How do you handle two-factor authentication when a client already signed up via Google sign-in and there's no unlink option?
Start with a kickoff call to obtain API keys and credentials early. If 2FA is still required, arrange a short window (e.g., a 5‑minute slot) to exchange codes asynchronously. Whenever possible, switch the account from OAuth to a password‑based login to eliminate most 2FA problems; if that isn’t possible, fall back to handling 2FA or creating a new account.
He mentions he already made a dedicated video on maintaining the best 2FA procedure; look up Nick SAR how to manage an automation project. He explains that 2FA is annoying because you work with many platforms and need to glue them together. His strategy: start with a kickoff call, get the client to sign up using email and password (avoid Google/Facebook/GitHub to reduce 2FA), store credentials in a password manager (he uses OnePass), verify login during the call, frontload 2FA to get it out of the way, then for remaining 2FA (Google/Microsoft) ask the client to send the code directly, use an anti‑detect/multi‑login browser to store fingerprints and cut 2FA frequency to once a month or every two weeks, set a defined Slack availability window (e.g., 12‑2 PM PT) so you can respond quickly to code requests, and offer free maintenance on retainer builds.
I recommend having the client create the accounts. The simplest way is to schedule a kickoff call after they’ve paid you. During the call walk them through the three or four platforms they need to sign up for, have them share their screen, and guide them step‑by‑step—press this button, sign up for this plan, etc. This avoids two‑factor authentication issues, which are a major pain point. Most of the time you can bypass 2FA by using just email and password. If you can’t moderate the sign‑up, they’ll usually use Google OAuth or similar (GitHub, etc.), which often require authorization codes. As a bonus, if you provide an affiliate link for the platform, you can earn 20‑40 % of what they spend.
The best approach is to sign up for the needed services together with the client on a kickoff call, rather than asking for codes asynchronously. This gives you temporary access to their platforms for a few days, letting you grab API keys before the next 2FA round. While issues like password changes or data breaches can still happen, handling most of this up front minimizes 2FA headaches.
I'll do what's called a kickoff call where I get them together with me for a 30 to 45 minute period. I'll guide them through signing up for all the software platforms I want them to use. Typically I have three or four software platforms they need to sign up for. Most of the time, if we're doing something email-related, I'll have them sign up for a new Google Workspace profile. If they've never used a no-code platform, I'll make them sign up using my affiliate code—often something like PandaDoc. So I pretty much define sign‑up procedures for this: I send them all the links in the chat, they click the buttons, create the account, and then I have them do it with email and password so I can get it immediately and verify sign‑in right there. The issue with two‑factor authentication for most services is that people sign up using Google, which forces them through Google’s TFA system—a pain. If you get username‑password credentials, just add them to a password manager like 1Password, LastPass, or Dashlane; that eliminates a large portion of that issue. For the Google stuff, I typically log in using a software platform called Multi‑Login (multilogin). It’s great because you basically have to store the exact same credentials. Essentially this lets you set up dedicated browser profiles using residential and data‑center proxies so you can consistently log in with a static IP—the same IP address every time—minimizing the number of re‑authentications you need. Yeah, I use this for Google stuff from time to time; I don’t always use it, but that’s how I solve that problem. Hope that makes sense. If you guys have any more questions, feel free to drop them in the daily updates channel. Obviously this incentivizes my channel to grow because I get more engagement, and I can answer questions I get on this channel for the foreseeable future until it becomes unreasonable to do so.