diff --git a/deploy-to-apps.example.sh b/deploy-to-apps.example.sh
index b95984d..aa737e8 100644
--- a/deploy-to-apps.example.sh
+++ b/deploy-to-apps.example.sh
@@ -279,15 +279,46 @@ else
     # Extract user data
     USER_ID=$(echo "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" | jq -r '.user_id')
     SAAC_API_KEY=$(echo "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" | jq -r '.api_key')
+    EXISTING_USER=$(echo "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" | jq -r '.existing_user // false')
+    VERIFICATION_SENT=$(echo "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" | jq -r '.verification_code_sent // false')
 
-    if [ "$USER_ID" = "null" ] || [ -z "$USER_ID" ] || [ "$SAAC_API_KEY" = "null" ] || [ -z "$SAAC_API_KEY" ]; then
+    if [ "$USER_ID" = "null" ] || [ -z "$USER_ID" ]; then
         echo "❌ Failed to extract user data from registration response"
         echo "Response: $REGISTER_RESPONSE"
         exit 1
     fi
 
-    echo "✅ User registered!"
-    echo "   User ID: $USER_ID"
+    # Handle existing unverified user (api_key will be null)
+    if [ "$EXISTING_USER" = "true" ]; then
+        echo "ℹ️  User already exists but not verified"
+        echo "   User ID: $USER_ID"
+
+        if [ "$VERIFICATION_SENT" = "true" ]; then
+            echo "   ✅ New verification code sent!"
+        else
+            echo "   ⚠️  Failed to send verification email"
+        fi
+
+        # Load existing API key from config if it exists
+        if [ -f "$SAAC_CONFIG_FILE" ]; then
+            EXISTING_API_KEY=$(jq -r '.saac_api_key // ""' "$SAAC_CONFIG_FILE")
+            if [ -n "$EXISTING_API_KEY" ] && [ "$EXISTING_API_KEY" != "null" ]; then
+                SAAC_API_KEY="$EXISTING_API_KEY"
+                echo "   🔑 Using existing API key from config"
+            fi
+        fi
+    else
+        # New user - api_key should be present
+        if [ "$SAAC_API_KEY" = "null" ] || [ -z "$SAAC_API_KEY" ]; then
+            echo "❌ Failed to extract API key from registration response"
+            echo "Response: $REGISTER_RESPONSE"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+
+        echo "✅ User registered!"
+        echo "   User ID: $USER_ID"
+    fi
+
     echo ""
 
     # Save initial configuration (unverified)
@@ -302,10 +333,16 @@ else
 
     # Prompt for verification code
     echo "========================================="
-    echo "  Email Verification"
+    echo "  Email Verification Required"
     echo "========================================="
     echo ""
-    echo "📧 Verification email sent to: $USER_EMAIL"
+
+    if [ "$EXISTING_USER" = "true" ]; then
+        echo "📧 New verification code sent to: $USER_EMAIL"
+    else
+        echo "📧 Verification email sent to: $USER_EMAIL"
+    fi
+
     echo ""
     echo "🔍 Check your email at MailHog:"
     echo "   https://mailhog.goryan.io"