Joomla Core

Other Joomla! FAQ

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of protection to your website login. In addition to your username and password, you’ll enter a temporary six-digit code from an authenticator app on your phone or another device.

This means that if someone obtains your password, they still cannot log into your account without the additional verification code.

Each person with access should have their own website login. If your organization currently shares an account, contact interGen support before setting up MFA.

Before You Start

You’ll need an authenticator app that can generate verification codes.

Common options include:

Google Authenticator
Microsoft Authenticator
Authy
A password manager that supports verification codes

If you already use one of these for another account, you can use the same app for your website.

Set Up MFA

1. Log into your website

Go to your website’s administrator login: https://yourwebsite.com/administrator

2. Open your account settings

In the upper-right corner of the Joomla administrator area:

Select the User Menu.
Select Edit Account.
Open the Multi-factor Authentication tab.

MFA can only be set up by the person who owns the account. Another administrator cannot configure it on your behalf.

3. Add a verification code

Under Multi-factor Authentication, select the option to add a Verification Code.

Joomla will display a QR code on the screen.

4. Add the website to your authenticator app

Open your authenticator app and choose the option to add a new account.

Use your phone or device to scan the QR code displayed by Joomla.

Your authenticator app will begin displaying a six-digit code for your website.

5. Confirm the setup

Enter the current six-digit code from your authenticator app into Joomla when prompted.

Complete the setup and save your changes.

MFA is now enabled for your account.

What Changes When You Log In?

You will still enter your Joomla username and password as usual.

After that, Joomla will ask for your verification code. Open your authenticator app, find the entry for your website, and enter the current six-digit code.

These codes change automatically, so you do not need to remember or save them.

Save Your Backup Codes

After setting up MFA, Joomla can provide backup codes.

Save these somewhere secure and separate from your authenticator device. Each backup code can be used once if you cannot access your normal verification method.

Do not store your backup codes in the same place as your website password.

Getting a New Phone?

Before removing or resetting your old phone, make sure your authenticator information has been transferred to your new device or add another authentication method to your Joomla account.

If you lose access to your authenticator without another MFA method or backup code available, you may be unable to log into your website.

Need Help?

If you have trouble setting up MFA or are unsure whether it is working correctly, contact interGen support at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or open a support ticket.

Please do not send passwords, verification codes, QR codes, or backup codes by email.

Sometimes, when you are having issues not being able to immediately see changes on your site (or other problems), a simple fix is to clear your browser cache. Try clearing your browser cache to see if that resolves the issue. If not, feel free to reach out and let us know.

Instructions for clearing your browser cache:

Our system automatically renews SSL Certificates for all the sites we host. Current interGen clients do not need to take any additional action when you receive these notifications. For more information on the importance of SSL certificates, click here.

It looks like the article that you are trying to edit was "checked out". Sometimes this can happen if an administrator opens an article and then leaves the page (closes their browser tab or hits the back button) without "closing" or using "save and close". This leaves the article checked out to that user. As an administrator you can "check-in" the article by clicking the small padlock next to the article title.

Careful! If you hover over the lock button it will tell you who last checked the article out and when. If you check-in an article that another user is still actively editing, none of their changes will be saved.

You can also check-in all articles on your website at any time from the backend of your site by going to "System > Global Check-in" in the backend of your site. Check any rows that have items checked out, and click the Check-in button to remove the padlock from all items across the site.

At interGen, we're committed to speaking a language you can understand at a pace you can follow. We are teachers and customer service reps for our clients before we are web geeks. At the same time, we don't want to waste your time throwing definitions to terms you already understand all over our website. So, we've developed this dictionary of complicated web terms explained in plain English.

Content Management System (CMS)

An application that keeps track of every piece of content on your Web site, much like your local public library keeps track of books and stores them. Content can be simple text, photos, music, video, documents, etc.

Hosting

Web Hosting or Hosting is a service provided by a vendor which offers a physical location for the storage of web pages and files. Think of a Web Hosting as a type of landlord, they rent physical space on their servers allowing webpages to be viewed on the Internet.

Joomla!

The primary website development platform for interGen. Joomla! is an award-winning content management system (CMS), which enables you to build Web sites and powerful online applications. Read more about why we love Joomla!

RSS

RSS stands for Real-time Simple Syndication. RSS is a program that takes the latest headlines from different web sites, and pushes those headlines down to your computer for quick scanning. Instead of having to visit 14 different places to get your weather, sports, favorite photos, latest gossip, or latest political debates, you just go to one screen (your RSS reader) and see all of the RSS feeds you have signed up for combined into a single window.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization refers to the steps a website owner takes to improve the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's (usually Google) unpaid results. It can also be referred to as "natural" or "organic" search engine results. Read more about interGen's SEO offerings.

SSL

SSL ( which stands for Secure Sockets Layer) is a digital certificate that authenticates a website's identity and encrypts information sent through that site. It is the global standard for security technology on websites. Read more about how to secure a website with SSL.

Web Design

The "front-end" of web development, web design involves designing the layout and user interface of the website, just like how a restaurant design the physical space that customers will interact with. In a restaurant, this can include things like the layout of the tables, the menu board, and the decor. On a website, this includes things like the template, images, UX, and design. Read more

Web Development

The "back-end" of web development involves creating and managing the functionality of the website, similar to the kitchen and staff of a restaurant. In a restaurant, the staff manages all the tasks hidden to customers like maintaining cleanliness, cooking the food, and settling checks. On a website, the code, database, and software components do the behind the scenes work to make sure all the elements of the website work: forms are sent, orders are processed, pages load quickly, etc. Read more

Web Server

A web server is a computer that stores websites on the Internet and delivers web pages to viewers upon request. interGen has a dedicated server for all of our clients, and we rent out space on that server for our clients to set up their own websites.