How to sign up for an account to access the Local Government suite
Two ways to sign up – with your email or your Microsoft account
This article walks you through creating a free account on the .id (Informed Decisions) Local Government suite of tools. You can sign up with your email or with your Microsoft account (if your organisation uses Microsoft to manage staff sign-in). There's no password to set up.
Before you begin
You'll need one of:
- An email address.
- A Microsoft account managed by your organisation (the same one you use to log in to Outlook).
Steps
1. Open any .id tool.
Visit one of the .id tools (Community Profile, Social Atlas, Population Forecast, Economic Profile, Housing Monitor or Community Views). When you interact with the page, you'll see a prompt asking you to sign up or log in.

2. Choose 'Sign up'.
Click the 'Sign up for free' button on the prompt.
3. Pick your sign-up method.
You can sign up with your email or with your Microsoft account – choose the option you prefer. Both options are free.
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To sign up with email: click 'Sign up with email', enter your email, and continue. .id will send a one-time code to your email. Open the email and enter the code on the form to confirm your address.
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To sign up with Microsoft: click 'Sign up with Microsoft' and sign in with your Microsoft account (the same as logging in to Outlook).

4. Provide a little information about yourself.
You'll be asked to provide a little information about yourself. This helps us understand the different groups using these resources.
5. You're done.
Your account is created and you're signed in for the first time. You'll see an avatar icon in the top right of the tool to confirm you're signed in.

What to expect
Once you're signed up, you can use the .id tools with your new account. Your sign-in session lasts 30 days, so you won't need to log in again every time you visit. After that, you can log in with the same email or Microsoft account.
Troubleshooting
- If you don't receive the verification email, check your junk or spam folder. For more help, see 'I can't sign up or log in using my email'.
- If Microsoft doesn't recognise your email or asks for admin approval, see 'I can't sign up or log in using Microsoft'.