accounts.
- Avoid signing in from lots of different devices and tools you do not need.
- Reply to people who message you rather than messaging lots of strangers.
Why it matters for your business
- A check left unanswered can leave customer messages waiting.
- Knowing a check from a restriction saves you a lot of worry.
- Clearing checks only through the platform keeps you safe from scams.
- Frequent checks are an early warning to slow down.
- Up-to-date contact details mean codes reach you quickly.
How Spaces handles it
When a platform asks a connected account for a security check, Spaces pauses sending on that account straight away, so nothing tries to go out while the account is waiting. The account shows as needing attention in your dashboard, and your agent is told the account needs reconnecting rather than retrying. If you use webhooks, the account disconnected event carries the reason, so you can be told within moments.
If the platform sends a code, you can enter it on the platform's own screen when you reconnect, or your AI agent can pass the code to Spaces for you. Spaces does not store the code. You can also ask for the code to be sent again. Anything else, such as a puzzle or a tap to confirm in the platform's app, you do yourself in that app.
Spaces keeps accounts inside steady sending limits, with gaps between messages, daily caps and a warm-up for new accounts, which helps avoid the sudden jumps in activity that can lead to more checks. On LinkedIn, for example, that means at least 20 seconds between messages. Spaces lowers the risk, but it cannot promise a platform will never ask for a check or restrict an account.
In short
A security check, or checkpoint, is a platform asking you to prove the account is yours. It is routine, it is not a ban and it is usually cleared in a minute with a code.
Clear checks only through the platform or a tool you connected yourself, keep your contact details up to date and treat frequent checks as a sign to slow down.
FAQ
Is a security check the same as a ban?
No. A security check asks you to confirm it is you, and the account carries on once you do. A ban blocks the account and needs the platform's appeal process.
Why does Instagram keep asking me for a code?
Often because of new sign-ins, a new connected tool or a change in activity. Keep your email and phone up to date, avoid sudden jumps in sending and the checks usually settle down.
Can someone else clear a security check for me?
Codes should only be entered by you, or by a tool you connected yourself. Never share a code with someone who messages you asking for it.
What happens to my messages during a check?
Customers can still message you, but replies wait until the check is cleared. That is why it is worth clearing checks quickly.
Does Spaces store my verification code?
No. Spaces passes the code to the platform to clear the check and does not store it.
What if the code never arrives?
Wait a minute, check your spam folder and ask for a new code. Avoid asking many times in a row, which can slow things down further.
Can Spaces solve puzzles or app confirmations for me?
No. Those you complete yourself in the platform's own app or website. Spaces handles codes you choose to pass to it.
Should I stop using automation after a check?
Not necessarily. One check is routine. If they come often, slow down, focus on replies to people who messaged you and check your sending against the limits.