How to fix email_provider_disabled: Email signups are disabled in Supabase

SupabaseBEGINNERMEDIUMUpdated Dec 22, 2025· 347 views

This error occurs when email authentication is disabled in Supabase Auth settings, preventing new users from signing up with email/password. Enable email provider in your project dashboard to allow email-based signups.

Quick fix

Fixes email_provider_disabled: Email signups are disabled

const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.signUp({
  email: 'test@example.com',
  password: 'secure-password-123'
});

if (error) {
  console.error('Signup failed:', error.message);
} else {
  console.log('Signup successful:', data.user);
}
  1. Navigate to Auth settings in Supabase dashboard
  2. Enable the Email provider
  3. Enable new user signups
  4. Test signup functionality
supabase — error
const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.signUp({
  email: 'test@example.com',
  password: 'secure-password-123'
});
if (error) {
  console.error('Signup failed:', error.message);
} else {
  console.log('Signup successful:', data.user);
}
email_provider_disabled: Email signups are disabled

What this error means

This error indicates that the email authentication provider is disabled in your Supabase project's Auth configuration. When this setting is turned off, Supabase Auth will reject any attempts to create new user accounts using email and password authentication. The error typically appears when calling `supabase.auth.signUp()` with email credentials, or when users try to register through your application's signup form. Supabase provides granular control over authentication methods, and the email provider can be disabled intentionally (for invite-only systems) or accidentally during project configuration. This is distinct from email confirmation settings - even if email confirmation is disabled, users still cannot sign up if the email provider itself is turned off in the Auth settings.

Typical symptoms

  • Sign up attempts fail with "email_provider_disabled" error
  • Registration forms return error message "Email signups are disabled"
  • API calls to supabase.auth.signUp() are rejected
  • Existing users can still sign in if they were created before the provider was disabled
  • Other authentication methods (OAuth, phone) may still work if enabled

Common causes

  1. Email provider is disabled in Authentication settings in the Supabase dashboard
  2. Project is configured for invite-only mode with email signups intentionally turned off
  3. "Allow new users to sign up" setting is disabled in Auth configuration
  4. Self-hosted Supabase instance has ENABLE_EMAIL_SIGNUP environment variable set to false
  5. Email provider was disabled to prevent spam or abuse during development

How to fix "email_provider_disabled: Email signups are disabled"

1Navigate to Auth settings in Supabase dashboard

Log into your Supabase project dashboard and access the Authentication settings:

1. Open your project at https://app.supabase.com
2. Select your project from the list
3. Click on "Authentication" in the left sidebar
4. Navigate to "Providers" tab

This is where all authentication providers are managed, including email/password authentication.

2Enable the Email provider

In the Providers section, locate and enable email authentication:

1. Find "Email" in the list of authentication providers
2. Toggle the switch to "Enabled" (it should turn green)
3. Ensure "Confirm email" is configured according to your needs
4. Click "Save" to apply changes

The email provider should now show as active in your dashboard.

3Enable new user signups

Verify that new user registration is allowed:

1. Go to Authentication → Settings
2. Scroll to "User Signups" section
3. Ensure "Allow new users to sign up" is enabled
4. Save your changes

This setting controls whether new registrations are accepted, even if the email provider is enabled.

4Test signup functionality

Verify that email signups now work correctly:

typescript
const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.signUp({
  email: 'test@example.com',
  password: 'secure-password-123'
});

if (error) {
  console.error('Signup failed:', error.message);
} else {
  console.log('Signup successful:', data.user);
}

The signup should complete without the email_provider_disabled error.

Advanced notes

Self-Hosted Supabase Configuration

If you're running a self-hosted Supabase instance, email signups are controlled via environment variables in your docker-compose.yml or configuration file:

yaml
ENABLE_EMAIL_SIGNUP=true
ENABLE_EMAIL_AUTOCONFIRM=false

Set ENABLE_EMAIL_SIGNUP=true to allow email registrations.

Invite-Only Mode

You can intentionally keep email signups disabled to create an invite-only system. In this setup:

1. Keep "Email provider" enabled
2. Disable "Allow new users to sign up"
3. Create users programmatically using the Admin API:

typescript
const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.admin.createUser({
  email: 'invited@example.com',
  password: 'temporary-password',
  email_confirm: true
});

This allows you to control who can create accounts while still using email authentication.

Custom SMTP and Default Provider Changes

Supabase has made changes to their default email provider to improve sustainability. If you're using the default provider, emails will only be sent to addresses that are part of your project's team unless you configure a custom SMTP server. For production applications, it's recommended to set up custom SMTP to avoid delivery restrictions.

Frequently asked questions

What does "email_provider_disabled: Email signups are disabled" mean?
This error indicates that the email authentication provider is disabled in your Supabase project's Auth configuration. When this setting is turned off, Supabase Auth will reject any attempts to create new user accounts using email and password authentication. signUp() with email credentials, or when users try to register through your application's signup form.
How do I fix "email_provider_disabled: Email signups are disabled"?
This error occurs when email authentication is disabled in Supabase Auth settings, preventing new users from signing up with email/password. Enable email provider in your project dashboard to allow email-based signups.
What causes "email_provider_disabled: Email signups are disabled"?
Email provider is disabled in Authentication settings in the Supabase dashboard Project is configured for invite-only mode with email signups intentionally turned off "Allow new users to sign up" setting is disabled in Auth configuration
Is the "email_provider_disabled: Email signups are disabled" error serious?
It is a medium-severity error — more of a blocker than a risk. The steps above resolve it.

Official resources & further reading