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Sign-in and registration

Memberside offers two separate sign-in stacks. Choose one — mixing them is the most common sign-in problem.

Ultimate MemberWordPress core
FeaturesLogin, Register, Forgot Password, LogoutDefault Login, Default Register
Fields come fromYour Ultimate Member formsWordPress core
Endpoint groupAuthenticationDefault Authentication
Needs Ultimate MemberYesNo

Use the Ultimate Member stack when your registration collects custom fields, uses roles, or runs approval workflows. The app renders your actual form.

Use the WordPress core stack when you want a plain sign-in, or your site does not run Ultimate Member. It carries its own appearance settings, a role allow-list, and Cloudflare Turnstile.

Twenty providers are supported, including Google, Apple, Facebook and GitHub. Configure them on the feature, and members get provider buttons on the sign-in screen.

Two rules worth knowing:

Email verification is required. A provider that does not return a verified email cannot be used to sign in to an existing account by email match, because that would let anyone with an unverified address claim it.

Native Google sign-in is tied to your signing certificate. It works in the preview and fails in the built app until the app’s SHA-1 fingerprint is registered with your OAuth client. See Android signing.

Members manage their linked accounts through Manage Social Connections.

Signing in, including a social provider

Cloudflare Turnstile can protect Default Login and Default Register. It needs both halves of the key pair:

  • The site key is compiled into your app.
  • The secret key stays on your site and verifies the challenge.

With only the site key set, the challenge renders and every verification fails.

The Ultimate Member registration screen renders your registration form, including conditional fields — a field that shows based on another’s value does the same in the app.

ACF fields are supported on Default Register where Advanced Custom Fields is active, with the ACF endpoint group enabled.

Each auth feature has an “after” target: where the member lands once they sign in, register or sign out. Set it on the feature, under Features in its tab settings.

If you leave it unset, members stay where they are, which is rarely what you want after registration.

Tabs restricted to a role are hidden entirely before sign-in, because a signed-out visitor has no role. That means a restricted tab cannot be part of your signed-out experience.

Decide deliberately whether your app is browsable before sign-in. A community that shows a directory and a feed to visitors converts better than one that shows a sign-in wall — but if your content is members-only, restrict it properly on your site rather than by hiding tabs, since restrictions hide navigation, not data.

SymptomCauseFix
Sign-in fails with correct credentialsThe wrong endpoint group for the stack you placedMembers cannot sign in
The sign-in screen has no fieldsThe Ultimate Member form has not opted into the APIForms and directories
Turnstile always failsOnly the site key is setSet the secret key on your site
Social sign-in works in preview, not on the phoneThe signing SHA-1 is not registeredAndroid signing
Registration works, sign-in then refusedThe account needs approval or email confirmationCheck its status in WordPress