---
title: Why is Vercel CLI asking me to log in?
description: Information on why you may be getting prompted to log in to Vercel CLI.
url: /kb/guide/why-is-vercel-cli-asking-me-to-log-in
canonical_url: "https://vercel.com/kb/guide/why-is-vercel-cli-asking-me-to-log-in"
published: 2025-11-03
last_updated: 2025-11-10
authors: Allen Hai
related:
  - /docs/cli
install_vercel_plugin: npx plugins add vercel/vercel-plugin
---
<!-- docsgraph:related -->
## Related pages

> **For AI agents:** Follow these links to understand how this page connects to the rest of the Vercel ecosystem. For the full cross-link map (inbound, outbound, prerequisites, and semantic neighbors), see the .graph.md link below.

- [vercel login](https://vercel.com/docs/cli/login?from=related) — Learn how to login into your Vercel account using the vercel login CLI command.
- [vercel tokens](https://vercel.com/docs/cli/tokens?from=related) — Manage your personal Vercel authentication tokens from the CLI: list, create, and remove access tokens for use with the
- [Sign in with Vercel](https://vercel.com/docs/sign-in-with-vercel?from=related) — Learn how to Sign in with Vercel
- [Authentication](https://vercel.com/docs/connect/concepts/authentication?from=related) — Every Vercel Connect token request has two legs that both have to authenticate: the caller calling Vercel Connect, and V
- [Access tokens](https://vercel.com/docs/accounts/access-tokens?from=related) — Create and scope Vercel access tokens to your full account, a team, or a single project, then use them to authenticate A
- [Why am I unable to login or signup to the Vercel platform?](https://vercel.com/kb/guide/why-can-i-not-signup?from=related) — Information on what to do if you are experiencing issues logging in or signing up to the Vercel platform.

Full cross-link map for this page: [/kb/guide/why-is-vercel-cli-asking-me-to-log-in.graph.md](/kb/guide/why-is-vercel-cli-asking-me-to-log-in.graph.md)
<!-- /docsgraph:related -->


You might have spent some time away from using [Vercel CLI](https://vercel.com/docs/cli#getting-started) only to return to it providing you with the following error:

```text
Error! The specified token is not valid
```

This article covers off the likely reason for this and the action required to ensure Vercel CLI works again as it did previously.

## Vercel Token Expired

Vercel CLI requires users to log in and authenticate before accessing user specific content or performing administrative tasks such as deleting projects or adding secrets. After logging in, a new token is generated which gives full permission to interact with the account.

> **WARNING:** If there has been no activity using the token for **10 days**, the token is deemed inactive and expires as a result.

Tokens are expired to increase the security of the Vercel platform platform by making sure there aren't any tokens issued that can be abused in the future.

## Issuing a New Token

If you are using Vercel CLI locally, use the following command:

```bash
vercel login
```

By using the `vercel login` [command](https://vercel.com/docs/cli#commands/login), you will be logged in to your Vercel account locally, creating a token that will then be used for all other [Vercel CLI commands](https://vercel.com/docs/cli#commands).

If you are using Vercel CLI in a CI/CD environment, visit the [tokens page](https://vercel.com/account/tokens) on the Vercel Dashboard and create a new token that can replace the one previously invalidated.

If you'd like to keep the token active, make sure to use the CLI at least once every 10 days.