Definition: registration

To sign up to a website by entering name, address, email address, etc., and very often creating a password to log in. Websites may offer free information, news and other services but require registration in order to learn more about the user. Unscrupulous website publishers may also sell their users' email addresses.

As registered users frequent the site, the publisher derives demographics about its audience and can target ads and services that make the site more profitable. For the user, registration makes logging in again faster, and it may enable the site to tailor information to the user.