You might want to allow guests to register. Enabling guest registration can open doors for new members, helping you build an engaged audience.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to allow guest registration in WordPress—step by step.

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Why Enable Guest Registration?

Guest registration allows anyone to create an account on your site without needing admin approval in advance. Here are some reasons you might want to enable it:

• Build an email list by collecting registered users’ contact info
• Provide access to member-only content
• Enable guest posting or submissions without manual account creation

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Step 1: Enable User Registration in WordPress

By default, WordPress has a built-in setting that controls whether people can register.

1. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard
2. Go to Settings → General
3. Look for the option “Membership”
4. Check the box “Anyone can register”
5. In the New User Default Role dropdown, select the role you want new members to have (e.g., Subscriber for basic access)
6. Click Save Changes

💡 Tip: Always set the default role to Subscriber unless you specifically want users to have more permissions. Giving higher roles like Author or Editor to strangers can be risky.

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Step 2: Add a Registration Page for Guests

Even if registration is enabled, visitors still need a way to sign up. WordPress doesn’t display the sign-up form by default, so you’ll need to add one.

Option 1: Use the Default WordPress Registration URL

• Your site’s registration page is usually at: yoursite.com/wp-login.php?action=register
• You can link to this page from your menu, sidebar, or footer.

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Step 3: Protect Your Site from Spam Registrations

Unfortunately, enabling guest registration can attract spam bots. To keep things safe:

• Use CAPTCHA or reCAPTCHA in your registration form (most form plugins support this)
• Consider using email confirmation before activating new accounts
• If you enable registrations and want to enable reCAPTCHA to block spam, please contact us and we can help.

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Step 4: Test the Registration Process

Before promoting your new sign-up option:

• Log out of your admin account
• Visit your registration page as a guest (test the chatbot access)
• Create a test account to ensure everything works smoothly

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Final Thoughts

Allowing guest registration on your WordPress site is simple but powerful. With the right settings, a clear sign-up form, and proper spam protection, you can make it easy for new visitors to join your community.

By opening your doors to guest users, you encourage more engagement, loyalty, and interaction on your site.

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