Artifact Code Signing: Identification failed for renewal

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Artifact Code Signing: Identification failed for renewal

Kevin Meboe 45

Hi,

We've been using Artifact Code Signing for almost two years without any issues. When we started, we went through the identity verification step for our company. This was pretty easy and was approved without a hitch.

Since out identity verification is expiring, I started a renewal. Inexplicably, the renewal failed -- even though nothing has changed with our company (same owner, address, business name, etc). After trying a few things without success, I upgraded to a paid support account and opened a ticket. The AI that responded was good at first, and after a few back-and-forths, it was able to summarize the problem well. It didn't have any good suggestions for me, and eventually it stopped responding. The AI summary on the ticket page starts with "Next Steps: Support team to review detailed error logs and verify identity record consistency." That's where it's been stuck for a week.

I don't see any way to escalate the ticket, nor can I figure out how to get a human support person involved. Does anyone have suggestions? Was the paid support plan just a waste of money? I'm getting a little desperate at this point, since code signing is an essential part of our pipeline.

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Answer 1

kagiyama yutaka 5,330

I think Artifact Code Signing renewal is a full re‑validation, and Azure does not compare it with past approvals, so a renewal can fail even when your company details have not changed. Azure’s next step is simply to create a new Identity Validation and let that process run, and human help needs a plan that offers Severity A with the new Validation ID in the case.

Kevin Meboe 45 Reputation points

2026-09-05T04:14:35.5533333+00:00

Thanks for the quick response! I guess I'll be creating a new identity validation.
kagiyama yutaka 5,330 Reputation points

2026-09-05T05:04:39.83+00:00

If my answer helped, please consider accepting it so others with the same issue can find the solution more easily.

Answer 2

Hi @Kevin Meboe - Sorry to hear that you are in this spot. A renewal isn't a check that nothing has changed, it's a full re-review. From the renewal guidance:

"The identity validation renewal process validates the legal entity or the individual developer as applicable in entirety, so you might need to provide additional documents."

So Microsoft isn't comparing you against your 2024 record. Same owner, address and business name doesn't imply a pass, because they're validating you from scratch and public records can have drifted since.

The FAQ gives three causes for a failed organization validation:

A missed email verification link, which goes to the primary email on the request, expires after seven days and fails silently. That's the one that looks most like a failure with no cause.

The validation team couldn't make a determination from what you provided.

Extra documents were requested and all three attempts were used. Check that one specifically, because if that's where you are it's terminal and escalation won't change it.

Either way, stop retrying the renew button. From the same guidance:

"If you encounter validation errors while renewing through the renew button or if Identity Validation is Expired, you need to create a new Identity Validation."

Start that today rather than waiting on the ticket. Processing runs 1 to 20 business days and your expiry date isn't moving.

On escalation, you're not missing a button. Per the support responsiveness page, escalation management only exists at Professional Direct and Unified.

Your plan matters too. Developer caps at Severity C, since A and B aren't offered on it at all, and Sev C is an 8-business-hour response in local business hours. That's where week-long silences come from. Standard gets you Severity A at under an hour with 24/7 cover, and a signing outage against a fixed expiry is a Severity A case by any reading.

Help make this community better for everyone: if this answer resolved your issue, please accept it or leave an upvote. If not, share more details in a comment so we can continue the discussion and find the right solution.

Kevin Meboe 45 Reputation points

2026-09-05T04:13:32.4866667+00:00

Thank you for the response! I really appreciate it. So to sum up:

I have to create a brand new identity request (and should do it ASAP)

Try not to miss emails (according to the owner, he answered every email...so this is part of what I'm worried about)

The support plan I upgraded to is essentially useless. If I want to get actual support for this (it's at least severity B, becoming more toward A with every passing day), I would need to upgrade to the next tier.

Does that basically cover it?
SHOUMIK CHAKRAVARTY 575 Reputation points

2026-09-05T04:50:06.9333333+00:00

1. Yes. That's the documented path.

2. Confirm which email was set as primary during the renewal. The verification link goes there, so if it wasn't the owner's inbox he'd never have seen it, while still having answered every email he did get.

3. Check which plan you bought before spending again. Standard already has Severity A at under an hour, 24/7. Only Developer is capped at C. If you're on Standard, this is a severity change on your existing ticket, not another purchase. And you're right that it's at least a B.