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Is there any word in English, which describes combination of username and password?

Let's say, I want to say Enter your "this_word", meaning Enter your username and password.

EDIT:

I'll exlpain, why I need this (because I see that it's being asked), though I see some answers, which fit my requirements. I'm a software developer (freelancer) and I'm creating a Desktop application, where login/password pair is present. But after releasing the first version of application I got the feedback, that It isn't clear for 'stupid' (no offense, just expression) users what they have to enter. So before it was like:

|username (placeholder)|
|password (placeholder)|

and after the feedback I want to change it to something like

Enter your Google 'word'
|username (placeholder)|
|password (placeholder)|

so, that's it.

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  • 12
    Though there are some options, I wouldn't recommend this from a user experience point of view.
    – user39425
    Feb 22, 2016 at 21:11
  • 1
    I think context is important. Are you writing instructions that will live apart from an actual website or is this to accompany an actual login form? If it's the latter, I would very much advise against this (even if this isn't ux.stackexchange.com)
    – Nathan K
    Feb 22, 2016 at 21:25
  • 3
    Did you label your text boxes properly (i.e. next to the box), or did you just use a placeholder?
    – CodesInChaos
    Feb 22, 2016 at 21:59
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    I don't understand what's wrong with "Enter your username and password." It tells the user exactly what they're supposed to do. If you write "Enter your [something else]", then, especially given that you can't figure out what word to use, it's very likely that your users (especially the stupid ones) will say, "Enter my what?"
    – David Richerby
    Feb 23, 2016 at 2:52
  • 6
    The solution to the feedback isn't to make things more obscure by using a term that you've had to ask ELU for. :-) To solution is to more clear by being explicit about what the user should enter.
    – T.J. Crowder
    Feb 23, 2016 at 11:04

7 Answers 7

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163

Consider "Enter your login credentials".

Credentials

  1. Usually, credentials. evidence of authority, status, rights, entitlement to privileges, or the like, usually in written form: "Only those with the proper credentials are admitted."

  2. Anything that provides the basis for confidence, belief, credit, etc.

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  • 17
    But if you are using this on a real website, this may leave the user wondering whether they need to enter their username or their email address, before their password. For a smoother user experience, it may be better to inform the user precisely what they need to do, rather than leave them guessing.
    – joeytwiddle
    Feb 22, 2016 at 18:23
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    @joeytwiddle - I didn't make it up. It's what I've seen on real websites. I agree in principle, though: as a breed, users are right up there with turkeys and sheep as some of the dumbest creatures on the farm. :-0
    – Rob_Ster
    Feb 22, 2016 at 18:47
  • 8
    This is the correct term I've used it on many websites. Labels next to each input or placeholder text should provide the specific requirements but "enter your credentials" is a good section header.
    – DasBeasto
    Feb 22, 2016 at 19:03
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    "Credentials" is consistently used by developers to refer to the combination of username/password but also to other mechanisms to identify a user (eg private certificate)
    – Basic
    Feb 22, 2016 at 19:37
  • 14
    Me too: "Credentials" is the single word for "username and password" (and thus you might have a variable in your source code named credentials instead of the cumbersome username_and_password). However, in a user interface, you would never use the obscure and legalistic word "credentials" when you could just as easily write out "username and password". (Also, if by "username" you mean "email address", you should write out "email address"! That will help the people, myself included, who never remember whether they need to log in as john.doe@gmail.com or just john.doe.)
    – Quuxplusone
    Feb 23, 2016 at 9:20
19

If you really want one word:

  • Enter your authentication.
  • Enter your credentials.
  • Enter your Information.

If you're trying for a single word, "authentication" is likely to be the best, but it's going to depend on the audience.

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  • 1
    authentication is what you add to confirm who you are so would be just the password not the username
    – mmmmmm
    Feb 22, 2016 at 22:57
  • 24
    Credentials is correct. Authentication is a process not an object.
    – OrangeDog
    Feb 23, 2016 at 18:52
  • I agree, but credentials hints to users that they should pass over their resume or diploma, authentication works better in my experience, though not technically 100% correct. That being said, the best answer is to not ask for either and instead ask explicitly for what you need. In the edited questions I normally have to enter my MFA code.
    – coteyr
    Feb 24, 2016 at 16:11
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    @coteyr regardless, "authentication" is never the right word here. "credentials" is by far the most common.
    – user428517
    Feb 24, 2016 at 19:28
16

I wouldn't try to do it as a single word. If you don't want to have labels before each field, I'd write:

Enter your Google username and password
[username]
[password]

Maybe this question would be better posted at ux.stackexchange.com.

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11

Particularly if the authentication method may be anything other than username and password (such as including a one-time code), I recommend:

Enter your XXX login information

(where XXX may be Google, Facebook, etc)

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Enter your login details/login data

Ngram

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1

Given the edits, you may need to be more flexible in what your asking for. When logging in via google I (for example) have to enter one of four pieces of information.

  • Username, password, and MFA token
  • Username and single application password
  • password and authorization for an app to read my profile (or parts there of)
  • Just the authorization for an app to read my profile (or parts of it)

Because you need different amounts of information depending on how the user's google account is setup, you need a phrase that covers all possibilities.

  • Login and authorize app name:
  • Grant access to app name:
  • Authenticate with Google:
  • Login using Google:
  • Login using Google authentication:
  • Login using Google credentials:
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1

People who are information security professionals discuss these concepts a lot. And, therefore, they've really been motivated to come up with a short phrase. The most common term is "credentials".

Unfortunately, a lot of end users don't seem to be very familiar with using that word in that way, but that is the word that is most commonly used.

"login credentials" is probably more clear for end users.

Since you're seeking to use the phrase, "Enter your Google '(something)'", I would suggest:

Enter your Google account information:

That should be clear when people also see the field descriptions of "username" and "password". That doesn't fulfill the question you're asking (a single word-- "credentials" is the best word for summarizing that detail), but using multiple words will do a better job at fulfilling purpose that you are seeking to accomplish. Things will be more clear for people.

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  • "authentication" could also be used instead of "credentials". I didn't put that in my answer, though, because it is in coteyr's answer.
    – TOOGAM
    Feb 24, 2016 at 17:57

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