Send email with special(generated) link for sending confirmation email

Question

I want to use html form for submitting some data/info as email to specific(one) recipient with specific/unique generated link, so when the recipient get the email with the info and generated link, he could click the link and confirm this information by sending another email(email address filled in the html form) with some confirmation text.

So in short:

Form submit --> request email sent to the recipient with generated confirmation link --> if confirmation link is clicked, then send email to address from the Form submit.

Basically I know how to make a proper html form and send the email to specific recipient, but I don't how to generate a link(would this be enough: $generatedKey = sha1(mt_rand(10000,99999).time().$email);?), and how to send email to the address from HTML form when confirmation is approved?

Now, I've being thinking about this, and I came up with the following scenario, but I don't understand how to transfer the sender email(the one that filled in the HTML form):

Confirmation linked clicked --> landing on the page and request authorization --> proceed to inner PHP script with auto sending email to the email address from HTML form(how do I get it?!).

Generating unique values in PHP seems to be tricky. You could use an online GUID generator e.g. uuidgenerator.net/api to get unique IDs to use in your confirmation email. As for the rest of the question I'm confused as to where a HTML form submit comes into it? Surely the user just clicks on the confirmation link, which goes to the URL. The script verifies that the GUID is valid and not been used before, and sends an email. What would be the need for a form? If the user already completed their info in the first form, why would you make them re-confirm it? It will look like phishing — ADyson
– ADyson, Commented Nov 22, 2017 at 14:52
why are you avoiding DB? You could use a file system but..... that's like a DB but without most the benefits — Mm-Art-In
– Mm-Art-In, Commented Nov 22, 2017 at 15:00
If I know your email address and have access to unixtimestamp.com then I can easily generate those 10k possible sha1 outcomes (from your mt_rand) and can find one that works within minutes. Actual minutes. — Mm-Art-In
– Mm-Art-In, Commented Nov 22, 2017 at 15:04
why use DB if there's no need for it? This question raises an absolutely perfect need for it. — Mm-Art-In
– Mm-Art-In, Commented Nov 22, 2017 at 15:05

Mm-Art-In · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-22 15:25:50Z

This is longer than a comment so I set as an answer summarising our extensive comments below the question.

Due to the OP stating they wont be using Databases to track data then it seems fairly impractical [for me] to provide a solution that doesn't use databases. There are other methods (filesystem / cookies / sessions) but these suffer significant shortcomings such as security, reliability and/or practicality.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Send email with special(generated) link for sending confirmation email

1 Answer 1

7 Comments

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

7 Comments

Linked

Related