From Friction to Flow: How FedCM Drove a 15x Surge in User Sign-ups for a Major Publisher

The identity landscape is going through its most significant shift in two decades. As web browsers kill off third-party cookies, the easy, familiar experience of "Sign in with Google/Facebook" is becoming fragile—and the friction of outdated login walls is costing businesses dearly.

But a new, privacy-first solution called Federated Credential Management (FedCM) is proving that better privacy and drastically improved user experience aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, for Axel Springer, one of Europe's largest media and technology companies, implementing FedCM resulted in a registration surge of over 1,500% (15X).

The Problem: Friction Costs Revenue

For years, social login was the default for easy sign-up. However, these systems relied on third-party cookies for cross-site communication, allowing for the kind of user tracking that has led to major privacy crackdowns across the web. Now, as browsers like Firefox and Safari already block these cookies and Chrome prepares to follow suit, this familiar method is breaking.

To compound the issue, publishers and subscription services often rely on hard registration walls to prompt sign-up. As Thomas Bergemann, General Director Product & Revenue for Axel Springer, noted in a recent webinar, this friction was creating a massive leak: his sites were losing up to 20% of traffic during these forced registration flows.

The choice seemed grim: either lose users to high friction or try to squeeze them through social login flows that are becoming unreliable and privacy-invasive.

A Case Study Highlight: A 15x Increase in Registrations

Axel Springer decided to integrate FedCM across key properties, including BILD and WELT, making them one of the first major publishers in Germany to adopt the new standard. The results were immediate and staggering:

“We see a 1,500% or 15X increase by the registration... Nobody imagined that.”

— Thomas Bergemann, Axel Springer

The implementation achieved two critical, counter-intuitive wins simultaneously:

• Eliminating Friction: By replacing clumsy redirect pages, new browser windows, and complicated registration forms with a native browser prompt, FedCM made the sign-in/sign-up process virtually instant.
• Increased Data Quality: Before FedCM, many sign-ups used fake email addresses or dummy credentials to bypass the walls. With FedCM, the authentication process uses verified identity provider data, meaning almost all new users are valid accounts, which reduces costs for cleanup and re-engagement later on.

This proved a vital lesson: the biggest obstacle wasn't users being unwilling to sign up, but rather the sheer hassle of the outdated registration technology. FedCM simply got out of the user's way.

Why FedCM is the Modern Business Imperative

FedCM is more than just a new API; it’s a modern identity standard built around consumer trust and operational efficiency. It delivers a "Trust Trifecta" that directly impacts your bottom line:

1. Less Friction, Better UX

FedCM leverages native browser APIs (similar to Passkeys) to display a beautiful, simple sign-in prompt directly within the current page. There are no frustrating pop-ups, modals, or full-page redirects needed to authenticate. For the end-user, the process feels quick, seamless, and trustworthy.

2. Higher Quality Data, Lower Cost

As proven by the Axel Springer case, the registration volume isn't just higher—it's cleaner. Because FedCM works directly with verified Identity Providers (IdPs), the business receives validated user data, significantly reducing the operational cost associated with cleaning up fake or fraudulent accounts.

3. Business Stability and Future-Proofing

By reducing user drop-off and increasing high-quality registrations, you create a far more stable base for revenue and advertising. Axel Springer also noted that FedCM usage delivered stabilization for its advertising business. This shows that linking user identity to a secure, modern flow is key to future-proofing your business model against further privacy changes.

Conclusion: Get Off the Sidelines

The death of the third-party cookie isn't just a technical challenge—it's a massive opportunity for businesses to build deeper, more meaningful, and higher-converting relationships with their users.

The results from early adopters like Axel Springer make it clear: implementing FedCM provides a distinct competitive advantage. Don't wait until the traditional social login methods break completely. By embracing a privacy-first identity solution today, you can eliminate user friction and secure your future growth.

Ready to see how fast you can turn friction into flow?

Get more information on FedCM - https://www.ory.com/fedcm

Watch the FedCM/Axel Springer webinar (on demand) - https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0p2Bpl0

Test your integrations on our free MockFedCM resource site - https://mockfedcm.com/