Sketch Can't Sign In or Licence Not Working
Quick answer
Subscriptions sign in with email and password; Mac-only licences use an SK3 key. Mixing them up, a VPN, or a stale Keychain entry causes most failures.
Most likely fix: Match licence type
How to fix it
Try these in order — the most common fix is first.
1. Match licence type
- Mac-only keys start with SK3 and register the app instead of signing in
- They work only with the version from sketch.com, not the Mac App Store
- Subscriptions sign in with email and password
Did this fix it?2. Clear the Keychain entry
- Quit Sketch
- Open Keychain Access via Spotlight, View > Show invisible items
- Search Sketch, right-click the item, Delete
- Relaunch and sign in
Did this fix it?3. Bypass VPN or firewall
- Disconnect VPN or try another network
- Otherwise ask IT to allow traffic to the Sketch endpoints listed in the network settings article, e.g. api.prod.sketch.com and payments.prod.sketch.com
Did this fix it?4. Check SSO
- On Professional plans confirm with your admin that the login is tied to your SSO credentials
Did this fix it?
Symptoms
Login error, licence key rejected, cannot register the Mac app.
Why it happens
- Subscription and licence confused
- Mac-only key used in the Mac App Store version
- SSO credentials differ
- VPN or firewall
- Stale Keychain password
This guide also covers
- sketch can't login
- sketch license key not working
- sketch sign in error
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