How to reset password by sending mail to it

Resetting a password by sending a mail to the user's registered email address is a common practice in many applications. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to implement this feature:

Prerequisites:

  1. You have a user authentication system in place, with users registered and their email addresses stored in your database.
  2. You have a password reset functionality in your application.

Step 1: Generate a reset token

When a user requests a password reset, generate a unique reset token. This token should be a random string of characters that is stored in your database along with the user's ID.

Step 2: Send a password reset email

Using your email service (e.g., Sendgrid, Mailgun, etc.), send an email to the user's registered email address with the following information:

  1. A subject line indicating that a password reset request has been made (e.g., "Password Reset Request").
  2. A brief message explaining that a password reset request has been made and that the user needs to click on a link to reset their password.
  3. A link to a password reset page, which will be discussed in the next step.

The email should look something like this:

Subject: Password Reset Request

Dear [User Name],

A password reset request has been made for your account. To reset your password, please click on the following link:

https://example.com/reset-password/[reset-token]

If you did not make this request, please ignore this email and contact our support team.

Best regards,
[Your Application Name]

Step 3: Create a password reset page

Create a page in your application that accepts the reset token and allows the user to reset their password. This page should:

  1. Verify the reset token by checking if it matches the one stored in your database.
  2. If the token is valid, display a form for the user to enter their new password.
  3. Validate the new password and update the user's password in your database.

Here's an example of what the password reset page might look like:

<form action="/reset-password" method="post">
  <label for="new-password">New Password:</label>
  <input type="password" id="new-password" name="new-password">
  <label for="confirm-password">Confirm Password:</label>
  <input type="password" id="confirm-password" name="confirm-password">
  <input type="hidden" name="reset-token" value="[reset-token]">
  <button type="submit">Reset Password</button>
</form>

Step 4: Handle the password reset request

When the user submits the password reset form, validate the new password and update the user's password in your database. If the password reset is successful, log the user in and redirect them to the application's login page.

Security considerations:

  1. Make sure to store the reset token securely in your database and only allow it to be used once.
  2. Use a secure email service that can send emails with a high level of encryption.
  3. Validate the user's email address before sending the password reset email to prevent spamming.
  4. Implement rate limiting to prevent brute-force attacks on the password reset page.

By following these steps, you can implement a password reset feature that sends a mail to the user's registered email address with a link to reset their password.