Lost Password Page Type

A lost password page type is used by users to recover a lost password or username. A Lost Password page type may either tell the user their username, allow them to reset their password, or both. Note that passwords cannot be recovered, as Pixelsilk does not store user passwords. The only option is to reset a password.

Although there are three potential uses for a Lost Password page type as stated above, only one may be active on a site at one time.

A standard Lost Password page may look like this:

2011-03-03_153007.png

There is a single main token for the Lost Password Page Type's Content Skin:

  • [[EmailAddress]] - The user's email is entered here, and a Lost Password email is sent to the user.

Additionall, the Lost Password page type defines two extra tokens:

  • [[EmailAddressInvalidText]] - If the entered email address is invalid (not on the site), this token will be populated with an error message.
  • [[EmailAddressFoundText]] - If an email is successfully sent to the user, this token will be populated with a message stating an email was sent.

Both [[EmailAddressInvalidText]] and [[EmailAddressFoundText]] can be configured in the Security Settings Section of Admin.

A Lost Password page type should include an <input type="submit" /> or similar method to submit the form.

Creating a Lost Password Page

To create a Lost Password page, first a page type must be created. Enter the design-area.pngarea of Admin and proceed to the Page Types tab. Click Add New Page Type, enter the name of the page type (such as "Lost Password"), and select the base type as Lost Password. Click save-button.pngto create the new page type.

2011-03-03_154128.png

Next, click the pencil pencil-button.pngof the new page type to edit it. Enter the skins tab, and enter the Content Skin. Note that although a [[Content]] token is present in the skin by default, a content token has no behavior in an Email Verification page type. If you would like an editable content are above or below the content skin, use an editable webbox.

In the content skin you may skin your page as desired. The above example is skinned as the following:

<h1>Lost Password</h1>
<p>If you have lost your password, then please
    enter your email so that you may reset your password.</p>
<div>
  <label for="EmailAddress">Email Address:</label>
  <span>[[EmailAddress]]</span>
</div>
<input type="submit" value="Submit" />
<p style="color: red;">[[EmailAddressInvalidText]]</p>
<p style="color: green;">[[EmailAddressFoundText]]</p>

As with all pixelsilk forms, there is no <form> tag, but an <input type="submit" /> is present.

Create a Page

Finally, an actual page needs to be created, using the page type which was just created. This page can be named to your liking, and the URL will only be used be normal Pixelsilk links.

Lost Password Email

When a user successfully submits the form, they will be emailed the information which has been configured in the Lost Password page type.

If you have not done so already, see Configuring Default Email Settings to set up defaults required for the Lost Password email.

To start, enter the settings-area.png area of Admin, and enter the Emails tab. Open the Set Password URL bar. To set a full email:

  1. Choose the from address for the email. This can either be the default address which was set up above, or a custom email for this specific email.
    2011-02-18_125558.png
  2. Add any CC addresses or BCC addresses that will be included in the email.
    2011-02-18_125744.png
  3. Select a subject for the email:
    2011-03-03_164324.png
  4. Write the body of the email. This is the text that the user will see. The body of the email is full HTML, and all HTML tags can and should be used (such as <p> tags for paragraphs). There are two valid tokens in Lost Password email:
    • [[SetPasswordUrl]] - A relative URL to the Set Password page. For more information on what this URL it set to, see the Set Password Page Type page.
    • [[username]] - The username of the user who requested the form. This can be used to make the Lost Password email a Lost Username email.
    Note that if any token is used that is not included in this list, then the email sending will fail, and the user will receive a hidden error message when they attempt to recover a username or password.
    2011-03-03_165953.png
  5. Click save-button.png to save all changes. Note that the bar may not close, but the email has been saved correctly.

Resetting a User's Password

The [[SetPasswordUrl]] link in the Lost Password email allows a user to reset their password. It links to a Set Password page. See the Set Password Page Type for more information on this link.

Send Password Link

If, for any reason, a user has forgotten their password and does not have access to the Lost Password page, a Lost Password email may be sent manually from Admin. Enter the users-area.pngarea of admin and click the pencil pencil-button.pngby the use in question. By clicking 2011-03-03_170924.png, the user will receive the Lost Password email.