How to Setup OTP Over Email For WordPress 2FA?
Email OTP authentication/OTP Over Email method involves sending a unique, temporary 2FA code/ Email OTP to the user's registered email address, which the user must enter along with their username and password to login to the WordPress account. OTP Over Email has a straightforward setup, making it an ideal choice for WordPress administrators looking to improve their site's security without complicating the user experience.
Why should you use OTP Over Email or WordPress 2fa SMS as a two-factor authentication method?
- Ease of Use: Receiving a code via email is straightforward and familiar to most users.
- No Dependency on Mobile Networks: Users can receive codes as long as they have internet access.
miniOrange Two-Factor Authentication Plugin provides a multitude of two-factor authentication methods. Mainly these methods can be of the following categories:-
- All Authenticator apps(TOTP) methods
- OTP Over SMS
- OTP Over Email
Let's start the OTP Over Email setup with the miniOrange Two-Factor Authentication plugin to make the user's account secure.
You can download miniOrange 2-Factor Authentication(2FA) plugin using the following link:
This plugin can be configured for any TOTP-based/OTP Login 2fa methods like Duo/Microsoft/Google Authenticator. It supports OTP login based 2fa methods [24/7 SUPPORT]
Pre-requisites For Setting Up OTP Over Email as a 2FA method.
To use OTP Over Email as the two-factor authentication method for your WordPress site you need:-
- To Install our miniOrange two-factor authentication plugin on your WordPress website which supports OTP Over Email as the two-factor authentication method.
- A simple phone with the capability of receiving SMS.
Getting started with the OTP Over Email/SMS Authentication setup
Let’s see how an administrator can set up OTP Over Email for users. This can be done in two very simple ways:-
- Setup Wizard
- Dashboard of the plugin
1. OTP Over Email setup through Setup Wizard
The setup wizard appears right after the successful installation and activation of the WordPress 2FA plugin. The Wizard helps you set up 2FA(in this case OTP Over Email)
Let’s follow the steps below to set up the OTP Over Email method as 2FA for your users.
- Click on the Let’s get started! button.
- Choose the first option “User should setup 2FA during first login.”
Choosing this option as name suggests will make user’s compulsorily configure 2FA methods (in this case OTP Over Email). - Click on the Continue Setup button.
- Choose the ”All users” option to set 2FA for all and click on the Continue Setup button.
- Choose only for a specific roles option.
- Select the particular role for which you want to set 2FA. (As administrator has been chosen here. This will set the OTP Over Email method as 2FA only for the administrator's role.)
- Then, click on the Continue Setup button.
- Choose the “Users should be directly enforced for 2FA Setup” option and click on the All Done button.
- You have successfully configured the two-factor authentication.
Step 1: Once you have activated the plugin the following screen of the setup wizard appears.
Step 2: The wizard guides you to choose any one option for inline registration.
There are two option under inline registration:-
Step 3: Next you are guided to choose the user’s role for which you want to set OTP Over Email as a 2FA method.
OR
Step 4: Now, it guides you to set the Grace period for your users. There are again two options:-
1. Users should be directly enforced for 2FA Setup:- If you don’t want to give your users any period to set 2FA you can go with the first option.
Users will have to set 2FA during their first login to gain access to the account.
2. Give users a grace period to configure 2FA:- choosing this option will allow you to give your users a certain grace period within which users will be required to set their 2FA. Users will have to set 2FA after the expiration of the grace period.
Steps for users to configure OTP Over Email
After completing the above 2FA setup in a few simple steps, users are prompted to configure a list of two-factor authentication methods, including OTP Over Email.
- Navigate to the WordPress Login page and enter the user’s login credentials.
- Choose the “OTP Over Email” radio button. You are prompted to configure a two-factor method while logging in for the very first time.
- Enter the 2FA code /2FA OTP sent to your email ID registered with WordPress.
- Click on the Validate button.
- Click on the Finish button to finish it.
- The user has successfully logged into the account.
- Go to the WordPress Login page and enter the user’s(in this case admin) credentials to login.
- Enter the 2FA code /2FA OTP sent to your email ID registered with WordPress.
- Click on the Validate button.
- The admin has successfully logged into the account.
Now you must carefully store the backup codes provided to you. These codes will help you login when you become locked out of your account for any reason.
Subsequent Login for user’s account through OTP Over Email
Let’s see how user's subsequently login to their account after the configuration of OTP Over Email during the first login.
2. OTP Over Email setup from plugin dashboard
- Enable 2FA for the all the roles for which you need to set 2FA.
- Then, click on the Save Settings button.
If you have choose to Skip Setup Wizard, here's an alternate way to setup OTP Over Email through the plugin dashboard.
After clicking on the Skip Setup Wizard option, you will be redirected to the plugin dashbord i.e., the Login Settings tab of the two-factor authentication menu where you can enable 2FA for all the desired roles.
Steps for users to configure OTP Over Email
- Go to the WordPress login page and enter the user’s login credentials.
- Choose the “OTP Over Email” radio button. You are prompted to configure a two-factor method while logging in for the very first time.
- Enter the 2FA code /2FA OTP sent to your email ID registered with WordPress.
- Click on the Validate button.
- Click on the Finish button to finish it.
- The user has successfully logged into the account.
- Enter your login credentials and click on the Login button.
- Enter the 2FA code/2FA OTP sent to your registered phone number via SMS.
- Click on the Validate button.
- The user has successfully logged into the account.
Now you must carefully store the backup codes provided to you. These codes will help you login when you become locked out of your account for any reason.
Subsequent Login for user’s account through OTP Over Email
Let’s see how user's subsequently login to their account after configuration of OTP Over Email during first login.
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