Prior versions of Knowledge Commons included social networking features that allowed users to:
Follow other users
Send direct messages
Mention or tag users in posts and discussions
As part of the transition to the new profile and authentication system, these features were removed. The earlier system was difficult to maintain and did not integrate well with newer standards for identity and social interaction.
We are actively exploring ways to reintroduce social and communication features in a more modern, sustainable format in future platform updates.
Using Mastodon with Knowledge Commons
In the meantime, users who would like to connect and communicate socially are encouraged to use hcommons.social, our Mastodon platform.
Knowledge Commons supports integration with Mastodon profiles, including:
Displaying Mastodon posts on your Knowledge Commons profile page
This allows you to maintain a social presence connected to your scholarly and professional identity while using open, decentralized social networking tools.
Joining the Knowledge Commons Mastodon Server
Users are welcome to join the Knowledge Commons Mastodon server to connect with other community members, share updates, and participate in conversations about research, teaching, and public scholarship.
Looking Ahead
We recognize the importance of community interaction and discovery within Knowledge Commons. Future development work will focus on creating communication and networking tools that better support today’s scholarly communication environment while remaining secure, maintainable, and interoperable with open platforms.
Your Knowledge Commons profile is your public academic identity on the network. You can share your institutional affiliation, academic interests, websites, social links, and more. This guide explains how to update your information, change your profile photo, and customize your presence on the Commons.
Reorder profile sections by dragging them up and down within each column
Changes persist after saving and display correctly on the public profile
To save your edits be sure to click the green Save button at the top of the page
Uploading or Changing Your Profile (Avatar) or Cover Photo
Click on the Change Profile Photo button
Choose a JPEG, PNG, or WebP image file
Use the tool to crop the image into a square
Click the green Save button at the bottom of the window
Add a New Login Method
If you’re logged in, you will need to log out completely. Click the login button on the homepage and follow the steps below:
Pick a new identity provider from the CILogon list that you want to use and follow the login process
On the next screen associate your existing account with your new login method using your email address on record
Verify your email by clicking the link sent to you
You should now see the new login method on the “Manage Login Methods and Email Addresses” screen under settings.
To remove an existing login method visit “Manage Login Methods and Email Addresses” in settings and click the delete button next to the one you wish to remove.
Joining a Society
Membership in most societies is automatic based on your email address. If you have joined the Commons with a different address than your society membership, simply add the email associated to your profile and your membership status will update.
To join an open Commons like HASTAC or STEMEd+:
From your profile, click on the Manage Login Methods and Emails button
Under Network Memberships, click the link of the network you’d like to join.
In May 2026, Knowledge Commons and all affiliate Commons nodes adopted the CILogon identity management system. This page provides an overview and specific help for Connecting Existing Accounts and Registering for New Accounts.
You’ll notice that Knowledge Commons has a new login screen (pictured below) that appears when you click the Log In link.
Knowledge Commons is implementing a new academy-owned identity management system (IDMS) called CILogon. It enables the Commons to support over 5,000 institutional and identity provider logins from InCommon or EduGAIN members worldwide. In addition, users may choose to use their Google, ORCID, GitHub, or Microsoft account to register and log into the site.
If you are not affiliated with an institution or organization that is an InCommon identity provider and do not have a Google, ORCID, GitHub or Microsoft account, signing up for one of the open methods is free and simply requires a valid email address. Once you’ve chosen your new login method, you will be able to link your account. To see if your institution’s single-sign-on is supported visit CILogon.org.
Connecting an Account for Existing Members
This section of instructions is for members with existing accounts. If you are setting up a new account, please see the Registering for a New Account section.
Navigate to the Commons site that you typically use and press the Login button in the upper-right corner of the screen
In the dropdown menu labeled ORCID, choose your preferred login method from the list or search for your institution, then follow the login process
Checking “Remember this selection” will automatically log you into the site in the future if you are logged into that method at the time of login (e.g., if you are logged into Gmail and use Google as your login method, when you visit this screen in the future and choose Google once you’ve completed your first login it will automatically log you in)
On the next screen, you can associate your existing account with your new login method, or new users can create an account
Please use the email address you have previously used to access the site in order to limit the possibility of a duplicate account. Note: Once you have associated your account with a new login method through CILogon on your first visit, you will not see this screen again unless you add a new login method.
Press Submit to continue with account setup. The screen will refresh, and you will see a page with the message “Please check your email for a confirmation link.” Check the email account that you provided for a verification email.
You will be asked to click a link in the email to verify and associate your account.
This link will take you back to the Knowledge Commons Profile page, where you will be asked to confirm your email one last time by clicking the Confirm My Email button. Upon clicking that button, your screen will refresh to your Commons Profile.
Registering for a New Account
This section of instructions is for new members registering their first account. If you are an existing member who needs to connect your account, please see the “Connecting an Account for Existing Members” section.
Upon pressing the Register link in the upper right corner of the Commons organization you wish to join, you will be taken to a page titled Create Your Account that gives an overview of the steps to create your account. Press the green Register button to continue.
You’ll be taken to the CILogon screen for Knowledge Commons. Select the identity provider you prefer to use from the list and press Log On
CILogon provides support for a large number of University logins, as well as major systems such as ORCID, Google and GitHub
On the next page enter the email address you wish to associate with your account and press submit. This is typically the email address for the authentication method you chose.
Once you have associated your account with a new login method through CILogon on your first visit, you will not see this screen again unless you add a new login method.
You can add an additional email address to your account later if you wish.
The page that will load next is the Registration Information page, where you will enter your desired username, full name, email address, and have the opportunity to join any of the Open Registration Commons organizations you wish to by checking the box next to those organizations. Finally, you’ll need to check the box to accept the Terms and Conditions. Once you have filled out the form, press the green Register button to continue.
You’ll receive a notice to check your email for a confirmation link. Go to the email account you used in your setup and look for the email from knowledge-commons-profiles in your inbox.
In the email you receive, click the link titled Click here to verify your email in the message.
The email link will take you back to the Knowledge Commons Confirm Your Email page. Click the green button titled CONFIRM MY EMAIL to confirm your account. Once you press the button, the page should refresh to your Knowledge Commons Profile.
You are now ready to use Knowledge Commons!
Add a New Login Method
If you’re logged in, you will need to log out completely. Click the login button on the homepage and follow the steps below:
Pick a new identity provider from the CILogon list that you want to use and follow the login process
On the next screen associate your existing account with your new login method using your email address on record
Verify your email by clicking the link sent to you
You should now see the new login method on the “Manage Login Methods and Email Addresses” screen under settings.
To remove an existing login method visit “Manage Login Methods and Email Addresses” in settings and click the delete button next to the one you wish to remove.
Choose your preferred login method from the list or search for your institution, then follow the login process
Checking “Remember this selection” will automatically log you into the site in the future if you are logged into that method at the time of login (e.g., if you are logged into Gmail and use Google as your login method, when you visit this screen in the future and choose Google once you’ve completed your first login it will automatically log you in)
On the next screen you can associate your existing account with your new login method, or new users can create an account
Joining a Society
Membership in most societies is automatic based on your email address. If you have joined the Commons with a different address than your society membership, simply add the email associated to your profile and your membership status will update.
To join an open Commons like HASTAC or STEMEd+:
Click the link to join either organization when creating an account
From your profile after joining, click on the Manage Login Methods and Emails button
Under Network Memberships, click the link of the network you’d like to join
In May 2026 Knowledge Commons will implement a new registration and login system called CILogon. This will replace our current system and will greatly improve the registration and login process, eliminating many of the common frustrations users experience. Common tasks like updating email addresses and linking to new societies will now be available to users themselves without contacting support. CILogon also eliminates the need for a separate username and password to log in to the Commons, instead relying on institutional logins or on Google, ORCID, GitHub, or Microsoft accounts. Below find a list of frequently asked questions and more about what you can expect.
What is CILogon?
Knowledge Commons is implementing a new academy-owned identity management system (IDMS) called CILogon. Operated by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois, CILogon offers the Commons the ability to support over 5,000 institutional and identity provider logins from InCommon or EduGAIN members around the world. In addition, users may choose to use their Google, ORCID, GitHub, or Microsoft account to register and log into the site.
Why CILogon?
Over the past five years, our IDMS has been increasingly under pressure. What served us well when we had 20,000 users has not scaled well now that we have over 50,000 users. Issues with registrations gone awry, password resets, and email address changes have been at the top of our help ticket statistics. Implementing this new platform will transform the registration and login process by streamlining it for users and eliminating the need to contact user support for common tasks such as email updates and joining new societies.
CILogon was developed by scholars at the University of Illinois to support secure, institution-wide access to research applications. It allows users to use accounts they already have or that are easy and free to access, and it eliminates the need for the Commons to maintain an increasingly complex and difficult system.
What does this mean for current Commons users?
For those of you who use Google, ORCID, or the Michigan State University single sign-on, you’ll simply need to link your account to the new system. When you first access the Commons after the switch, you’ll see a new login screen that will walk you through the process. For users who use a local account (KCID) or their MLA (Modern Language Association) credentials, you will need to use your institution’s single sign-on, or switch to an open login provider — Google, ORCID, GitHub, or Microsoft. All local KCID login credentials will be deleted from our servers after CILogon has been implemented and the MLA login option will no longer be available.
If you don’t have one of the open login methods listed above, and are not affiliated with an institution that is a participating InCommon member, creating accounts with any of the open services is free and simply requires a valid email address. This also eliminates the need to have a separate username and password for the site. Once you’ve chosen your new login method, you will be able to link your account. To see if your institution’s single-sign-on is supported visit CILogon.org. Specific instructions on how to log in and associate your account or create a new one can be found on this site.
What happens to my profile, sites, groups, and uploads to KCWorks?
Your profile, sites, groups, and work deposited in KCWorks will remain the same. The only thing that will change is your login method to the Commons!
CILogon uses an OpenID Connect (OAuth 2.0) interface for authentication. We use OAuth 2.0, the industry standard protocol, to connect to the CILogon service.
Can I have more than one login method?
Yes, you may manage your login methods by navigating to “Manage Login Methods and Emails” under Settings. You may also add and delete email addresses through that screen. It is advisable to set up your institution’s single sign-on and another service, such as Google or ORCID, in case of a network outage or should you change institutions. We will provide instructions for adding a new login method on our Help & Support page.
What happens when I change institutions?
Before you leave your current institution you should add a new email address to your account–if you do not know your new institution email yet, you may want to make this a personal email. After you’ve received your new institutional email address, you’ll be able to associate your account with your new institutional login (or institutional Google account).
Who should I contact if I experience an issue?
If you have any questions about CiLogin or experience an issue while accessing it for the first time, please contact us at hello@hcommons.org. If you have any issues with your login method please contact your institution or the provider, such as Google, ORCID, GitHub, or Microsoft.
Your Knowledge Commons profile is your public academic identity on the network. You can share your institutional affiliation, academic interests, websites, social links, and more. This guide explains how to update your information, change your profile photo, and customize your presence on the Commons.
If you’re having difficulty accessing your Knowledge Commons account, there are a few steps you can take to resolve the issue. This guide covers basic troubleshooting, how to identify your login method, and how to clear cookies for the Commons in major browsers. See Login and Registration for updated information on our new login and registration process.
Are you using the same login method you originally registered with?
Your login method might be:
Google
ORCID
Microsoft
GitHub
Your institution’s or organization’s single-sign-on
Using the correct method is essential to signing in successfully.
Try Clearing Your Knowledge Commons Cookies
Some users—especially those who haven’t logged in for a while—may have corrupted login cookies that prevent them from accessing their account.
Clearing cookies only for hcommons.org and cilogon.org often resolves this issue.
Below are step-by-step instructions for Chrome and Firefox.
Clearing Cookies in Google Chrome
Click the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner of Chrome.
Select Settings.
In the left-hand menu, choose Privacy and security.
Click Cookies and other site data.
Scroll down and select See all cookies and site data.
Use the search bar at the top to search for hcommons.org.
Click the trash can icon next to the entry to delete the cookies.
Follow steps 6 and 7 for cilogon.org.
Close the Settings tab and consider restarting your browser.
Clearing Cookies in Mozilla Firefox
Click the three horizontal lines in the upper-right corner of Firefox.
Select Settings.
From the left menu, choose Privacy & Security.
Scroll to the Cookies and Site Data section.
Click Manage Data…
Search for and select hcommons.org.
Click Remove Selected.
Follow steps 6 and 7 for cilogon.org.
Click Save Changes.
A pop-up will warn that you may be logged out of sites—choose Remove to confirm.
Close the Settings tab and consider restarting your browser.
Still Having Trouble?
If CILogon is running and you’re having an issue with your institution’s or organization’s single-sign-on, please contact your local IT or help desk. We’re here to help. Email us at hello@hcommons.org with as much detail as possible, including:
Your username
The login method you believe you used
Any error messages you see
Whether you have already tried clearing cookies
We’ll work with you to get you back into your account.
The News Feed is the central place to view activity across Knowledge Commons and share brief updates with other members. You can access it by clicking News Feed in the main left-hand menu.
Creating and managing your Knowledge Commons account is simple, whether you’re registering for the first time or logging in as a returning user. This guide walks you through the full process, from setting up your account and selecting a login method to adding additional authentication options such as Google, ORCID, or your institution’s Single Sign-On.
Knowledge Commons has implemented an academy-owned identity management system (IDMS) called CILogon. It enables the Commons to support over 5,000 institutional and identity provider logins from InCommon or EduGAIN members worldwide. In addition, users may choose to use their Google, ORCID, GitHub, or Microsoft account to register and log into the site.
If you are not affiliated with an institution or organization that is an InCommon identity provider and do not have a Google, ORCID, GitHub, or Microsoft account, signing up for one of the open methods is free and simply requires a valid email address. Once you’ve chosen your new login method, you will be able to link your account. To see if your institution’s single-sign-on is supported visit CILogon.org.
The New Login Screen
Choose your preferred login method from the list or search for your institution, then follow the login process
Checking “Remember this selection” will automatically log you into the site in the future if you are logged into that method at the time of login (e.g., if you are logged into Gmail and use Google as your login method, when you visit this screen in the future and choose Google once you’ve completed your first login it will automatically log you in)
On the next screen you can associate your existing account with your new login method, or new users can create an account
First Time Logins and Account Association
Once you have associated your account with a new login method through CILogon on your first visit you will not see this screen again unless you add a new login method.
Account Setup
For existing Commons users, enter the email address associated with your account in the box and click submit.
For new users, enter the email address you wish to register with into the box and click submit.
An email will be sent to your email address for verification
For new users:
Fill out the new user form with your name, email address, and check any open Commons you may also wish to join
An email will be sent to your email address for verification
Check your email and click the link to verify it and complete your login
Existing users will click the link and log in
New users will fill out their desired username, full name, and email address
New users may also choose to join the open Commonses, HASTAC and STEMEd+
Add a New Login Method
If you’re logged in, you will need to log out completely. Click the login button on the homepage and follow the steps below:
Pick a new identity provider from the CILogon list that you want to use, and follow the login process
On the next screen, associate your existing account with your new login method using your email address on record
Verify your email by clicking the link sent to you
You should now see the new login method on the “Manage Login Methods and Email Addresses” screen under settings.
To remove an existing login method, visit “Manage Login Methods and Email Addresses” in settings and click the delete button next to the one you wish to remove.
