validation link via email

Question

When a user subscribes to my newsletter via their email address, using php, how would I send them an \'Activation Link\' via email to confirm it is their email address and n

Answer 1

Here is my full solution scenario :

CREATE TABLE signup  (
id INT(6) UNSIGNED AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
username VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
password VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
email VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
token VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,
verified VARCHAR(50),
registration_date TIMESTAMP,
maxdate TIMESTAMP
);

Add signup page signup.php

Add the following form:

    <form name="signupform" method="post" action="process.php">
    Username:
    <input type="text" name="username">
    <br> Password:
    <input type="text" name="password">
    <br> Email:
    <input type="text" name="email">
    <br>
    <input type="submit" value="Signup">
</form>

Create process.php page:

<?php
$username = $_POST['username'];
$email = $_POST['email'];
$password = $_POST['password'];
date_default_timezone_set('America/New_York');
$registration_date = date('Y-m-d H:i:s');
$verified = 0;
$maxdate = date('Y-m-d H:i:s', strtotime($registration_date . ' +1 day'));
$salt = uniqid(mt_rand() , true);
$token = msha1(registration_date . md5($salt));
$sql = "INSERT INTO signup (username, password, email, token, verified, registration_date, maxdate) VALUES ('$username', '$password', '$email', '$token', '$verified', '$registration_date', '$maxdate')";

if (mysqli_query($conn, $sql))
    {
    $msg = 'Please click this link to verify your email: http://www.yourdomain.com/verifyemail.php?token=' . $token;
    mail($email, $subject, $msg);
    }
  else
    {
    echo mysql_error();
    }

?>

afterwards create verifyemail.php :

<?php
$token = $_REQUEST['token'];
date_default_timezone_set('America/New_York');
$current_time = date('Y-m-d H:i:s');
$sql = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE token='$token' AND maxtime >'$current_time' AND verified=0";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);
$notverified = mysqli_num_rows($result);

if ($notverified)
    {
    $sql = "update signup set verified=1 where token='$token'";
    $result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);
    if ($result)
        {
        echo 'Email verified';
        }
      else
        {
        echo 'Error';
        }
    }
  else
    {
    echo 'Link expired';
    }

?>