Account Basics
==============

* [Home](help)


**Registration**

Not all Friendica sites allow open registration. If registration is allowed, you will see a "Register" link immediately below the login prompts on the site home page. Following this link will take you to the site Registration page.

*OpenID*

The first field on the Registration page is for an OpenID address. If you do not have an OpenID address or do not wish to use OpenID, leave this field blank. If you have an OpenID account elsewhere and wish to use it, enter the address into this field and click 'Register'. Friendica will attempt to extract as much information as possible from your OpenID provider and return to this page with those items already filled in.

*Your Full Name*

Please provide your full name as you would like it to be displayed on this system.

*Email Address*

Please provide a valid email address. Your email address is **never** published. We need this to send you account information and your login details. You may also occasionally receive notifications of incoming messages or items requiring your attention, but you have the ability to completely disable these from your Settings page once you have logged in.     

*Nickname*

A nickname is used to generate web addresses for many of your personal pages, and is also treated like an email address when establishing communications with others. Due to the way that the nickname is used, it has some limitations. It must contain only US-ASCII text characters and numbers, and must also start with a text character. It also must be unique on this system. This is used in many places to identify your account, and once set - cannot be changed.



*Directory Publishing*

The Registration form also allows you to choose whether or not to list your account in the online directory. This is like a "phone book" and you may choose to be unlisted. We recommend that you select 'Yes' so that other people (friends, family, etc.) will be able to find you. If you choose 'No', you will essentially be invisible and have few opportunities for interaction. Whichever you choose, this can be changed any time from your Settings page after you login.  


*Register*

Once you have provided the necessary details, click the 'Register' button. An email will be sent to you providing your account login details. Some sites may require administrator approval before the registration is processed, and you will be alerted if this is the case. Please watch your email (including spam folders) for your registration approval. 




**Login Page**

On the 'Login' page, please enter your login information that was provided during registration. You may use either your nickname or email address as a Login Name. 

If you use your account to manage multiple '[Pages](help/Pages)' and these all have the same email address, please enter the nickname for the account you wish to manage.  

*If* your account has been OpenID enabled, you may use your OpenID address as a login name and leave the password blank. You will be redirected to your OpenID provider to complete your authorisation. 

Otherwise, enter your password. This will have been initially provided in your registration email message. Your password is case-sensitive, so please check your 'Caps Lock' key if you are having difficulty logging in. 


**Changing Your Password**

After your first login, please visit the 'Settings' page from the top menu bar and change your password to something that you will remember.

**Getting Started**

A ['Tips for New Members'](newmember) link will show up on your home page for two weeks to provide some important Getting Started information.


**See Also**

* [Profiles](help/Profiles)

* [Groups and Privacy](help/Groups-and-Privacy)

* [Remove Account](help/Remove-Account)

 