Website admins will learn how the Account element works in Finalsite Composer, including how it powers login and profile display on the front end and how to configure public account creation.
To learn how a student, parent, or staff member gets an account, or how to create an admin account, see one of the following articles instead:
- Public User: see Public user login help
- Portal User: see Portal user login help
- Admin User: see Manage admin users or Admin user login help
- Comparing all three: see Login help: choose a user type
Which user type does this apply to
Every site has three user types: Public, Portal, and Admin. The Account element only relates to two of them, Public and Portal, since Admin accounts are managed entirely separately.
| User type | Who | Account already exists | Login location | Configured in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public User | General website visitor with no existing account | No; self-service signup through this element | Wherever the Account element's signup link is placed on the site | Account element settings (this article) |
| Portal User | Student, parent, or staff member | Yes; tied to the school's Constituent Manager record | yoursite.com/login |
Constituent Manager and role settings |
| Admin User | Website or CMS editor | Usually not; created by another admin first | yoursite.com/admin |
Constituent Manager and the Admin Users module |
💡 Quick answers
- Does this element handle login for Portal users too? Yes. Any front-end login on the site, Public or Portal, goes through this element. It creates new Public User accounts directly; Portal accounts already exist and are managed in Constituent Manager. Admin login is separate and doesn't go through this element at all.
- Where is the Account element located? In Composer, open the Element Library and select Account from the Standard tab. Add it to any page or banner.
- How to customize the login instructions shown to logged-out visitors? Check Display login instructions, then choose Custom to write a custom message, or choose Default to show the standard message: "Please provide your username and password to log in."
- Can visitors create their own accounts? Yes, but only Public User accounts, not Portal or Admin accounts. Check Display link to create new account to add a sign-up link for site visitors, and enable Require CAPTCHA verification for new accounts to help block bot signups.
- Where does the Forgot Password link send users? Set Forgot Password Dialog Opens to Inline to show a popup on the current page, or to On Login Page to redirect to the dedicated login page.
- What user info can the Account element display? Toggle Avatar, Messages, Activity, and Profile link on or off in Content Details settings. Each adds a clickable image or link that logged-in users can use to access that info.
Account element overview
The Account element allows site users to access their site profile and activity history, and to log in or out of the site. Access the Account element through the Element Library in Composer.
Configure Account element settings
Account element settings are available in the top right corner of the element, in the settings gear. In addition to the common element settings, the Account element includes the following configuration options.
Configure Content Details settings
-
Login Instructions. Displayed to users who view this element while logged out. Check Display login instructions, then choose Default or Custom.
- Default. Shows the generic message: "Please provide your username and password to log in."
- Custom. Allows a message unique to this element.
-
Forgot Password Instructions. If Display link to Forgot Password Instructions is enabled, choose Default or Custom.
- Default. Displays the default message.
- Custom. Customizes the text shown when a user clicks Forgot Username or Password.
-
User's Profile Details. Checkboxes that determine what profile information appears in the Account element after login.
- Avatar. Displays the Small Profile Image from the user's Constituent Manager profile.
- Messages. Adds a Messages link that jumps directly to Messages.
- Activity. Adds a link that jumps directly to Activity Streams.
Configure Controls settings
- Display link to user's profile. Includes a clickable link to the user's profile, where account information and settings can be edited.
- Display link to create new account. Allows site visitors to set up a Public User account to log in to the site, subscribe to alerts, and join mailing lists. Does not create Portal or Admin accounts; those are managed in Constituent Manager and the Admin Users module.
- Require CAPTCHA verification for new accounts. Requires a challenge question before creating a new Public User account, to help prevent automated systems from creating dummy accounts.
Configure Link to settings
- Forgot Password Dialog Opens. Select Inline or On Login Page to determine where the Forgot Username or Password link leads.
- New Account Dialog Opens. Select Inline or On Login Page to determine where the Create New Account link leads.
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