All web developers at one point or another have to label a login button. A link that takes the user to a screen where they can authenticate themselves, but there doesn’t seem to be any clear concensus as to what to call the “authenticate” and “deauthenticate” functions or even how to write them.
Here are how some of the most popular sites took on this matter:
Notice not only the wording, but also the differences in upper and lower case notations.
| Name | Create session | Destroy session | Path |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign In | Sign Out | /login | |
| MSN/Hotmail | sign in | sign out | /login.sfr |
| Sign in | Sign out | /Login | |
| MySpace | sign in | Sign Out | /index.cfm |
| YouTube | Sign In | Sign Out | /login |
| flickr | Sign In | Sign Out | |
| Logout | /login.php | ||
| Login | Sign out | /login | |
| Last.fm | Log in | Log out | /login |
| Wikipedia | Log in | log out | /w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin |
Side notes:
- Twitter is the only one in the list that uses the Login / Sign out combination
- Facebook doesn’t seem to have a dedicated Login button that goes to a login screen
- flickr does have a login button, but it uses Yahoo for authentication
Author: Tanin
Tanin in an information technology consultant specializing in complex heterogeneous environments. He can be reached through multiple social networking sites including Twitter.
Unlike some other people I could mention, I will refrain from referring to myself in the third person. My name is Tanin Ehrami. You may know me from such plug-ins as 
Note that “login” is an adjective or noun, but “log in” is a verb phrase. So if your buttons are labeled with verbs (as they should be according to typical user interface guidelines), then the login button should read “log in,” not “login.”
Use the login button labeled “log in” to log in with your login.
Oh, Strunk, I’m so glad somebody else has this pet peeve of mine.
Disappointing article. Outlines a beginning for the debate: “Which is best?”, but makes no attempt to discuss it.
I’m sick of the vagueness that surrounds this issue. Why is it so hard for someone of note to, with methodical reasoning and clear judgement, define a basic, standardised vocabulary for web developers to refer to?
Pete, I’m sorry that you find this article dissapointing. It was only intended as an observation…a roundup.
If you want my opinion on this issue, I’m currently using the “Sign in” / “Sign out” combination in my projects but am increasingly inclined to move away from using words. Using symbolic images in combination with self-explanatory forms have the potential of giving users a smoother interface experience. I like how Twitter does it now even though it requires Javascript (the sign in button takes you to http://twitter.com/login if you don’t have javascript on).
Hi, I’am having problem signing out of a site. While logging in to my live.com acct.Unfortunately,my inbox froze & i can’t read any of my emails. Clicked sign out & realized that it appeared a X sign saying : X https://ssl.facebook.com/accept_token.php
Clicked Try Again,but unsuccesful…pls advise. Tks
@may
Please read http://windowslivehelp.com/community/t/46658.aspx
Wow, Tanin, you get all kinds here! Thanks for the survey, this is helpful in work I am doing currently.
@Strunk: great example sentence showing the verbs & nouns. I’m working with a site that has confused them.
Good reply Strunk, I was also hoping this article would draw some conclusion, but never mind.
I think even though I’ve used Signup for my own user registration, and by rights should use Sign in and Sign out to match, I’m going to go with Log in and Log out as I’m an old skool computer user, and log in/log out where common place back then.
There’s no right or wrong to this decision, it is purely up to the developer. But as Strunk pointed out, from a grammar and UI perspective it is important to use good English and meet UI guidelines.
never forgotten