Email Protection activation failures are almost always caused by one of a small set of known issues. Use this decision tree before contacting support.
Step 1: Check your browser
Run activation in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Other browsers may block the session cookies required for activation. If using Chrome, try an Incognito window to prevent interference from other Google accounts signed in on the same browser.
Step 2: Understand the error messages
The Guardz console may show an 'Activation Failed' message during the process. This is often a generic UI message that does not mean the activation has permanently failed. Here is what each status actually means:
Status shown | What it means | What to do |
Initiating | The tenant has been created and is awaiting incoming emails to begin learning | Send a few real or test emails to a protected mailbox. The status will advance automatically. |
Activation Failed (during Initiating) | This is a generic UI message shown while the tenant is in the starting phase. It does NOT mean activation has permanently failed. | Wait for the tenant to complete the starting phase and enter Learning Mode. The error message will clear automatically. Do not re-trigger activation. |
Start Gmail / Start Microsoft 365 spinning forever | A session cookie conflict or browser issue is preventing the OAuth step from completing | Open a new Incognito/Guest window in Chrome or Edge and restart the activation from there |
Account Activation Failed — activation timed out | Activation reached a timeout, often because test emails were not received or an old tenant is blocking | See Step 3 and Step 4 below |
Step 3: Activation stuck in Validating or Initiating — send test emails
The activation needs to detect real email traffic to progress. Send a few emails to a mailbox that is in the protected domain. Any email will work — it does not need to come from a specific address. After sending, wait a few minutes and check the status.
Step 4: Old Avanan tenant is blocking activation
If your organization previously had a standalone Avanan account (outside of Guardz), it may still be registered against your domain and will block a new activation. You can identify this if activation fails repeatedly even after the browser and email steps above.
Step 5: After successful activation — emails not appearing
If the tenant shows as activated but no emails are appearing in the Avanan portal:
Confirm the Avanan mail flow rules and connectors are active in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace.
If you also use another email security product (e.g., Barracuda Essentials), ensure Avanan rules have higher priority in the mail routing chain. See the co-existence guide for details.
Add your account to the Avanan security groups in Microsoft 365 and send a test email.
Wait 5–10 minutes and check the Avanan portal for message visibility.