Update Student & Alumni Email Addresses

Student accounts are typically pre-created in Handshake by their institution using the Institutions email address. This email address cannot be deleted or changed in Handshake by the student. 

If a student would prefer to receive Handshake notifications and marketing emails at a different email address, they have the option to update their primary email address. To review the student process for this, refer to Update Your Primary Email Address in Handshake.

For students that need their institution's email address changed, there's two ways for Career Services users to process this update:

• Via Importer
• Manually in Handshake
  • Example Emails

Via Importer

To update a students Institution email, you'll need to modify your existing student sync file with the preferred email. For more details on this process, including required fields, refer to Importing Student Data.

 If your institution has an automated sync, ensure the email address is updated in that file!

Note: you cannot update a student email address to an address that's associated with another institution/.ac.uk

For more information on updating graduating students emails, refer to Importer: Updating Graduating Students to Alumni.

Manually in Handshake

1. Confirm if the student account is included in your student sync file. This can be done via two ways: 

• Reviewing your student sync file
• Locating the students profile in Handshake via the Account tab   
  • If a white button, Change Institution Email is displayed to the right of the email address, then the account is excluded from the importer sync. 
  • If the white button Change Institution Email isn't available, then the account is being synced via Importer.

Important: only accounts that have been excluded from sync can be updated manually in Handshake.

• If the student isn't included in your student sync, proceed to step 2.
• If you'd like to exclude the student from future syncs, scroll down on the page and click the box to the left of Exclude from Automatic Syncs to add a check. Click the green Update User button in the lower-right corner of the page to save your changes, then proceed to step 2. 

2. Click the white button Change Institution Email.

3. Enter the new email address in the field located under New Email, then click the blue button Submit Request.

When the request processes, a notification appears on the profile: "Please check your new email address for your email confirmation link and code." 

The student will receive two emails regarding the update, and will need to follow the steps included in the second email to process the change. 

Example Emails 

1st email - The request confirmation email (sent to the current email address)

"Hello [NAME],

Your account email address has been requested to change to [NEW EMAIL]. 

If your or someone you authorised (e.g. your institution) requested this, please follow the directions emailed to [NEW EMAIL]. 

If you do not recognize this request, please contact [HANDSHAKE SUPPORT LINK] immediately." 

2nd email - The instructions to complete the change (sent to the new email address)

"Hello [NAME],

Your email address has been updated by your institution. Please confirm the change to access your account. 

Old Email: [CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESS]

New Email: [EMAIL ADDRESS TO BE UPDATED TO] 

Email Verification Code: [CODE TO INTIATE EMAIL CHANGE]

[CHANGE EMAIL BUTTON]." 

Once the user clicks the Change Email button, they'll be directed to fill in the following fields to complete the request: 

• • • Email Verification Code
    • Password/Confirm Password