diff --git a/packages/payload/src/auth/extractJWT.spec.ts b/packages/payload/src/auth/extractJWT.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6461c77c96e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/payload/src/auth/extractJWT.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import type { BasePayload } from '../index.js'
+
+import { extractJWT } from './extractJWT.js'
+
+function createHeaders(entries: Record<string, string>): Headers {
+  const headers = new Headers()
+  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(entries)) {
+    headers.set(key, value)
+  }
+  return headers
+}
+
+function createPayload(overrides: { csrf?: string[] } = {}): BasePayload {
+  return {
+    config: {
+      auth: {
+        jwtOrder: ['cookie'],
+      },
+      cookiePrefix: 'payload',
+      csrf: overrides.csrf ?? [],
+    },
+  } as unknown as BasePayload
+}
+
+describe('extractJWT', () => {
+  const token = 'test-jwt-token'
+  const cookieHeader = `payload-token=${token}`
+  const allowedOrigin = 'http://localhost:3000'
+  const maliciousOrigin = 'http://evil.com'
+  const payloadWithCsrf = createPayload({ csrf: [allowedOrigin] })
+
+  describe('cookie extraction', () => {
+    it('should return null without cookie', () => {
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({}),
+        payload: createPayload(),
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBeNull()
+    })
+
+    it('should return cookie without csrf configured', () => {
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({ Cookie: cookieHeader }),
+        payload: createPayload({ csrf: [] }),
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBe(token)
+    })
+
+    it('should return cookie when Origin matches csrf allowlist', () => {
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({
+          Cookie: cookieHeader,
+          Origin: allowedOrigin,
+        }),
+        payload: payloadWithCsrf,
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBe(token)
+    })
+
+    it('should reject cookie when Origin not in csrf allowlist', () => {
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({
+          Cookie: cookieHeader,
+          Origin: maliciousOrigin,
+        }),
+        payload: payloadWithCsrf,
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBeNull()
+    })
+
+    it('should allow same-origin requests with csrf', () => {
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({
+          Cookie: cookieHeader,
+          'Sec-Fetch-Site': 'same-origin',
+        }),
+        payload: payloadWithCsrf,
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBe(token)
+    })
+
+    it('should allow same-site requests with csrf', () => {
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({
+          Cookie: cookieHeader,
+          'Sec-Fetch-Site': 'same-site',
+        }),
+        payload: payloadWithCsrf,
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBe(token)
+    })
+
+    it('should allow direct navigations (Sec-Fetch-Site: none) with csrf', () => {
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({
+          Cookie: cookieHeader,
+          'Sec-Fetch-Site': 'none',
+        }),
+        payload: payloadWithCsrf,
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBe(token)
+    })
+
+    it('should allow cross-site navigations (e.g. email links) with csrf', () => {
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({
+          Cookie: cookieHeader,
+          'Sec-Fetch-Mode': 'navigate',
+          'Sec-Fetch-Site': 'cross-site',
+        }),
+        payload: payloadWithCsrf,
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBe(token)
+    })
+
+    it('should allow navigate mode without Sec-Fetch-Site header', () => {
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({
+          Cookie: cookieHeader,
+          'Sec-Fetch-Mode': 'navigate',
+        }),
+        payload: payloadWithCsrf,
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBe(token)
+    })
+
+    it('should reject cross-site non-navigation requests with csrf', () => {
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({
+          Cookie: cookieHeader,
+          'Sec-Fetch-Mode': 'cors',
+          'Sec-Fetch-Site': 'cross-site',
+        }),
+        payload: payloadWithCsrf,
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBeNull()
+    })
+
+    it('should reject requests without Sec-Fetch headers with csrf', () => {
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({
+          Cookie: cookieHeader,
+        }),
+        payload: payloadWithCsrf,
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBeNull()
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('Bearer extraction', () => {
+    it('should extract Bearer token', () => {
+      const payload = createPayload()
+      payload.config.auth.jwtOrder = ['Bearer']
+
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({ Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` }),
+        payload,
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBe(token)
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('JWT extraction', () => {
+    it('should extract JWT token', () => {
+      const payload = createPayload()
+      payload.config.auth.jwtOrder = ['JWT']
+
+      const result = extractJWT({
+        headers: createHeaders({ Authorization: `JWT ${token}` }),
+        payload,
+      })
+
+      expect(result).toBe(token)
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/payload/src/auth/extractJWT.ts b/packages/payload/src/auth/extractJWT.ts
index eb1b411b85c..f66d0744482 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/auth/extractJWT.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/auth/extractJWT.ts
@@ -40,15 +40,22 @@ const extractionMethods: Record<string, ExtractionMethod> = {
       return cookieToken
     }
 
-    // No Origin with csrf configured — fall back to Sec-Fetch-Site
+    // No Origin with csrf configured — fall back to Sec-Fetch-* headers
     const secFetchSite = headers.get('Sec-Fetch-Site')
-
-    // Allow same-origin, same-site, and direct navigations (none)
-    if (secFetchSite === 'same-origin' || secFetchSite === 'same-site' || secFetchSite === 'none') {
+    const secFetchMode = headers.get('Sec-Fetch-Mode')
+
+    // Allow same-origin, same-site, direct navigations (none),
+    // and cross-site top-level navigations (e.g. clicking a link from an email)
+    if (
+      secFetchSite === 'same-origin' ||
+      secFetchSite === 'same-site' ||
+      secFetchSite === 'none' ||
+      secFetchMode === 'navigate'
+    ) {
       return cookieToken
     }
 
-    // Reject cross-site requests and missing header (non-browser clients)
+    // Reject cross-site non-navigation requests and missing header (non-browser clients)
     return null
   },
   JWT: ({ headers }) => {