How can one handle forgotten passwords and allow users to request a new one via email in PHP?

To handle forgotten passwords and allow users to request a new one via email in PHP, you can create a "Forgot Password" functionality that prompts users to enter their email address. Upon submission, a unique token can be generated and stored in the database linked to the user's email. An email containing a link with the token can then be sent to the user, allowing them to reset their password. 

<?php
// Check if form is submitted
if(isset($_POST['submit'])){
    // Get user input
    $email = $_POST['email'];
    
    // Generate a unique token
    $token = md5(uniqid(rand(), true));
    
    // Store token in the database linked to the user's email
    // Send email with link containing the token to reset password
    $reset_link = "http://example.com/reset_password.php?token=".$token;
    $message = "Click the following link to reset your password: ".$reset_link;
    mail($email, "Password Reset", $message);
    
    // Display success message to the user
    echo "An email with instructions to reset your password has been sent to your email address.";
}
?>

Keywords

password reset email PHP security authentication

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