Web parts available for Windows Live ID authentication

After you register your site and configure the necessary settings, you can use the following two web parts on your website to allow authentication via Windows Live ID. The web parts are located under the Membership -> LiveID category in the web part catalog.

Windows LiveID

This web part can be used to let site visitors sign in to your website using their Live ID. It can be placed on any page of your website. The web part is hidden to authenticated users and will be displayed only to unauthenticated public site visitors. With default settings, the web part appears as in the following screenshot.

 

Although the web part works fine with default settings, it has the following properties to fine-tune its behavior:

  • Sign in text - if entered, a link with the entered text will be used instead of the default sign in image.
  • Sign out text - if entered, a link with the entered text will be used instead of the default sign out image.
  • Show sign out - if enabled, the web part will display a sign out link to authenticated users.
  • Show as button - if enabled, buttons will be used instead of standard text links.
  • Sign in image - specifies the URL of an image that will be used for the sign in button if the Sign in text property is empty.
  • Sign out image - specifies the URL of an image that will be used for the sign out button if the Sign out text property is empty.

LiveID required data

In some cases, you may want new users to provide some extra details before their account is created. For example, if your site is configured to require registration approval or double opt-in, all users need a valid e-mail address to help activate their account.

This can be achieved using the Live ID required data web part. The web part must be placed on the page specified by the Required user data page settingin Settings -> Security & Membership -> Authentication -> Windows LiveID.

The following properties of the web part are the most important:

  • Allow forms authentication - if checked, new users will be able to enter a password for their new account so that they can log in the usual way as well as via LiveID.
  • Allow existing user - if enabled, users are allowed to join their existing account with their Live ID.
  • Default target URL - if no return URL is passed, users will be redirected to the URL entered here after merging or creating their account.
  • Hide for no LiveID - if checked, the web part will be hidden if the page with it is displayed without being a Live ID logon request (e.g. when accessed by entering its URL into the browser).