Password reset in Laravel - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Password reset

User clicks 'Forgot Password'

↓

Show password reset request form

↓

User submits email

↓

Validate email exists

Yes↓

Generate reset token

↓

Send reset email with token link

↓

User clicks link in email

↓

Show reset password form

↓

User submits new password

↓

Validate token and password

Yes↓

Update user password

↓

Show success message

↓

END

This flow shows how Laravel handles password reset from user request to password update.

Execution Sample

Laravel

use IlluminateHttpRequest;
use IlluminateSupportFacadesPassword;

Route::post('/forgot-password', function (Request $request) {
    $request->validate(['email' => 'required|email']);
    $status = Password::sendResetLink($request->only('email'));
    return $status === Password::RESET_LINK_SENT
        ? back()->with(['status' => __($status)])
        : back()->withErrors(['email' => __($status)]);
});

This code handles the password reset email request by validating and sending the reset link.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Input	Validation Result	Outcome
1	User submits email	[e-mail]	Valid email format	Proceed to send reset link
2	Check email exists in DB	[e-mail]	Email found	Generate reset token
3	Send reset email	Token generated	Email sent successfully	Show success message
4	User clicks reset link	Token in URL	Token valid and not expired	Show reset password form
5	User submits new password	New password input	Password meets rules	Update password in DB
6	Confirm password update	Password updated	Success	Show password reset success page
7	End	-	-	Process complete

💡 Process ends after password is successfully updated and user is notified.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 5	Final
email	null	[e-mail]	[e-mail]	[e-mail]	[e-mail]
token	null	generated_token_123	generated_token_123	generated_token_123	null
password	null	null	null	new_secure_password	new_secure_password
status	null	RESET_LINK_SENT	RESET_LINK_SENT	PASSWORD_RESET	PASSWORD_RESET

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the process check if the email exists before sending the reset link?

To avoid sending reset links to emails not registered, ensuring security and avoiding confusion. See execution_table step 2 where email validation happens.

What happens if the reset token is expired or invalid when the user clicks the link?

Laravel will reject the token and not show the reset form, preventing unauthorized password changes. This is implied in execution_table step 4.

Why is the token variable null at the end in variable_tracker?

After password reset, the token is invalidated or deleted for security, so it is null at the final step.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the validation result at step 2?

A Email found

B Email not found

C Invalid email format

D Token expired

💡 Hint

Check the 'Validation Result' column in execution_table row for step 2.

At which step does the user submit the new password?

A Step 1

B Step 3

C Step 5

D Step 6

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Action' column in execution_table to find when new password is submitted.

If the email format is invalid, what would change in the execution_table?

A Step 2 would fail with 'Email not found'

B Step 1 validation result would be 'Invalid email format' and process stops

C Token would not be generated at step 3

D Password update would fail at step 5

💡 Hint

Refer to step 1 validation result and how invalid input affects flow.

Concept Snapshot

Password reset in Laravel:
- User requests reset by submitting email
- System validates email and sends reset link with token
- User clicks link, token validated
- User submits new password
- Password updated and token invalidated
- Uses built-in Password facade and routes
- Secure and user-friendly flow

Full Transcript

This visual execution trace shows how Laravel handles password reset. The user starts by clicking 'Forgot Password' and submitting their email. The system validates the email format and checks if it exists in the database. If valid, Laravel generates a reset token and sends an email with a reset link. When the user clicks the link, Laravel validates the token and shows a form to enter a new password. After submitting, the password is validated and updated in the database. The token is then invalidated to prevent reuse. The user sees a success message, completing the process. Variables like email, token, password, and status change through these steps, ensuring security and smooth user experience.