WordPress User Sync
NOTE: This content is for advanced users only, who understand the concept of user tables, database, etc. If you don’t understand any of this, then just ignore this – you don’t really need to know this in order to use DAP. This is only an explanation for those who wish to go under the hood of DAP and its integration with WordPress.
As you probably already know, WordPress has its own user database.
DAP has its own User database, and doesn’t use the WordPress database – for many reasons, not limited to the following…
1) Ability to store more user information than what WordPress allows
2) More powerful user search, profile updates, affiliate information, etc.
So, if you want to use any WordPress based plugins – like WordPress Forums or Subscribe2Blog – these forums are looking at WordPress’ native user database.
Now comes the necessity of “syncing” the DAP user data and your WordPress user data.
In the DAP Dashboard, in “Setup > Config > Advanced“, you will see two settings for syncing DAP & WP user data.
(1) Sync DAP User data and WP User data
If you turn this to “Y” (for “Yes”), then every time someone logs into DAP, their DAP user data (just name and email) is automatically “synced” with WordPress user data. If you set this to “N”, then no data will be transferred from DAP to WordPress.
(2) Sync WP data only for PAID users
This one matters only if you have set (1) above to “Y”.
If you want only your “PAID” members to be synced with WordPress, then set this to “Y“.
If you want both “FREE” and “PAID” members synced with WordPress, then set this to “N“.
Here’s how it actually works:
- For the sync to work, you must first setup and save the above 2 config settings
- After you save the above two config settings, make sure you log out of DAP and re-log in (if you are/were logged in and testing as a regular user), because only then, the Config settings above will take effect.
- Your user must log in through a DAP login form (not the WP login form).
- Make sure the user is redirected to any part of your WordPress blog after log in. This can be done via “Logged In URL” setting in DAP Config.
- The user can be redirected to any WP page, WP post or even your blog home page – that’s the only time the ‘syncing’ kicks in.
- When user lands on any page/post of your WP blog, then the DAP LiveLinks plugin (which you have already installed & enabled) kicks of the “sync”, copies the logged in member’s name and email over to the WordPress user table, and also automatically logs him into your WordPress blog.
That’s all there is to it.
Also see: Forum Integration
