Authenticating with Social Sign-in

Watchful supports social sign-in, allowing you to access your account securely using your existing credentials instead of entering a separate Watchful password. Social sign-in makes it easier to log in, create a new account, and manage your authentication methods.

Currently, Watchful supports Google as a social sign-in provider.

Signing in with Google

If you’ve already connected your Google account to Watchful, you can use it to sign in.

1. Visit the Watchful login page.
2. Click Sign in with Google.
3. Select your Google account and complete any authentication requested by Google.
4. You’ll be signed in to your Watchful account automatically.

When signing in with Google, you won’t need to enter your Watchful password or complete Watchful’s separate two-factor authentication (2FA) step.

If you use two-factor authentication with your Google account, Google may still request additional verification.

Connecting Google to an existing Watchful account

If you already have a Watchful account, you can connect your Google account without creating a new Watchful account.

1. Visit the Watchful login page.
2. Click Sign in with Google.
3. Select the Google account associated with your existing Watchful username or email address.
4. Watchful will recognize the matching account and ask you to confirm your Watchful password.
5. If Watchful two-factor authentication is enabled, complete the additional verification when prompted.
6. Once verified, your Google account will be connected to your existing Watchful account.

You can now sign in using either your Google account or your existing Watchful username and password.

Your sites, subscription, account settings, and other Watchful data remain unchanged.

You only need to complete this linking process once.

Creating a new Watchful account with Google

If you’re new to Watchful, you can create an account using Google.

1. Visit the Watchful registration page.
2. Select Sign in with Google.
3. Choose the Google account you’d like to use.
4. You’ll be redirected to the Watchful registration form, with your first name and last name automatically filled in using information from Google.
5. Complete the remaining registration details, including your preferred CMS, timezone, and required agreements.
6. Complete the reCAPTCHA verification and finish creating your account.

Because Google has already verified your email address, you won’t need to complete Watchful’s separate email verification process.

You also won’t need to create a Watchful password during registration. You can continue using Google to access your account.

Disconnecting your Google account

You can review and manage your connected social sign-in providers from your Watchful profile.

1. Sign in to Watchful.
2. Click your name at the top-right and select Account & Subscription.
3. Navigate to the Profile tab.
4. Scroll down to the Connected social accounts section. You’ll see your connected provider and the associated email address.
5. Click Disconnect.
6. Follow any additional prompts to complete the process.

If you’ve linked Google to Watchful, it will appear in this section with a Disconnect button.

If you already have a Watchful password, you can continue signing in with your username and password after disconnecting Google.

If you originally registered for Watchful using Google and haven’t created a Watchful password, you’ll be promoted to set one before disconnecting. To proceed:

1. Select Change password in the Profile tab of the Account & Subscription area.
2. Confirm your identity with Google.
3. Create a Watchful password.
4. Follow the instructions above for disconnecting.

Disconnecting Google does not delete your Watchful account or affect your existing sites and subscription.

Social sign-in and two-factor authentication

When you sign in using Google, Watchful relies on Google to verify your identity.

As a result, Watchful’s own two-factor authentication step is bypassed when using Google social sign-in.

However, your Watchful two-factor authentication settings remain in place for traditional username and password logins.

We recommend enabling two-factor authentication on your Google account to help protect access to Watchful.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still sign in with my Watchful username and password?

Yes. If your Watchful account has a password, you can continue using your existing credentials even after connecting Google.

Do I need a Watchful password to use social sign-in?

No. Accounts created using Google don’t require a separate Watchful password.

If you later want to disconnect Google, you’ll need to set a Watchful password first.

What happens if my Google email matches an existing Watchful account?

Watchful will ask you to verify your existing account using your Watchful password and, if enabled, two-factor authentication. Once verified, Google will be linked to your account.

Does connecting Google change my Watchful subscription?

No. Social sign-in only changes how you authenticate. Your subscription, billing information, sites, and account permissions remain managed by Watchful.