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Adam Greenwell

Frontend Login Form

Guard Dog can render a WordPress login form on any normal page. This is useful for membership sites, block themes, account portals, or client-facing pages where sending people to the native wp-login.php screen feels a little too WordPress-y.

Use this when you want an embedded public login experience. If you want to style the native WordPress login screen, password reset screens, custom login URL, or 2FA challenge screen, use Login Screen Customization instead.

What It Does

The frontend login form supports:

  • Username or email login
  • Password login
  • Remember me checkbox
  • Lost password link
  • CAPTCHA when CAPTCHA is enabled
  • Passkey sign-in when Passkeys are enabled
  • Social login buttons when Social Login is enabled and a provider is configured
  • Redirects after successful login
  • Block editor controls for block-based themes

The form uses WordPress authentication under the hood, so Guard Dog protections still apply. Login attempt limiting, CAPTCHA, access control, password expiration, and 2FA continue to run as part of the login flow.

Shortcode

Place this shortcode on any public page:

[guard_dog_login_form]

Common examples:

[guard_dog_login_form redirect_to="/account/"]

[guard_dog_login_form style="compact" show_social_login="false" max_width="420"]

[guard_dog_login_form show_passkey="true" show_remember_me="false" show_lost_password="true"]

Block

In the block editor, add the Guard Dog Login Form block.

The block includes controls for:

  • Style: default, minimal, or compact
  • Redirect target
  • Max width
  • Passkey button visibility
  • Social login button visibility
  • Remember me visibility
  • Lost password link visibility

The block renders dynamically on the frontend. In the editor, you will see a placeholder with the selected options.

Attributes

Attribute Default Description
style Site default default, minimal, or compact.
redirect_to Empty URL to send users to after successful login.
show_passkey Site default Shows passkey sign-in when Passkeys are enabled.
show_social_login Site default Shows social login buttons when Social Login is enabled and configured.
show_remember_me Site default Shows the remember me checkbox.
show_lost_password Site default Shows the lost password link.
max_width Site default Optional form width in pixels. Allowed range is 280 to 960.

Boolean attributes accept values like true, false, 1, 0, yes, and no.

Default Settings

Administrators can set defaults in Guard Dog -> Authentication -> Frontend Login Form.

Defaults apply to new shortcode and block instances unless that instance sets its own attribute. For example, if the default form includes social login, this one instance can still hide it:

[guard_dog_login_form show_social_login="false"]

Recommended Page Setup

  1. Create a page such as /login/ or /account/login/.
  2. Add the Guard Dog Login Form block or shortcode.
  3. Set redirect_to to the member/account area when appropriate.
  4. Test in a private browser window.
  5. If using passkeys or social login, test those buttons separately.
  6. If using CAPTCHA, confirm the CAPTCHA appears or verifies invisibly depending on your provider.

How It Works With Other Features

Custom Login URL

The frontend login form can live on any page, even if your native WordPress login URL is hidden behind a custom slug. Your custom login URL still protects direct access to wp-login.php.

CAPTCHA

If CAPTCHA is enabled for login, the frontend form renders the CAPTCHA challenge and validates it during submission.

Two-Factor Authentication

Users who require 2FA will continue into the Guard Dog 2FA challenge after entering their username and password.

Passkeys

When show_passkey is enabled, the passkey button only appears if Passkeys are globally enabled. The button can use the username/email field on the same form.

Social Login

When show_social_login is enabled, buttons only appear when Social Login is enabled and at least one provider is fully configured.

Troubleshooting

The form does not appear

Check that the shortcode is typed exactly as [guard_dog_login_form], or that the Guard Dog Login Form block is present. If a page builder strips shortcodes, use the block or a shortcode-capable widget.

Passkey button is missing

Make sure Passkeys are enabled in Guard Dog -> Authentication -> Passkeys. Also confirm the form instance has show_passkey="true" or that the default setting is enabled.

Social login buttons are missing

Make sure Social Login is enabled, at least one provider is enabled, and that provider has all required credentials. See Social Login.

Users return to the wrong page

Set redirect_to on the shortcode or block. Guard Dog validates redirects for safety, so external or invalid destinations may be replaced with a safe local fallback.

I want to customize wp-login.php instead

Use Login Screen Customization. The frontend login form controls embedded page forms; the login screen customizer controls the native WordPress login flow.

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