What are best practices for handling hidden input values in PHP forms?

When handling hidden input values in PHP forms, it is important to ensure that sensitive information is not exposed to users. To achieve this, you should avoid storing sensitive data in hidden input fields and instead use session variables or server-side validation to securely pass data between form submissions.

<?php
session_start();

// Set a session variable with the value you want to pass between form submissions
$_SESSION['my_hidden_value'] = 'secret';

// Retrieve the hidden value from the session when processing the form submission
$hiddenValue = $_SESSION['my_hidden_value'];

// Clear the session variable after use to prevent exposure
unset($_SESSION['my_hidden_value']);
?>