Beyond Avatars: How Gravatar is Transforming Online Identity

By Ronnie Burt on August 8, 2024

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 driving force behind billions of avatar views across the web. Beyond WordPress, you'll find Gravatar powering user profiles on platforms like ChatGPT, GitHub, Slack, and many more.

But Gravatar is far more than just a profile pic that follows you around the web. Let's dive into 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 way back in 2006, it solved two critical problems:

WordPress lacked native image editing capabilities.
Most servers hosting WordPress sites struggled with image resizing and performance.

Gravatar elegantly addressed these issues while offering users the convenience of uploading their avatar just once for use across multiple sites and blogs. Today, you'll find Gravatar profiles integrated across the web.

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

Put a face to a comment

Gravatar is what provides profile pictures on all the lovely comments on your blog. That simple addition—a photo where there might otherwise be a bland icon—dramatically 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 vibrant discussions on your blog, fostering a sense of community.

Increase engagement with hovercards

Hovercards are an often-overlooked feature that can also significantly enhance 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
Note: If you're not on a WordPress.com hosted site, you'll need the Jetpack plugin installed

Get verified

Gravatar's Verified Accounts feature lets you link 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 bio and interests
Important links
Social media accounts
Payment options
Contact information

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, such as using it as your username on emerging platforms like Bluesky.

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

Here is a video about why you should own your name as a domain and what it can unlock.

More TLDs and domain options will be available in the months to come.

Innovate with profiles-as-a-service

For developers looking to enhance user experiences, Gravatar's new REST API offers exciting possibilities:

Enrich customer profiles
Customize onboarding processes
Add delightful touches 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 offer. Visit the Gravatar blog to learn how to set up your custom domain and take control of your online identity.

Get your domain today