5 Red Flags Your Identity Experience is Frustrating Users

Identity is often your users' first—and most frequent—digital interaction. If that experience is clunky, it affects how users perceive your brand. The following checklist helps identify where the experience is breaking down, so you can fix what's costing you trust, loyalty, and conversions.

How would your users answer the following questions?

Question 1: Getting Started — How Smooth is Signing Up or Requesting Access?

Bad processes and forms push people away before they even begin.

• I had to fill out a long form just to get started, and then got kicked out halfway through.
• I wasn't sure if the site was legit. Something about the sign-up process just felt off.
• The process didn't seem built for someone like me. It was confusing and didn't fit why I was there.

Question 2: Everyday Access — Is Logging in Frictionless?

Clunky login is one of the top reasons users abandon digital experiences.

• I have to enter my password every single time, even when it's the same device.
• I am constantly bombarded with extra verification every time, even when nothing has changed.
• I keep getting signed out unexpectedly, and I lose my place.
• I don't feel confident that my session is protected. It's either too open or locked down at random.

Question 3: Daily Interactions — Is Identity Empowering or Interrupting?

If users are stuck or slowed down, your identity and access management (IAM) is in the way.

• I have to call for help, fill out forms, or jump through hoops just to log in or reach what I need.
• I had to wait for days just to get basic access.
• Sometimes I get locked out or asked to prove who I am over and over, even though I've done nothing wrong.
• It feels like security and UX were designed in separate rooms and my experience suffers for it.

Question 4: Security — Does Your System Protect Without Frustrating?

When security is misaligned, users feel distrusted or unsafe.

• I get locked out for small things, like switching browsers or traveling.
• You treat every login like a threat, no matter how familiar I am.
• I've had to re-authenticate three times today alone, and I'm not doing anything sensitive.
• I don't know what triggers your security checks, but it feels random and disruptive.

Question 5: Scalability — Can You Deliver a Great Experience as You Grow?

Poor scalability shows up as inconsistency, slowness, and broken expectations.

• Things slow down or break every time something new is added, during busy days, and when usage spikes.
• I still can't use modern login options like Face ID or passkeys.
• The experience hasn't changed in years, meanwhile, every other tool or app I use has evolved.
• Your systems feel like they're stitched together, and it shows.

What are You Missing?

Bad identity experiences don't always show up in dashboards, but your users feel them every day. Ask yourself:

• What are users struggling with or avoiding?
• Which experiences could feel more personalized, adaptive, or mobile-ready?
• Where are our policies protecting the business at the cost of the user?

Translate these insights into action. Start solving the issues that frustrate users and undermine trust today.