ESD login keeps looping - which SAW service do I need to select?

The ESD service in SAW is actually called "Employment Security Department Unemployment Insurance" not just "Employment Security Department". You need to click on "Add a New Service" from your SAW dashboard, then select "Employment Security Department" from the list of agencies, and finally select "Unemployment Insurance". Make sure you're going through eServices.wa.gov and not some other portal.

omg been there! the SAW thing is sooooo confusing. i think its diff if ur a new user vs existing. i had to create a whole new SAW acct bcuz my old one wouldnt connect right

This is a super common issue with ESD's system. Here's what you need to do step by step: 1. Go to secure.esd.wa.gov/home/ (the direct ESD login page) 2. Click on "Sign in with SAW" 3. Enter your SAW credentials 4. If you're not automatically redirected to ESD, go back to your SAW dashboard 5. Click "Add a New Service" 6. Select "Employment Security Department" from the agencies list 7. Choose "Unemployment Insurance" 8. Complete any identity verification if prompted If you get stuck in a redirect loop, try clearing your browser cookies and cache. Also make sure you're not using any VPN, as ESD systems sometimes block those connections. If all else fails, use a different browser entirely (Firefox works better than Chrome for many people with the ESD site).

SAW CAN BE A NIGHTMARE!!! I went through the SAME EXACT THING last month and almost gave up. Here's the secret they don't tell you: make sure the email address in BOTH your SAW account AND your ESD account match EXACTLY. If they're even slightly different (like one has a capital letter and one doesn't), the system will keep looping you. Also, if you previously had an ESD account before they switched to SAW, sometimes your accounts get disconnected.

Has anyone checked if the ESD system is down? They do maintenance on Tuesdays 4-6am, but sometimes it extends longer or they have unexpected outages. You can check system status here: https://esd.wa.gov/unemployment/technical-information

UPDATE: I got in! It was actually a combination of issues. I had to: 1. Clear my browser cache completely 2. Add the right service ("Unemployment Insurance" under ESD) 3. Turn off my adblocker (who would have thought?) Now I'm finally on the right page to start my claim. Thanks everyone for the help! This was way more complicated than it needed to be.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. One thing I'd add for anyone still struggling - if you're using Safari on Mac, try switching to Chrome or Firefox. Safari has some weird compatibility issues with the ESD site that cause similar login loops. Also, make sure your browser is updated to the latest version. I spent hours troubleshooting only to find out my Chrome was like 6 months out of date and that was causing the redirects to fail. The whole SAW integration is honestly a mess, but at least there are workarounds!

Just wanted to add another potential fix that worked for me when I had the same issue last year - if you're still getting stuck in loops even after following all the great advice here, try logging into SAW from an incognito/private browser window. Sometimes cached session data from previous login attempts can interfere with the authentication process. Also, I noticed that if you have multiple Washington state services linked to your SAW account (like licensing, voting registration, etc.), it can sometimes cause conflicts. In my case, I had to temporarily remove my business license service from SAW, add the unemployment insurance service, complete the setup, and then re-add the business license later. It's a pain but it worked when nothing else did!