How Gravatar is Transforming Online Identity – WordPress.com News

Gravatar, short for Globally Recognized Avatar, is a powerful service from Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. For over two decades, Gravatar has been the powerhouse of billions of avatar views on the web. In addition to WordPress, you can also find Gravatar in user profiles on platforms such as ChatGPT, GitHub, Slack, and many more.

But Gravatar is much more than just a profile picture that follows you around the web. Let’s take a look at seven key features that make Gravatar an indispensable tool for WordPress users.

From a WordPress avatar to a profile for everywhere

When Gravatar was first integrated into WordPress in 2006, it solved two major problems:

1. WordPress did not have built-in image editing capabilities.
2. Most servers hosting WordPress sites struggled with image resizing and performance.

Gravatar has elegantly addressed these problems by allowing users to upload their avatar once for use on multiple sites and blogs. Today, you can find Gravatar profiles embedded throughout the web.

It was, and still is, a win-win situation!

Put a face to a comment

Gravatars are what bring profile pictures to all the fun comments on your blog. That simple addition—a photo where an otherwise boring icon would be—significantly increases reader engagement. Users with Gravatars are more likely to comment, and their contributions tend to be of higher quality. This can lead to more lively discussions on your blog, fostering a sense of community.

Increase engagement with hovercards

Hovercards are an often overlooked feature that can also significantly improve user interaction. When enabled, hovering over an avatar reveals a snapshot of the user’s profile information.

To activate hovercards:

• Go to Settings > Discussion in your WordPress dashboard
• Look for the “Gravatar Hovercards” option and enable it
• Please note: If you are not on a WordPress.com hosted site, you will need to install the Jetpack plugin

Being verified

Gravatar’s Verified Accounts feature allows you to connect your profile to services and social media platforms like Instagram, GitHub, TikTok, and Threads. This verification process confirms your ownership of these accounts, adding a layer of authenticity to your online presence and making your interactions more trustworthy.

Your link in bio solution

Did you know that Gravatar was the original link-in-bio service? Every Gravatar account comes with a free, customizable profile page that’s perfect for sharing:

• Your biography and interests
• Important links
• Social media accounts
• Payment options
• Contact details

It’s a versatile hub for your online identity, all in one convenient location.

Own your name on the web

Instead of using gravatar.com/username, you can now have a custom web address that truly represents you. This personalized domain isn’t just for vanity; it opens up new possibilities, like using it as your username on emerging platforms like Bluesky.

To launch custom domains, we’ve partnered with .link to offer you a free domain for the first year. This limited time offer allows you to personalize your Gravatar profile URL, making it more memorable and shareable.

Here’s a video about why you should own your name as a domain and what it can do for you.

More TLDs and domain options will become available in the coming months.

Innovate with profiles-as-a-service

For developers looking to improve the user experience, Gravatar’s new REST API offers interesting possibilities:

• Enrich customer profiles
• Adjust onboarding processes
• Add fun accents to user interactions

The best part? It’s completely free to use.

WordPress site owners, keep an eye out for an upcoming WordPress plugin that will add even more Gravatar integrations to your site.

Get your free domain now

Don’t miss out on these powerful features and our exclusive domain offerings. Visit the Gravatar blog to learn how to set up your own domain and take control of your online identity.