Things to remember when designing a password reset email

What to remember about when designing a password reset email?

1. The email should always be sent from the domain of the application/service which is used to reset the password.

2. It should be clear from the sender name as well as the title of the email who the message is from and that it contains instructions on how to reset a password.

3. The email should be designed in HTML, rather than plain text. That’s because HTML emails look much better and even though it’s not a marketing email, it should be attractive for the user and present the instructions in a clear way.

4. The HTML code of the email should be high quality and meet the standards of various email clients, so that the message displays correctly in every inbox. Remember that what looks good in Gmail doesn’t have to look good in Outlook, too. That’s why it’s important to test the message in different email clients.

5. The email should be optimized for mobile phone screens. Most users will open the emails on mobile devices, so it’s important that your design is mobile-optimized.

6. The password reset link in the email should have an expiration date. The most common deadline is 24 hours - after that, it’s necessary to click the ‘reset password’ option once again. Also, remember to deactivate the link once someone has already used it to set a new password.

7. The instructions on how to set a new password should be clear for the user. They should have no doubts as to the steps and the outcome of the process.

What to include in a password reset email?

1. Brief information on the purpose of the email, e.g. “You have resently requested to reset the password to your account.”

2. A clear explanation on how to set a new password and a password reset link or button. The link or button is the most important element of the email so it must be in the central place in the email.

3. Information on the expiry time of the password reset link.

4. Contact details of the support team who the user can get in touch with in case of any problems with setting the new password.

5. Additional information, such as the IP address of the computer from which the password reset has been requested.

Password reset email template

There are a few rules regarding a password reset email that you simply need to observe and a few elements it can’t do without. To make sure they are all in the right place and the information is clear for the recipients, use Tabler Emails - a set of over 80 templates, password reset email being one of them. They are fully customizable, mobile-optimized and designed with attention to detail, so you can be sure your email is high quality and perfectly clear for the user.