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---
type: concepts, howto
stage: Manage
group: Access
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#designated-technical-writers
---
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# Email notification for unknown sign-ins
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> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/27211) in GitLab 13.0.
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NOTE: **Note:**
This feature is enabled by default for self-managed instances. Administrators may disable this feature
through the [Sign-in restrictions ](../admin_area/settings/sign_in_restrictions.md#email-notification-for-unknown-sign-ins ) section of the UI.
The feature is always enabled on GitLab.com.
When a user successfully signs in from a previously unknown IP address or device,
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GitLab notifies the user by email. In this way, GitLab proactively alerts users of potentially
malicious or unauthorized sign-ins.
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There are several methods used to identify a known sign-in. All methods must fail
for a notification email to be sent.
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- Last sign-in IP: The current sign-in IP address is checked against the last sign-in
IP address.
- Current active sessions: If the user has an existing active session from the
same IP address. See [Active Sessions ](active_sessions.md ).
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- Cookie: After successful sign in, an encrypted cookie is stored in the browser.
This cookie is set to expire 14 days after the last successful sign in.
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## Example email
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