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This article was published on August 13, 2013

WordPress.com Connect launches as yet another way to log into third-party websites and apps

WordPress.com Connect launches as yet another way to log into third-party websites and apps
Emil Protalinski
Story by

Emil Protalinski

Emil Protalinski
Story by

Emil Protalinski

Emil was a reporter for The Next Web between 2012 and 2014. Over the years, he has covered the tech industry for multiple publications, incl Emil was a reporter for The Next Web between 2012 and 2014. Over the years, he has covered the tech industry for multiple publications, including Ars Technica, Neowin, TechSpot, ZDNet, and CNET. Stay in touch via Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Automattic today announced WordPress.com Connect, a new feature that lets developers add a sign-in option to their website or app. For WordPress.com users, it means using the same log-in credentials they use for WordPress.com to sign in to third-party sites.

For this to work, developers will need to integrate WordPress.com Connect: it is a completely optional addition. Having done that, users can connect their WordPress.com accounts and profile information to a third-party, and control which ones have access to their data from their WordPress.com dashboard.

Here’s Automattic’s pitch for WordPress.com Connect:

  • Millions of users: By adding WordPress.com Connect, you’ll become part of a large family that makes it easy for WordPress.com users to explore new services.
  • Compatible with your existing sign-in system: WordPress.com Connect can be used on its own or as a complementary sign-in option to your existing registration system. Once a user connects, you’ll get access to their profile information, which you can use in your own app.
  • Trusted relationship: Allow users to sign-in with the same credentials they use every day on WordPress.com. This takes the pain out of having to remember and manage a new log-in for another service.

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WordPress.com Connect is already being used on the Automattic-owned Akismet, VaultPress, and Polldaddy. If you’re a third-party developer, you’ll want to read the following documentation: Integrate WordPress.com Connect.

To be honest, the number of login options is getting way out of hand. We would have much preferred if WordPress.com just adopted Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. Better yet, Mozilla’s Persona would have been a great choice, although it doesn’t yet support Outlook.com accounts (only Yahoo and Gmail).

See also – WordPress now powers 18.9% of the Web, has over 46m downloads, according to founder Matt Mullenweg and WordPress is 10 years old today: Here’s how it’s changed the Web

Top Image Credit: Bill Owen