“Sign in” on a website means to enter your account details so you can access an existing account. It usually means typing your email/username and password, then clicking the sign-in button.

Simple steps

  1. Open the website.
  2. Click Sign in or Log in.
  3. Enter your email or username.
  4. Enter your password.
  5. Click Submit , Sign in , or Log in.
  6. If needed, complete a code or verification step.

What it means

  • Sign up = create a new account.
  • Sign in = access an existing account.
  • Log in is very similar to sign in, and many sites use the terms interchangeably.

Example

If you already made an account on a shopping site, you would sign in to see your orders, saved items, and settings.

Quick tip

If the site asks for your name, email, and password for the first time, that is usually sign up. If it only asks for your email/username and password later, that is usually sign in.