How to Add Google Login & Social Login to WordPress

Adding Google Login and other social logins (such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) to your WordPress site can improve the user experience, allowing users to register or log in using their existing social media accounts. This makes the login process faster and more convenient, and it can increase user engagement.

To implement Google Login and other social login options, you’ll typically use a plugin. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to add Google Login and Social Login to WordPress:

1. Install a Social Login Plugin

There are several plugins available for adding social logins to WordPress, and many of them support Google Login and other social networks. A popular plugin for this purpose is Nextend Social Login.

Steps to Install Nextend Social Login Plugin:

1. Log into your WordPress Admin 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 Activate it.

Alternatively, you can also use other plugins like Social Login by OneAll, WP Social Login, or Super Socializer.

2. Configure Google Login with the Plugin

After you’ve installed and activated the plugin, the next step is to configure the social login options, starting with Google Login.

Steps to Set Up Google Login in Nextend Social Login:

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > Nextend Social Login.
2. You’ll see a list of social networks that you can enable for login. Click on the Google button to begin the setup process.

Step 1: Create a Google Developer Console Project

To allow users to log in with Google, you need to create a Google Developer Console project and obtain an API key (Client ID and Secret).

1. Go to the Google Developer Console: Visit Google Developers Console.
2. Create a new project:
   • Click on the Select a Project dropdown and then click on New Project.
   • Give your project a name (e.g., “My WordPress Site”).
   • Click Create.
3. Enable the Google+ API:
   • In the Google Developer Console, search for “Google+ API” in the library and click on it.
   • Click on Enable.
4. Create OAuth 2.0 credentials:
   • Go to Credentials in the sidebar and click on Create Credentials.
   • Select OAuth client ID.
   • Choose Web application as the application type.
   • Under Authorized JavaScript origins, enter your website’s URL (e.g., https://example.com).
   • Under Authorized redirect URIs, enter the redirect URI provided by the plugin (usually displayed in the plugin settings). For example: https://yourdomain.com/?social-login=google.
   • Click Create.
5. Get the Client ID and Secret:
   • After creating the credentials, you will be given a Client ID and Client Secret. Copy these values.

Step 2: Connect the Plugin to Google

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

1. In Nextend Social Login settings, paste the Client ID and Client Secret into the corresponding fields for Google.
2. Save Changes to save your settings.

3. Configure Other Social Logins (Optional)

You can also enable additional social login options (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) by following similar steps to the Google setup. Typically, these steps involve:

• Creating an app in the respective social media developer consoles (e.g., Facebook for Developers, Twitter Developer Console).
• Obtaining the App ID and App Secret.
• Pasting those credentials into the plugin’s settings for each network.

4. Customize Login Buttons (Optional)

Once you have Google and other social logins configured, you can customize how the login buttons appear on your site. Most social login plugins allow you to customize:

• The appearance of the social login buttons (e.g., button color, shape, text).
• The placement of the buttons (e.g., on the login page, registration page, or as a floating button).
• Whether to display only specific social login options (e.g., just Google or all options).

These options can be found in the plugin settings under the Display or Appearance tab.

5. Test the Social Login

To ensure that everything is working properly, test the Google Login (and other social logins) on your site:

1. Log out of your WordPress admin account.
2. Go to your website’s login or registration page.
3. Click the Google Login button.
4. You’ll be redirected to Google to authenticate. Once logged in, you’ll be sent back to your WordPress site and logged in automatically.

Make sure to test all social login options to ensure they are functioning as expected.

6. Customize Social Login Settings (Optional)

Most social login plugins allow you to customize the behavior and settings of the login process:

• Redirect After Login: You can set a specific page where users should be redirected after logging in, such as the homepage, a custom dashboard, or a specific page.
• User Role Assignment: You can assign user roles based on the social login method (e.g., users logging in with Google can be assigned to the Subscriber role automatically).
• User Profile Mapping: Some plugins allow you to map social profile fields (like profile picture, name, etc.) to WordPress user fields.

7. Enable Social Registration

In addition to social login, many social login plugins also allow you to enable social registration. This means users can create an account on your WordPress site using their social media accounts. The process is similar to logging in, but it will create a new account if the user doesn’t have one.

To enable social registration, ensure that the plugin’s registration feature is activated in the settings. It will typically ask users for minimal information (such as name and email) and then create a WordPress user account for them.

8. Secure Your Social Login

Social logins are often more secure than traditional email/password logins because they rely on the authentication mechanisms of the respective social networks, which are more robust. However, here are a few security tips to further enhance your site’s protection:

• Use SSL: Make sure your site uses HTTPS to ensure secure data transmission during the login process.
• Limit Access to Admin: Only allow users to log in to certain roles (such as Subscriber or Contributor) via social login. For higher roles like Administrator, you can restrict login to traditional methods to prevent unauthorized access.

You can do this with a plugin like User Role Editor to control which roles can log in with social accounts.

Conclusion

Adding Google Login and other social logins to your WordPress website can enhance user experience and increase user engagement. By following the steps above, you can easily set up social login using plugins like Nextend Social Login or other similar plugins.

Key Takeaways:

• Install a social login plugin like Nextend Social Login.
• Create a project in the Google Developer Console and get the Client ID and Client Secret.
• Configure the plugin with your Google credentials and enable additional social logins as needed.
• Customize the display of the social login buttons and test them on your site.
• Optionally, enable social registration and ensure security.

With social login, your users can enjoy a quicker, easier way to register and log in, improving both the user experience and your site’s performance.