Log in with your email. The way every other site works.
Your users know their email address. They don't know their Joomla username — and they shouldn't have to. Authentication - Email lets your users log in with their email address and password, exactly like they do on every other site they visit. No more "I forgot my username" support tickets. No more abandoned logins.
Overview
Proof
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"This NEEDS to be part of the core." — Rick Stoffiere
"Essential component to any modern website." — Marco N
"A must have for Social Networks based in Joomla." — Adrian Gonzalez Arguelles
How It Works
When a user types their email address into the login form, the plugin finds their account and logs them in — just like entering a username would. You can run it alongside Joomla's default login so users can use either one, or disable the default and make email the only option. No forms to redesign, no database changes, nothing to configure.
What You Get
Email login, out of the box - Users type their email and password and they're in. Nothing else to learn.
Flexible or strict - Run alongside the default Joomla login for either/or, or go email-only by disabling the default plugin. Your call.
No setup required - Install, enable, done. No configuration screens, no template edits.
Works with System - No Usernames - Remove the username field from registration and profiles entirely. Together, these two plugins deliver a site where usernames simply don't exist, from the moment a user registers to every time they log in. (See below.)
It allows users to log in to your Joomla site using their email address instead of (or in addition to) their username, making the login process simpler and more intuitive. Yes, if you enable both Authentication - Email and the default Authentication - Joomla! plugin, users can log in with either their username or email address. Disable the Joomla plugin to make email the only option. No extra plugins are required. In Joomla 5 (since version 5.0.0 of this plugin), the system plugin dependency is gone—just enable Authentication - Email and you’re set. No, it doesn’t alter the wording of your login page or module. To update labels (e.g., from “Username” to “Email”), you’ll need to override the language constants listed in the article.
Create a template override in your Joomla template. Copy the login module’s language files to your template’s language override folder and edit the constants listed above. Check Joomla’s documentation for step-by-step guidance. No, it only handles authentication. Joomla 5 already requires an email address for lost username/password recovery, so it pairs perfectly with this plugin—no extra changes needed. Yes! Disable the Authentication - Joomla! plugin, and users will only be able to log in with their email address and password. Absolutely. It leverages Joomla’s built-in authentication system, ensuring that email-based logins are just as secure as username-based ones. Joomla requires email addresses to be unique per user account, so this won’t be an issue—each email corresponds to a single account. Email addresses are easier for users to remember, reducing login frustration and support requests. It’s a small tweak that improves user experience significantly. There's a bug report link on this page!Frequently Asked Questions:
What does the Authentication - Email plugin do?
Which Joomla versions are supported?
Do I need any other plugins for this to work?
Will this plugin change my login page text automatically?
How do I set up an output override for the login labels?
Does this plugin affect password recovery?
Can I use this plugin to force email-only logins?
Is this plugin secure?
What happens if a user has multiple accounts with the same email?
Why should I use email logins instead of usernames?
Where can I get support if I run into issues?
Technical Details
- Hooks into Joomla's onUserAuthenticate event
- Queries #__users by email to resolve the matching account
- Compatible with Joomla 3.x, 4.x, 5.x
- No database schema changes
- No third-party dependencies
- Namespace: Joomla standard plugin structure
