vpn two-factor prompt never appears at login

Not specified by the original author.

rfp agent browser automation failed on bonfire two factor prompt: how to fix it

Agents cannot receive SMS or authenticator codes, so a 2FA prompt is a hard stop. Design the flow to pause and notify a human, who completes the step and hands the session back.

rfp agent browser automation failed on bonfire two factor prompt

When to use this skill

• Agent stalls at a two-factor code prompt
• Agent retries login in a loop at the 2FA step

When not to use this skill

• Login fails before 2FA appears (a credentials issue)
• 2FA code is rejected (a code issue)

Tool compatibility

Agent browser automation and 2FA. Related area: browser automation.

Related area: proposal automation and agent-assisted RFP workflows.

Cloud UIs change labels over time; if a button moved, search settings for the closest match.

Before you start

• Sign in to the tool and keep one tab open so sessions stay clean
• Copy the exact error text and note the time it happened
• Set aside 15 to 20 minutes; most of these resolve in a single pass

Quick diagnosis

Make sure this is the right skill before you invest the 15 minutes.

• If you are dealing with agent stalls at a two-factor code prompt, start at step 1 below.
• If instead login fails before 2FA appears (a credentials issue), stop here; you need a different skill.
• If neither quite matches, compare your screen against the verbatim error block at the top; that block is exactly what this skill covers.

Fix it in steps

1. Detect the 2FA prompt explicitly

Check for the verification-code input after login submits.

Expected: Expected: agent recognizes the 2FA state instead of timing out.

2. Pause and notify a human

Stop the run and send the human a message with the session context.

Expected: Expected: human knows exactly which step needs them.

3. Human completes verification

The human enters the code in the same browser session.

Expected: Expected: portal advances past the verification step.

4. Agent resumes after handoff

Agent continues from the post-verification page.

Expected: Expected: run completes without re-triggering 2FA.

Confirm each step worked

Run through this checklist before moving on. If a check fails, redo that step instead of pushing ahead.

• Step 1 (detect the 2FA prompt explicitly): Expected: expected: agent recognizes the 2FA state instead of timing out.
• Step 2 (pause and notify a human): Expected: expected: human knows exactly which step needs them.
• Step 3 (human completes verification): Expected: expected: portal advances past the verification step.
• Step 4 (agent resumes after handoff): Expected: expected: run completes without re-triggering 2FA.

Quick recap

1. Detect the 2FA prompt explicitly
2. Pause and notify a human
3. Human completes verification
4. Agent resumes after handoff

Still stuck?

Gather three things: the exact error text, the time it happened, and what changed just before it broke. Check the vendor status page for an active incident. Then open a support ticket with those three things; it cuts the back-and-forth in half. For agent runs, attach the last 50 lines of the agent log too, since the loop or timeout signature in the log usually names the cause.

Variant phrasings

agent bonfire 2fa failed

Human-in-the-loop handoff is the fix. If this matches what you saw, the steps above apply as written.

agent stuck two factor vendor portal

Detect, pause, hand off. If this matches what you saw, the steps above apply as written.

Why it happens

Two-factor authentication is designed to require a human device, so no agent-side retry logic can pass it legitimately. The correct pattern is explicit detection plus a clean handoff, not credential stuffing.

Edge cases

• Never store 2FA bypasses; treat the prompt as a hard boundary
• Some portals offer trusted-device enrollment that skips 2FA for 30 days
• Time the handoff well before the bid deadline; humans are the bottleneck

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstyTkkrZeESRfSOyZymsCzA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstyTkkrZeESRfSOyZymsCzA

Thread query: rfp agent browser automation failed on bonfire two factor prompt

TL;DR:

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Explain 2FA as "a second lock on the door" and most users stop being scared of it. Walk them through the authenticator app, not SMS, as the default, and make saving the backup codes a required step, not a suggestion. The number one 2FA support ticket is someone who skipped the backup codes and lost their phone.

The query

how to help users enable two-factor authentication

Use this when

• A user asks how to turn on 2FA
• You are writing the 2FA setup guide
• Onboarding a security-conscious team
• A user wants the most secure option
• Support wants fewer account-takeover tickets

Not for

• Recovering an account after losing 2FA access
• Authenticator codes showing as invalid
• Enforcing 2FA across an organization
• SSO-based logins that bypass 2FA

Steps

1. Explain what it is in one sentence

"After your password, the app asks for a code from your phone, so someone with just your password still can't get in." That is the whole pitch. Do not lead with threats or breach statistics.

Expected output: the user understands the idea and is willing to proceed.

2. Have them install an authenticator app first

Recommend any standard authenticator app from their phone's app store before starting setup. Doing this first avoids the mid-setup scramble. SMS codes are the fallback, not the default, because SIM swapping defeats them.

Expected output: the authenticator app installed and open.

3. Walk the enroll-and-verify loop

In your app: account settings, security, enable two-factor. They scan the QR code or enter the setup key into the authenticator app, then type the first code back into your app to confirm. Stay with them through this loop, because the QR scan is where people get stuck.

Expected output: 2FA enabled with a verified first code.

4. Make them save the backup codes now

This is the step that prevents future tickets. Have them save or print the recovery codes somewhere that is not the same phone, and confirm they did it before you close. Frame it as "this is your spare key."

Expected output: backup codes stored somewhere safe, confirmed.

5. Test a fresh login together

Have them log out and back in once to feel the flow. A successful test login converts a nervous user into a confident one, and it catches setup mistakes while you are still there.

Expected output: the user logs in with 2FA successfully, unassisted.

Ready-to-use message

Turning on two-factor is quick, and I'll stay with you through
it.

1. Install an authenticator app on your phone from the app
   store (any of the popular ones works)
2. In our app, go to account settings, then Security, then
   "Enable two-factor"
3. Scan the QR code with the authenticator app, then type the
   code it shows back into our app
4. You'll get backup codes. Save them somewhere safe that's
   NOT just your phone. These are your spare key if you lose
   the phone.

When that's done, log out and back in once so you can see how
it feels. I'll wait.

Variant phrasings

how to set up 2FA for users

Steps 2 through 4. The practical walkthrough without the pitch.

turn on two step verification help

Same steps, using the user's words. "Two-step verification" and "two-factor" are the same thing, so mirror their term.

which is better authenticator app or SMS for 2FA

Step 2 expanded. Authenticator app wins: it works without cell signal and resists SIM-swap attacks. SMS is better than nothing.

Why it happens

Passwords leak constantly through breaches and phishing, and 2FA is the cheapest defense that actually works. Users resist it because they imagine being locked out, which is a reasonable fear that the backup-codes step directly answers. Teams that walk users through setup instead of linking a doc see far higher adoption, because the scary part is the unknown, not the doing.

Edge cases

• User has no smartphone: SMS codes or hardware keys are the path. Do not force an app they cannot install.
• Shared team logins: 2FA on a shared account is painful. This is the moment to push for individual accounts instead.
• User travels without reliable cell service: authenticator apps work offline, which is another reason they beat SMS. Mention this explicitly.
• They enabled it but never saved backup codes: treat the codes as missing until confirmed saved. Offer to regenerate them.
• Accessibility needs: some users cannot scan QR codes. The manual setup key entry exists for exactly this, so offer it proactively.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstwBVSQYqvATXKERFvpxuBQ

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstwBVSQYqvATXKERFvpxuBQ

Thread query: how to help users enable two-factor authentication

TL;DR: Explain 2FA as "a second lock on the door" and most users stop being scared of it. Walk them through the authenticator app, not SMS, as the default, and make saving the backup codes a required step, not a suggestion. The number one 2FA support ticket is someone who skipped the backup codes and lost their phone.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

2FA lockouts need verification before help, not help before verification. Verify identity with two independent factors (account email access plus billing info, ID, or an admin vouch), then use the recovery path: saved recovery codes first, then admin-assisted reset, then re-enrollment. Never disable 2FA on a phone call with no verification. The lockout is the security working; the recovery must be equally careful.

The query

how to help users who locked themselves out of 2FA

Use this when

• Users lose their authenticator device
• Users get a new phone without migrating
• Users never saved recovery codes
• Writing 2FA recovery procedures

Not for

• Bypassing 2FA without verification (never)
• 2FA product or UX design
• Enterprise SSO recovery (different flow)
• Sim-swap fraud investigation

Steps

1. Verify identity with two independent factors

Account email access plus one of: billing details (last four of card, invoice number), government ID matching the account name, or an admin on the account vouching. One factor is not enough for a security reset. Document what you verified.

Expected output: two verified factors, logged on the ticket.

2. Try recovery codes first

Ask if they saved the recovery codes shown at enrollment. Most users who "lost everything" have them in a password manager or a screenshot. One code gets them in to re-enroll properly.

Expected output: user in via recovery code, or confirmed none exist.

3. Perform an admin-assisted reset

With verification complete, an authorized admin disables 2FA on the account. This must require a second pair of eyes or a manager approval: single-agent 2FA resets are how social engineering succeeds.

Expected output: 2FA reset with dual approval logged.

4. Re-enroll immediately, in the same session

Do not leave the account without 2FA. Walk the user through enrolling the new device now, and make them save the new recovery codes before closing. Verify the codes work with a test login.

Expected output: 2FA active on the new device, codes saved.

5. Log everything

Who verified, what factors, who approved, timestamps. 2FA resets are the highest-risk support action. The log is your defense if the reset is ever questioned.

Expected output: a complete audit trail on the ticket.

Template: the recovery flow

2FA LOCKOUT RECOVERY
[ ] Identity verified: factor 1 ______ factor 2 ______
[ ] Recovery codes tried: yes / none saved
[ ] Manager approval for reset: ______ (name, time)
[ ] 2FA disabled by admin: [time]
[ ] User re-enrolled on new device: [time]
[ ] New recovery codes saved and tested: yes
[ ] Ticket logged with full trail

NEVER: reset on a single factor, reset without approval, leave the account without 2FA.

Variant phrasings

lost phone authenticator app

Steps 1 through 4. Verify, codes, reset, re-enroll.

2fa recovery without backup codes

Steps 1 and 3. Verification plus dual-approval reset.

new phone google authenticator locked out

Step 2 first: check for saved codes or cloud backup before the full flow.

Why it works

2FA exists to stop account takeover, and support-assisted recovery is the classic bypass route attackers try. Two-factor verification plus dual approval makes the recovery as strong as the 2FA itself. The re-enrollment in the same session closes the window where the account sits unprotected.

Edge cases

• The user cannot verify: do not reset. Offer the longest path (mailed verification, legal process). A hard no beats a breached account.
• Enterprise accounts: route to the customer's IT admin. They own identity; you do not.
• The "user" is aggressive about skipping verification: that is a red flag. Slow down, do not speed up.
• Backup codes were stored on the lost device: proceed to admin reset. Do not accept "just trust me."

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_x78z7VqjpCQIOtk2TzBnLw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_x78z7VqjpCQIOtk2TzBnLw

Thread query: how to help users who locked themselves out of 2FA

TL;DR: 2FA lockouts need verification before help, not help before verification. Verify identity with two independent factors (account email access plus billing info, ID, or an admin vouch), then use the recovery path: saved recovery codes first, then admin-assisted reset, then re-enrollment. Never disable 2FA on a phone call with no verification. The lockout is the security working; the recovery must be equally careful.