PHP Email Verification - Tutorial by Mailtrap

[@jigpogixx1026]

Beginner here! Can I also integrate or use that functionality to codeigniter 4 framework? need some guidance

[@mailtrap.]

Thanks for watching! And thank you for your question.
Let's see.
The core concept of email verification in PHP is the same as in CodeIgniter 4 since CodeIgniter 4 is built using PHP. Both approaches follow similar steps:
User Registration: Store user details and a verification token in the database.
Email Sending: Send an email with a unique link containing the token.
Token Verification: When the user clicks the link, check the token and activate the user account.
However, CodeIgniter 4 provides a framework structure and built-in libraries to simplify this process compared to raw PHP. Let me break down the differences:
Key Differences:
Framework Support:
PHP: You need to manually handle everything-database connection, query preparation, email configuration, validation, routing, etc.
CodeIgniter 4: It offers pre-built classes for emailing, routing, and database handling, which reduces code complexity. CodeIgniter's built-in services like Email make it easier to send emails.
Routing:
PHP: You’ll need to define the routing manually or use .htaccess to handle dynamic URLs for token verification.
CodeIgniter 4: Routes are configured via the app/Config/Routes.php file, simplifying the process of mapping URLs to controller actions.
Security:
PHP: You need to manually implement security measures, such as sanitizing input, hashing passwords, and escaping data.
CodeIgniter 4: The framework has built-in security features like CSRF protection, XSS filtering, and input validation, reducing the risk of common vulnerabilities.
Email Handling:
PHP: You would typically use mail() or external libraries like PHPMailer to send emails.
CodeIgniter 4: The framework offers its own Email library, which simplifies email sending, configuration, and error handling.
Validation:
PHP: You must manually validate email addresses, user input, and token handling.
CodeIgniter 4: Offers a validation library that helps validate user input with predefined rules.
Check out this code comparisons:
Raw PHP Verification:
// registration.php (User Registration)
$email = $_POST['email'];
$token = bin2hex(random_bytes(16));
$hashedPassword = password_hash($_POST['password'], PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
// Save user and token to the database
$pdo->prepare("INSERT INTO users (email, password, token) VALUES (?, ?, ?)")
->execute([$email, $hashedPassword, $token]);
// Send email
$subject = "Verify your email";
$message = "Please click the link to verify your email: yourdomain.com/verify.php?token=$token";
mail($email, $subject, $message);
// verify.php (Verification)
$token = $_GET['token'];
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE token = ?");
$stmt->execute([$token]);
$user = $stmt->fetch();
if ($user) {
// Verify user
$pdo->prepare("UPDATE users SET token = NULL, is_verified = 1 WHERE id = ?")
->execute([$user['id']]);
echo "Email verified!";
} else {
echo "Invalid token!";
}
CodeIgniter 4 example:
// app/Controllers/AuthController.php
use App\Models\UserModel;
class AuthController extends BaseController
{
public function register()
{
$userModel = new UserModel();
$userData = [
'email' => $this->request->getPost('email'),
'password' => password_hash($this->request->getPost('password'), PASSWORD_DEFAULT),
'email_verification_token' => bin2hex(random_bytes(16)),
];
if ($userModel->insert($userData)) {
$this->sendVerificationEmail($userData['email'], $userData['email_verification_token']);
return redirect()->to('/login')->with('message', 'Please check your email to verify your account.');
}
return redirect()->back()->withInput()->with('error', 'Registration failed');
}
private function sendVerificationEmail($email, $token)
{
$emailService = \Config\Services::email();
$emailService->setTo($email);
$emailService->setFrom('[e-mail]', 'Your Website');
$emailService->setSubject('Verify your email');
$emailService->setMessage("Click the link to verify your email: " . base_url('auth/verify/' . $token));
$emailService->send();
}
public function verify($token)
{
$userModel = new UserModel();
$user = $userModel->where('email_verification_token', $token)->first();
if ($user) {
$userModel->update($user['id'], ['email_verification_token' => null, 'is_verified' => 1]);
return redirect()->to('/login')->with('message', 'Email successfully verified!');
}
return redirect()->to('/login')->with('error', 'Invalid token!');
}
}
We hope this helps.
Let us know. Good luck!

[@ElmoPlayss]

This is not working, SMTP Error: Could not authenticate.

[@ivandjuric3676]

Hey man, I got the same error when I set up MT a while ago. The thing that bugged me was that I thought it was like Gmail SMTP, so I used my Mailtrap account name instead of 'username' that's in the credentials tab. Hope it helps my guy 🍻

[@mailtrap.]

Hey, thanks for your help and comment! Yes, it's true. One needs to use username from MT credentials, not the account name!
Cheers! Thanks for being with us! Stay tuned!

[@whitishcreates]

Bro please help me. I am working on a to do list web app in which I want to send email notificationfor those users whose tasks are pending. And I am stuck 😢😢😢

[@ivandjuric3676]

@@whitishcreates which language/framework my guy?

[@whitishcreates]

@@ivandjuric3676 php and mysql.