What Passkeys means
Passkeys are built on FIDO standards and are designed to resist phishing, since there is no password to steal or type into a fake site. Major platforms and many services now support them. They are a strong option for both staff accounts and customer logins.
Why it matters for your website
Passkeys remove the password that phishers try to steal, so fake login pages don't work against them. They are tied to the real website, which makes them much harder to trick or reuse. For customers, they can also make signing in faster, which can mean fewer abandoned logins.
Example
A marketing director sets up a passkey for her hosting account. Now she signs in with her fingerprint, and a fake login page sent in a phishing email can't capture anything useful.
Tips
- Turn on passkeys for important accounts like email, hosting and your domain registrar when offered.
- Set up passkeys on more than one device so you have a backup.
- Keep a recovery method in place in case you lose your device.
Common mistakes
- Setting up a passkey on only one phone and getting locked out when it's lost.
- Assuming passkeys mean you can ignore account recovery settings.
Questions about Passkeys
What is Passkeys?
A passwordless sign-in method that uses a device's unlock (fingerprint, face or PIN) and cryptographic keys.
Are passkeys safer than passwords?
Yes. Passkeys can't be guessed or reused, and they resist phishing because they only work on the site they were created for.
What happens to my passkeys if I lose my phone?
If your passkeys sync through a password manager or platform account, you can restore them on a new device. Otherwise, use a backup passkey or the account's recovery options.
