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Free Plugin by Elementor v1.1.0

Sticklight

Use WordPress authentication and permissions in external React applications via secure REST API endpoints.

Sticklight

The facts

Active installs
200+
Price
Free
Last updated
3 Jun 2026
Added
May 2026
Requires WP
6.8
Tested up to
WP 7.0.4
Requires PHP
7.4
Downloads
998

Our analysis

AI-assisted

Sticklight is a WordPress plugin that enhances the WordPress user system for use in external applications, particularly those built with React. It extends the WordPress REST API by adding endpoints that allow authenticated clients to access user context and interact with WordPress data, while adhering to core authentication methods and permission checks.

This plugin is suitable for developers working on headless or hybrid WordPress setups, as well as those creating admin or user dashboards outside of the traditional WordPress admin interface. It provides a structured way to authenticate and manage user access for external tools requiring WordPress data.

Best for: Developers creating React applications or headless WordPress setups.

What it does well

  • Extends WordPress REST API with additional endpoints
  • Authenticates using wp_authenticate and Application Passwords
  • Enforces WordPress capability checks on all requests
  • Supports cross-origin headless setups
  • Extensible via WordPress hooks and filters

Where it falls short

  • Limited information on user feedback or ratings
  • No details on specific use cases beyond those mentioned

Verdict

Sticklight offers a practical solution for integrating WordPress user management into external applications. It is particularly useful for developers looking to implement secure authentication in custom environments.

From the developer

Elementor's own description of Sticklight, lightly tidied.

Sticklight Connector provides a structured way to use the WordPress user system in external or React-based applications.

The plugin extends the WordPress REST API with additional endpoints that allow authenticated clients to retrieve user context and interact with WordPress data, while fully respecting core authentication methods, roles, and capability checks.

Sticklight does not replace WordPress authentication. It relies on wp_authenticate for credential validation and WordPress Application Passwords for API access, and follows standard permission checks (current_user_can) for all requests.

Typical use cases

  • React applications connected to a WordPress site
  • Headless or hybrid WordPress setups
  • Admin or user dashboards built outside wp-admin
  • External tools that require authenticated access to WordPress data

Features

  • Authenticates via wp_authenticate and issues Application Passwords for API access
  • Adds REST endpoints for login, logout, and retrieving current user context
  • Enforces WordPress capability checks on all requests
  • Supports cross-origin headless setups
  • Extensible via WordPress hooks and filters

Usage

Login

Authenticate with username (or email) and password:

POST /wp-json/sticklight/v1/auth/login

On success the response includes an Application Password for subsequent API requests and the authenticated user:

{
  "app_password": "XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX",
  "user": {
    "user_id": 1,
    "username": "admin",
    "display_name": "Admin",
    "email": "admin@example.com",
    "roles": ["administrator"]
  }
}

Use the returned app_password with HTTP Basic Authentication for all further requests.

Current user

Retrieve the current authenticated user:

Read the full description on the official page →

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