What is HarvardKey?
Your HarvardKey account is a username and password combination that all Harvard students, alumni, faculty, and staff use to sign-in to Harvard websites. Using your HarvardKey account is like showing your ID card. It proves your affiliation and confirms your access. Verifying your identity helps keep our community safe by checking the access rights of the account holder. Since 2016, students create their HarvardKey account while attending Harvard and then keep the same account when they become alumni. Alumni who graduated before 2016 can claim their HarvardKey account with their 10-digit HAA ID number, last name, and graduation year(s).
HarvardKey Glossary:
Claiming a HarvardKey: This phrase refers to creating your HarvardKey account. The word "claim" is used because there are a limited number of accounts already created, waiting to be matched with the correct alumni name and HAA ID. When you claim it, you identify yourself as the correct person for your account.
HAA ID: Your HAA ID is your numeric identifier with the Harvard Alumni Association. After graduation, alumni and other HAA members use their HAA ID instead of their HUID. Your HUID is an 8-digit number which appears on your old Harvard ID card and transcripts. HAA ID Numbers are unique identifiers issued to alumni, donors and friends of Harvard. This number does not confer Alumni or Associate Member status or related benefits.
Username: Your HarvardKey Username is a personal email address you enter with your password to login to your account. The email address does not have to be active to be used as a username (your old student or work email still functions as your username if you have not requested to change it) but your username must be in the form of an email. Follow this link to recover your username.
Recovery Address: This is an email address you provide when you set up your account, which will receive a password reset email if you ever misplace your password. It can be the same email you use as your Username.
Preferred Alumni Contact Email: This is the email account at which you receive emails from the University. If you are not currently receiving emails from the University, we may not have your preferred email address on file, or you may have unsubscribed from some or all University emails. You can update your Harvard email subscriptions through the HAA Alumni Directory.
HarvardKey Password: This is a 10-character or more password you create when you set up your HarvardKey account. You can login to HarvardKey by entering your username, followed by your password.
Okta: Okta is HarvardKey’s two-factor authentication or passkey application. This extra security measure is available to alumni, but alumni are not required to use two-factor authentication unless they are also current students, faculty, or staff.
Why do I need a HarvardKey account?
Your HarvardKey grants you access to websites like the HAA alumni directory, various library resources, and most Harvard Club/Special Interest Group websites. Some event registrations also use HarvardKey, like Harvard and Radcliffe College reunions. Claiming it now means you never have to claim it again in the future if you are up against a deadline.
How do I claim my HarvardKey?
If you graduated after 2016, you most likely claimed your HarvardKey while you were a student. You can recover your username and reset your password at the bottom of the HarvardKey homepage, key.harvard.edu.
If you graduated before 2016, you can claim or check if you have already claimed your HarvardKey at the HarvardKey alumni claim page using your HAA ID, last name, and a year of graduation.
If you receive emails from the HAA, you can find your HAA ID at the bottom of those messages. Run a search in your inbox for “Your HAA ID number is” to see if they appear. If nothing turns up, we may not have your email on file and you’ll need to reach out to the Service Desk for assistance.
After you enter your HAA ID number, your graduation year, and your last name, you’ll receive an email at your preferred email on file.
Open the email sent to your inbox, copy the confirmation code in the email, and click the link below it. This will send you to a secure page to enter your confirmation code. Paste the confirmation code in the field on the secure page and then you can create your username and password.
After claiming your HarvardKey, please wait about an hour, sometimes a little longer, while your access rights are applied to your new account. During this time, you’ll receive an error message saying you do not have access if you try to log-in anywhere.
That’s it! Please feel free to contact us with any questions at 800-823-2478 or 617-496-0559, M-F, 9am-5pm EST or haa_alumnihelp@harvard.edu
What if I don’t know my preferred email on file?
If you have received email correspondence from us recently, then that is your preferred email address. If you haven’t received any correspondence from us recently, please reach out to the Service Desk for assistance as we may not have a current email address on file for you or you may have unsubscribed. You need a preferred email address on file to claim a HarvardKey account.
What if I started the claiming process but couldn’t complete it?
If you started the process to claim your HarvardKey but weren’t able to finish, simply start the process again by visiting key.harvard.edu and entering your HAA ID, last name, and graduation year(s). You’ll either pick up where you left off or it will start over.
What if the link you sent me has expired?
If you aren’t able to use your confirmation code before it expires, simply start the process again from the beginning by visiting key.harvard.edu to receive a new code.
What if the confirmation code doesn’t work?
The code is eight characters separated by a space. Make sure the space is included when you copy and paste the code. We do not recommend using a method other than copy and paste. You can also request a new code by re-entering your HAA ID, last name, and year of graduation at key.harvard.edu.
What if it says my HarvardKey has already been claimed, but I don’t remember my username or password?
If you have forgotten your HarvardKey username or password, you can recover your username and reset your password at key.harvard.edu.
I reset my password but I can’t log in.
If you reset your password and are positive you are entering it correctly, you may be using the wrong username. Check your username is correct by using the recover your username feature on the HarvardKey homepage. You will need your HAA ID and access to your recovery email address.
I am using the correct username and reset my password, but I still can’t log in.
HarvardKey utilizes browser caches when logging in. You can either clear your browser cache if you know how, or use a different internet browser, or use your browser’s “incognito” mode to login. HarvardKey tends to work best with the Google Chrome browser.
It is also possible that you do not have access to the website you are trying to login to. Look for keywords in the website’s FAQs or login screen like access is only available to “active HUID-holders” or “Harvard community members” or “active faculty, students, and staff.” These phrases typically mean alumni cannot access that page.
Having a HarvardKey does not automatically give you permission to access all Harvard resources. The academic or administrative groups responsible for those sites or applications manage who is allowed access. Sometimes, license agreements limit who has access to a resource. If you feel that you should have access to a particular resource, contact that website’s administrator directly for help.
I tried to recover my username or reset my password, but I never received an email.
If you recover your username or reset your password and a confirmation email was sent to your recovery email address, but you do not receive an email from iam-noreply@iam.harvard.edu, your recovery address is most likely a different email account than the one you are checking. Check other email addresses you used in the past. If you still can’t find an email from that address, we’ll likely need to update your recovery information.
Updating your recovery address requires you to contact us. See the following question for our contact information.
How can I talk to a live person?
You can contact the AAD Service Desk through one of the methods below:
Our Contact Us form
Email: haa_alumnihelp@harvard.edu
Phone: 800-823-2478 or 617-496-0559, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST.
HUIT’s Support Desk staff is also available to help answer your HarvardKey questions seven days a week, though they are more limited in the alumni questions they can help answer and may refer you back to us. Please call 617-495-7777 or email ithelp@harvard.edu. The Support Desk schedule is:
Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Can I claim someone else’s HarvardKey for them?
While we understand the process may be easier with some assistance from someone else, we recommend doing it yourself so you are not sharing your account information. Your HarvardKey can be used to represent you online, so you should never share your HarvardKey details with anyone, including family members and personal assistants.
How long does the claiming process take?
After you supply your HAA ID, last name, and degree year, claiming your HarvardKey should only take a few minutes. You’ll need to set up your username and provide a recovery email where we can send you a password reset link if you ever forget your password. After you claim your account, it takes about an hour, sometimes a little longer, before you are able to login. During this time, your access rights are being applied. and you will receive an error message if you try to login.
If you need help from the AAD Service Desk, expect a wait time between 1 and 3 business days. We are a small team and are helping to answer many questions from across all University graduates and others so while we try to get to things quickly, we may not get to you immediately.
If you call the AAD Service Desk and do not get a live person, please leave a message with your full name, degree year and school, email, the reason you’re calling, and the best time to reach you. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
When and how should I change my password?
Although HarvardKey holders are not required to change passwords at any specific interval, you should change your password if you feel that your account may have been compromised or if your password has been exposed to others, even unintentionally. You can change your password from the HarvardKey homepage.
How can I create a strong password?
Your HarvardKey password must meet these requirements:
- Use both uppercase and lowercase letters (A-Z, a-z)
- Include at least one number (0-9)
- A symbol (such as !, #, or %)
- Be at least ten characters long
- Cannot contain a whole word or common name, excluding words under four letters.
- Cannot contain a numerical sequence with four or more digits (Harvard1234)
Avoid using personal details like birthdays, names, or common words—and never use “password” or any version of it.
Try using numbers and symbols as letters (H@rv4rD) or abbreviate words by removing vowels (HrVrD).