How To Send A Password Reset Email: 7 Best Practices

Password reset emails are yet another way you can interact with your customers. What's more, you can use them to leave a great impression. This guide will help you write the best password reset emails.

On how many occasions has a password slipped your mind? I don't know about you, but it sure is a recurring theme in my life. With so many password protected sites out there, it's almost impossible to keep track of all your passwords!

This makes reset requests a very standard, day to day form of communication between businesses and their customers, which is exactly why you should put some thought into writing them.

We put together the top best practices that will elevate your password reset emails so you can make the process for your customers as efficient as possible.

How do password reset emails work?

When a user forgets their password and is no longer able to log in, they can click on a “Forgot password?” link that will lead to a password reset email sent to their inbox—a step that helps to main the account's security.

That email contains a password reset link that, in turn, leads to a confirmation page where the user is asked to create a new password to complete the account recovery process.

7 best practices for writing a standup password reset email

1. Send it immediately

First things first, when asking for a password reset, customers expect your instant response in order to quickly regain access to their account. You don't want your customers getting frustrated and losing interest in your service due to bad timing.

Always send password reset emails the moment a request is made, which may also be done using an automated service.

Explore our latest posts for reviews of SendGrid alternatives and the best email providers of 2023.

2. Write a straightforward subject line and “from” address

Password reset emails call for subject lines that are clear and direct. There's no need for getting fancy with it, just simply let users know that this is the email that holds the link towards their account recovery process.

A clear and direct subject line is all you need to make users open this email, since they're the ones who requested it in the first place.

Useful examples: “Reset your Mailer To Go password” and “Mailer To Go: Reset your password.”

As for your “from” address, make sure that the sender's email account name matches the name signed at the bottom of the email.

Although sending your email from a no-reply address is not always recommended from a customer service point of view, it is considered more secure since replying to this email exposes the password reset link to your customer support agent.

A good compromise in this situation would be to not use a no-reply address, but still state explicitly that it's not recommended to reply directly to the email. As an incentive, add a link for the customer to contact customer support in case they have further questions.

3. Include a password reset link

It may be number 3 on this list, but including a password reset link is by far the most important part of this email.

When sending a password reset email, it's very important to remember the reset part! Don't ever include a physical password (not even a temporary one), since it's a security threat. Instead of a password, include a link for the user to click on and safely reset their password.

Another way to ensure a safe password reset is to make the resetting link time-limited. When using an expiring link, remember to inform the customer of its validity period in a clear and obvious manner.

4. Provide information about who requested the reset

Give your customers additional information regarding the person who requested the password reset, in case they confirm they are not the ones who did so and the email was sent to the wrong email address.

You can add information about the browser or operating system from which the request was made from or even an IP address.

5. Keep things short and to the point

Short and sweet is always the smart choice when it comes to transactional emails. When a user sends a password reset request, they're most likely anxious to log back in to their account, so help them do just that and efficiently.

However, that doesn't mean it's a crime to add a little value-driven content to your email, just make sure that it doesn't hijack the spotlight from the password reset link.

6. Include text as well as HTML

If you want to increase the chances of your email reaching its destination and bypassing that spam folder, make sure it includes both an HTML and plain text. By doing so, you will improve delivery rates given that HTML-only emails don't often pass spam filters.

7. How to contact support

Make your business as helpful and approachable as possible and don't leave your customers hanging out to dry. Sending just the reset email, by itself, isn't enough. What if the link doesn't work or if the customer happens to have more questions?

Make it easy for them to reach out by adding different ways to get them connected to your support team.

Mailer To Go can automate your password reset emails

A reset password request should not be taken for granted but rather can be viewed as an opportunity to show your customers how valued they are by your business.

We recommend using an automated, transactional email service to send customized confirmation emails based on the best practices we wrote above.

Mailer To Go provides a simple, secure, and scalable automated email delivery service and it's very easy to install and utilize; there's no need to learn a new mail API and you can simply use your programming language of choice's SMTP library.

Click here to find out more and give it a try.

Explore our latest posts for more email deliverability best practices and insights.

Frequently asked questions

What is a password reset email?

A password reset email is a type of transactional email that is sent to users when they request to change their password. This email typically contains a link that the user can click on to reset their password.

The link often leads to a secure page where the user can enter a new password.

How do I send a password reset email?

Sending a password reset email typically involves setting up a process on your website or app where users can request a password reset. When a user requests a reset, your system generates a unique, temporary link and send it to the user's registered email address.

This can be easily managed using a transactional email service provider like Mailer To Go.

What should be included in a password reset email?

A password reset email should include a clear subject line indicating that it's a password reset request, the user's name or username for identification, a secure link for the user to reset their password, and instructions on what to do if the user didn't request a password reset.

It's also good practice to include a note about the expiration of the reset link for security purposes.

Why haven't I received my password reset email?

If you haven't received your password reset email, it could be due to a few reasons. The email might have been caught by your spam filter, so check your spam or junk folder. It's also possible that there might be a delay with the email provider.

If you're still not receiving the email after checking these, contact the support team of the website or app for further assistance.

Is a password reset email secure?

A password reset email is generally secure, but it's important to ensure that the reset link is temporary and expires after a certain period of time or after it's been used. This helps prevent unauthorized access to the user's account. I

It's also important to use a secure, reputable transactional email service provider like Mailer To Go to send these emails.