Control where new WooCommerce customer accounts can be created while keeping login, registration, and checkout flows separate.
WooCommerce uses several different customer journeys: login, registration, My Account, and checkout. VentraConnect Guardrails are designed to keep those flows separate so login forms do not accidentally become registration forms.
The most important rule:
Guardrails can restrict account creation on login surfaces, but they do not block new-user account creation at WooCommerce checkout.
How WooCommerce Account Creation Works
VentraConnect does not use a separate WooCommerce-wide “New account rules” system. Instead, account creation is determined by the type of surface the customer is using.
The Master Guardrail
The main control is:
For most WooCommerce stores: keep My Account/login existing-user-only and let new customers register through checkout or the intended WooCommerce registration flow.
Social Login
Social Login does not have a separate Login Only / Login & Register selector.
Existing-user matching still follows Social Login security rules, including trusted verified-email matching where email-based matching is used.
Magic Link & Email OTP
Magic Link and Email OTP each have their own registration mode:
The master Guardrail has higher priority on governed login forms. If the Guardrail blocks new-account creation there, Magic Link and Email OTP cannot create a new user even when their method-level mode is set to Login & Register.
At WooCommerce checkout, account creation remains controlled by the checkout flow and WooCommerce settings rather than the login-form Guardrail.
Passkeys
Passkeys are different from Social Login, Magic Link, and Email OTP because they use WebAuthn credentials associated with a WordPress user.
Passkeys require PHP 8.1+ and HTTPS on production sites.
WooCommerce Checkout Is a Special Case
Checkout should not be treated like a normal login page.
Guardrails do not block new-user account creation at WooCommerce checkout.
If WooCommerce checkout account creation is enabled, a first-time customer can create an account while completing checkout.
This is intentional because checkout is part of the customer onboarding and purchase flow.
Test My Account and Checkout separately. A configuration that keeps login existing-user-only can still allow legitimate new-customer account creation at checkout.
Recommended Setup for Most Stores
This setup gives returning customers fast authentication while keeping new-customer onboarding inside the proper WooCommerce flow.
Common Scenarios
Troubleshooting Account Creation
If a user was created unexpectedly:
- Identify the exact surface where the account was created.
- Check whether it was My Account/login, registration, or checkout.
- Review the master Guardrail for login surfaces.
- Review Magic Link or Email OTP registration mode if one of those methods was used.
- Remember that WooCommerce checkout may legitimately create a new account.
If a new customer cannot create an account:
- Confirm they are using an intentional registration or checkout flow rather than a login-only surface.
- Check WooCommerce account-creation settings for checkout or registration.
- If using Magic Link or Email OTP, confirm the method is not set to Login Only when registration is expected.
- Test while fully logged out in a private/incognito window.
