How to Add Google Login & Social Login to WordPress

Adding Google Login and other social logins to your WordPress website can enhance user experience by simplifying the registration and login process. Users can quickly sign in using their existing social media accounts (like Google, Facebook, etc.), which can help boost engagement and retention.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to add Google Login and other social logins to your WordPress site:

1. Install a Social Login Plugin

To add Google Login and other social logins, you’ll need a plugin. Nextend Social Login is a popular choice for adding social logins to WordPress.

Steps to Install Nextend Social Login:

1. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins > Add New.
3. In the search bar, type Nextend Social Login.
4. Click Install Now next to the plugin and then click Activate.

Other plugins you can consider include:

• WP Social Login
• Super Socializer
• Social Login by OneAll

For this guide, we’ll focus on Nextend Social Login.

2. Set Up Google Login

After installing and activating the plugin, you can configure Google Login and other social logins. Let’s start with Google.

Step 1: Create a Google Developer Project

To allow users to log in with Google, you need to create a Google Developer Console project and get API credentials.

1. Go to the Google Developer Console: Visit Google Developers Console.
2. Create a new project:
   • Click on Select a Project and then New Project.
   • Give your project a name (e.g., “My WordPress Site”).
   • Click Create.
3. Enable the Google API:
   • In the Developer Console, go to APIs & Services > Library.
   • Search for Google+ API and enable it (even though Google+ is deprecated, the API is still used for login).
4. Create OAuth Credentials:
   • Go to APIs & Services > Credentials.
   • Click Create Credentials and select OAuth Client ID.
   • Set the application type to Web Application.
   • Under Authorized JavaScript origins, enter your website URL (e.g., https://www.yoursite.com).
   • Under Authorized redirect URIs, enter the URL that the plugin will use to redirect users after they log in. For Nextend Social Login, the redirect URI will look like: rubyCopyhttps://www.yoursite.com/?social-login=google
   • Click Create.
5. Get Client ID and Secret:
   • After creating the credentials, copy the Client ID and Client Secret.

Step 2: Connect Google with Your Plugin

Now that you have the Client ID and Client Secret, go back to your WordPress dashboard:

1. Go to Settings > Nextend Social Login.
2. Click on the Google tab.
3. Paste the Client ID and Client Secret you copied from the Google Developer Console.
4. Click Save Changes.

3. Enable Additional Social Logins (Optional)

Nextend Social Login allows you to set up multiple social logins. You can also enable other login options, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, by following similar steps.

Facebook Login:

1. Go to Facebook for Developers.
2. Create a new app and enable the Facebook Login product.
3. Copy the App ID and App Secret and paste them into the plugin settings under the Facebook tab.

Twitter Login:

1. Go to Twitter Developer Console.
2. Create a new app and get the API Key and API Secret.
3. Paste the credentials into the plugin settings under the Twitter tab.

4. Customize Login Button Appearance

You can adjust how the social login buttons appear on your site. Most plugins allow you to:

• Change the button style (e.g., color, shape).
• Customize the button placement (e.g., login page, registration page).
• Add icons for social login buttons.

Customize Button Placement and Style:

1. Go to the Display or Appearance tab in the plugin settings.
2. Select where you want to show the social login buttons (on the login page, registration page, or checkout page for WooCommerce).
3. Customize the button look and feel according to your site’s design.

5. Test the Social Login Process

It’s important to test the Google Login and other social logins to ensure everything works correctly.

1. Log out of your WordPress admin account.
2. Go to your website’s login page.
3. You should see the Google Login button (and any other social login buttons you enabled).
4. Click the Google Login button.
5. You will be redirected to Google’s authentication page. Log in using your Google account.
6. Once authenticated, you should be redirected back to your site and logged in automatically.

6. Redirect Users After Login (Optional)

You can customize where users are redirected after logging in with their social account. For example, you may want to send them to their dashboard, a custom page, or the homepage.

1. Go to the Advanced Settings in the plugin settings.
2. Look for the Redirect After Login option.
3. Choose the URL you want users to be sent to after logging in.

7. Enable Social Registration (Optional)

In addition to login, you can also enable social registration, allowing users to create an account using their Google or social media account.

• Make sure the registration option is enabled in the plugin settings.
• When users log in for the first time with Google, they will be registered automatically as a WordPress user.

8. Secure Your Social Login (Optional)

For added security, consider the following:

• Use HTTPS: Ensure your site is using SSL (HTTPS) to encrypt data during login.
• Limit Admin Access: You might want to limit social login for admin roles to prevent unauthorized access. You can do this with a plugin like User Role Editor.
• Disable Social Login for Sensitive Pages: Consider disabling social login on sensitive pages (like the admin panel) and requiring traditional login for those areas.

Conclusion

Adding Google Login and other social logins to your WordPress site can greatly improve the user experience by allowing users to log in using their existing social media accounts. By following the steps above, you can easily set up social login functionality using plugins like Nextend Social Login.

Key Steps Recap:

1. Install and activate a social login plugin like Nextend Social Login.
2. Set up Google Login by creating a project in the Google Developer Console and pasting the credentials into the plugin settings.
3. Optionally, set up additional social logins (e.g., Facebook, Twitter).
4. Customize button appearance and placement to match your site’s design.
5. Test the social login process to ensure it works properly.
6. Optionally, enable social registration and redirect users after login.