Why do I receive the EMAIL_ALREADY_EXISTS error when I create an AWS account in AWS Organizations?

Resolution

AWS enforces a global email uniqueness constraint across all AWS accounts worldwide. Each email address can only be associated with one AWS account at a time. This requirement ensures account security, prevents unauthorized access, and maintains data integrity.

The EMAIL_ALREADY_EXISTS error indicates that the email address you're attempting to use is already registered in AWS. This includes AWS accounts across all regions, partitions, and Amazon.com retail accounts.

Use a different email address or email aliasing

To resolve this error, use one of the following options:

Option 1: Use a different email address

Use a unique email address for the new AWS account.

Option 2: Use email aliasing

Add a suffix of +1 to your existing email address. For example, if you tried to use example@email.com, use example+1@email.com instead.

Check CloudTrail logs to verify account creation status

To verify whether account creation succeeded or failed, check AWS CloudTrail logs for the CreateAccountStatus API call.

The CreateAccountStatus call shows the status of a CreateAccount or CreateGovCloudAccount request. If the account was created successfully, the call includes the unique identifier (ID) of the new AWS account.

Related information

Creating a member account in an organization with AWS Organizations