Applies to: Free (Social Login) + Pro (Magic Link, Email OTP)
Location: VentraConnect → WooCommerce + per-method tabs in VentraConnect → Login methods
WooCommerce is usually where account-creation mistakes hurt the most: surprise accounts, duplicate customers, or people bypassing your normal registration flow.
VentraConnect gives you two layers of control:
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WooCommerce-level “New account rules” – decide whether social/passwordless logins can create new WooCommerce customers at all.
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Per-method registration modes – decide where each method (Social, Magic Link, OTP) is allowed to create accounts.
This article explains how they work together and how to pick the right setup for your store.
1. Requirements
Before changing account rules:
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WooCommerce is installed and active.
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In VentraConnect → WooCommerce, you’ve turned on Enable WooCommerce Social Login.
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For Magic Link / Email OTP behaviour, the Pro add-on is installed and activated.
2. WooCommerce “New account rules”
These rules live under:
VentraConnect → WooCommerce → Account creation rules
They control what happens on WooCommerce login, registration, and checkout when someone uses:
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Social Login
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Magic Link (Pro)
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Email OTP (Pro)
The exact labels may vary slightly, but the behaviour breaks down into three modes:
A. Allow new accounts from login & checkout
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Users can create a new WooCommerce customer with:
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Social Login on the login form.
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Social Login / Magic Link / OTP on the checkout form.
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Use when:
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You’re happy for anyone with an email address to become a customer.
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You want the lowest possible friction (e.g. digital products, low-risk goods).
Effects:
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If the email doesn’t already match a user, VentraConnect will create one and complete the login.
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This applies on both My Account → Login and Checkout.
B. Allow new accounts from checkout only
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Checkout can create new customers through VentraConnect methods.
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The login form only allows existing customers to sign in with social/passwordless.
Use when:
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You want to prevent “drive-by” registrations from the login page.
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You only want new customers who are actually buying something.
Effects:
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At checkout, a non-existing email → new customer created (if Woo’s own “allow registration on checkout” is enabled).
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On the login page, a non-existing email → login fails with “no account” style messaging.
For a lot of stores, this is the best balance of growth vs. control.
C. Existing customers only (no new accounts)
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VentraConnect methods never create new WooCommerce customers.
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Social / Magic Link / OTP only work if a matching user already exists.
Use when:
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You have a closed or pre-approved customer list.
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Registrations are handled elsewhere (manual onboarding, external CRM, custom signup funnel).
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Compliance / contract reasons require strict control over who gets an account.
Effects:
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A first-time customer trying to use Social / Magic Link / OTP will be rejected until an account exists.
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They’ll need to:
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Use your normal registration route first, or
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Be created manually by an admin.
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3. Method-level registration modes
Each login method also has its own registration mode under VentraConnect → Login methods:
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Social Login (global social settings / Woo tab):
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Follows the WooCommerce “New account rules” for Woo forms.
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On other forms (e.g.
wp-login.php, membership, LMS, comments) you can still choose whether Social is login-only or can create new users there.
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Magic Link (Pro) –
Registration mode:-
Login & Register – can create new users where allowed.
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Login only (existing users) – only works if the email already has an account.
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Email OTP (Pro) –
Registration mode:-
Login & Register – can create new users where allowed.
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Login only (existing users) – login for existing accounts only.
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How they combine on WooCommerce forms
On WooCommerce login/checkout:
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Both the WooCommerce “New account rules” and the method’s registration mode must allow registration for a new account to be created.
Think of it like this:
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Woo rule = store-wide guardrail
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Method rule = per-method behaviour
Examples:
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Woo rule = “Checkout only”
Method = “Login & Register”
→ New accounts only from checkout, never from login. -
Woo rule = “Existing customers only”
Method = “Login & Register”
→ Still no new accounts via that method on Woo forms (Woo rule wins). -
Woo rule = “Login & checkout”
Method = “Login only”
→ That method will never create accounts anywhere, only login existing users.
4. Recommended setups
Scenario 1 – Typical open Woo store
You sell normal goods/courses, want easy signup but no chaos.
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WooCommerce rule: Allow new accounts from checkout only
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Social / Magic Link / OTP registration modes:
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For most sites: Login & Register
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Result:
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New customers can create accounts while buying.
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Random visitors can’t turn your login page into a signup spam machine.
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Scenario 2 – Strict / invite-only store
You manually approve every customer.
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WooCommerce rule: Existing customers only
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Social / Magic Link / OTP registration modes:
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For Woo forms: doesn’t matter; Woo rule blocks registration anyway.
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On other surfaces (e.g. comments, normal login) set to Login only if you want to stay strict everywhere.
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Result:
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No new Woo customers from any VentraConnect method.
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Only previously created users can log in with Social / Magic Link / OTP.
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Scenario 3 – Aggressive growth / low-risk digital products
You don’t mind lots of signups; the easier the better.
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WooCommerce rule: Allow new accounts from login & checkout
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Social / Magic Link / OTP registration modes: Login & Register
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Result:
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New accounts from login, checkout, and other enabled forms (where allowed).
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Caveat:
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You’ll see more “cold” signups – fine for newsletters or low-risk SaaS, less ideal for high-touch stores.
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5. Troubleshooting: common issues
“Users are being created when they shouldn’t be.”
Check:
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VentraConnect → WooCommerce → New account rules – make sure it’s not set to the most permissive mode.
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The method’s Registration mode – set to Login only (existing users) if you want that method to never create accounts.
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Any other forms (membership/LMS/regular login) that might still allow registration even if Woo is locked down.
“Customers can’t log in with Social / Magic Link / OTP at checkout.”
Check:
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Is the email address actually tied to an existing WP/Woo user?
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Is WooCommerce rule set to Existing customers only?
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If you expect new accounts:
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Woo rule must allow registration (checkout or login+checkout).
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Method’s registration mode must be Login & Register.
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“Signup policy is different on Woo vs membership/LMS vs comments.”
That’s by design:
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WooCommerce rule only affects Woo login/checkout/account forms.
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Other integrations and
wp-login.phpfollow each method’s Registration mode and their own integration settings.
If you want one global policy, set:
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Woo rule + each method’s registration mode + each integration’s “new user” setting to the same philosophy (open vs existing-only).
