Email Verification Module Tutorial for PrestaShop 8.2.1

Author: Ken

This tutorial guides you through creating an emailverification module for PrestaShop 8.2.1 to enforce email verification for new customer registrations. The module sends a verification email with a unique link, sets the customer’s active=0 until verified, and activates the account (active=1) upon link click. I resolved issues like missing logs and a registration form lacking method or class attributes using server-side logic, avoiding AJAX/JavaScript. Special thanks to Grok, created by xAI, for their invaluable assistance in development and debugging!

Module Purpose

Enforces email verification for customer registration.
Sends a custom verification email alongside PrestaShop’s account email.
Blocks login until email is verified.
Uses server-side processing for reliability.

Folder Structure

The module resides in /var/www/html/prestashop/modules/emailverification/ with the following structure:


modules/emailverification/
├── config.xml
├── emailverification.php
├── controllers/
│   └── front/
│       └── verify.php
├── translations/
│   └── en.php
├── mails/
│   └── en/
│       ├── verification_email.html
│       ├── verification_email.txt
└── views/
    └── templates/
        ├── front/
        │   └── error.tpl
        └── hook/
            └── verification_form.tpl

config.xml: Module metadata and configuration.
emailverification.php: Core module logic with hooks.
controllers/front/verify.php: Processes verification links.
translations/en.php: English translations.
mails/en/: Verification email templates.
views/templates/front/error.tpl: Error page for invalid links.
views/templates/hook/verification_form.tpl: Optional hook template (unused here).

Implementation Steps

1. Create the Module Directory

bash
mkdir -p /var/www/html/prestashop/modules/emailverification
cd /var/www/html/prestashop/modules/emailverification

2. Create `emailverification.php`

Defines the module, registers hooks, and manages email sending and customer state.

php
<?php
if (!defined('_PS_VERSION_')) {
    exit;
}class EmailVerification extends Module
{
    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->name = 'emailverification';
        $this->tab = 'front_office_features';
        $this->version = '1.0.0';
        $this->author = 'Your Name';
        $this->need_instance = 0;
        parent::__construct();
        PrestaShopLogger::addLog('EmailVerification module instantiated', 1, null, 'EmailVerification', 1);
        $this->displayName = $this->l('Email Verification');
        $this->description = $this->l('Adds email verification to customer registration.');
        $this->ps_versions_compliancy = ['min' => '8.0.0', 'max' => _PS_VERSION_];
    }    public function install()
    {
        PrestaShopLogger::addLog('EmailVerification install method called', 1, null, 'EmailVerification', 1);
        return parent::install() &&
               $this->registerHook('actionCustomerAccountAdd') &&
               $this->registerHook('actionValidateCustomer') &&
               $this->registerHook('actionCustomerRegisterSubmit') &&
               Db::getInstance()->execute('
                   CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `' . _DB_PREFIX_ . 'email_verification` (
                       `id_customer` INT(10) UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
                       `token` VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
                       `date_add` DATETIME NOT NULL,
                       PRIMARY KEY (`id_customer`)
                   ) ENGINE=' . _MYSQL_ENGINE_ . ' DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8'
               );
    }    public function uninstall()
    {
        PrestaShopLogger::addLog('EmailVerification uninstall method called', 1, null, 'EmailVerification', 1);
        return parent::uninstall() &&
               Db::getInstance()->execute('DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `' . _DB_PREFIX_ . 'email_verification`');
    }    public function hookActionCustomerRegisterSubmit($params)
    {
        PrestaShopLogger::addLog('actionCustomerRegisterSubmit hook executed', 1, null, 'EmailVerification', 1);
    }    public function hookActionCustomerAccountAdd($params)
    {
        PrestaShopLogger::addLog('actionCustomerAccountAdd hook executed', 1, null, 'EmailVerification', 1);
        $customer = $params['newCustomer'];
        $token = bin2hex(random_bytes(16));        Db::getInstance()->insert('email_verification', [
            'id_customer' => (int)$customer->id,
            'token' => pSQL($token),
            'date_add' => date('Y-m-d H:i:s'),
        ]);        $templateVars = [
            '{firstname}' => $customer->firstname,
            '{lastname}' => $customer->lastname,
            '{verification_link}' => $this->context->link->getModuleLink($this->name, 'verify', ['token' => $token]),
        ];        Mail::Send(
            (int)$this->context->language->id,
            'verification_email',
            $this->l('Verify Your Email Address'),
            $templateVars,
            $customer->email,
            $customer->firstname . ' ' . $customer->lastname,
            null,
            null,
            null,
            null,
            _PS_MODULE_DIR_ . 'emailverification/mails/'
        );        $customer->active = 0;
        $customer->update();
        PrestaShopLogger::addLog('Customer ' . (int)$customer->id . ' set to active=0 and verification email sent', 1, null, 'EmailVerification', 1);
    }    public function hookActionValidateCustomer($params)
    {
        PrestaShopLogger::addLog('actionValidateCustomer hook executed', 1, null, 'EmailVerification', 1);
        $customer = $params['customer'];
        $verified = Db::getInstance()->getValue('
            SELECT COUNT(*)
            FROM `' . _DB_PREFIX_ . 'email_verification`
            WHERE `id_customer` = ' . (int)$customer->id . '
            AND `token` = ""
        ');        if (!$verified) {
            throw new PrestaShopException($this->l('Please verify your email address before logging in.'));
        }
    }
}

Purpose: Registers hooks, creates ps_email_verification table, sends verification email, manages activation.
Hooks:
- actionCustomerAccountAdd: Generates token, sends email, sets active=0.
- actionValidateCustomer: Blocks unverified logins.
- actionCustomerRegisterSubmit: Placeholder for future enhancements.
Database: Creates ps_email_verification with id_customer, token, date_add.

3. Create `verify.php`

Handles verification links (e.g., yourshopurl.com/index.php?controller=verify&token=...).

php
<?php
class EmailVerificationVerifyModuleFrontController extends ModuleFrontController
{
    public function initContent()
    {
        parent::initContent();        $token = Tools::getValue('token');
        if (!$token) {
            $this->errors[] = $this->module->l('Invalid verification link.');
            $this->setTemplate('module:emailverification/views/templates/front/error.tpl');
            return;
        }        $id_customer = Db::getInstance()->getValue('
            SELECT id_customer
            FROM `' . _DB_PREFIX_ . 'email_verification`
            WHERE token = "' . pSQL($token) . '"
        ');        if (!$id_customer) {
            $this->errors[] = $this->module->l('Invalid or expired verification link.');
            $this->setTemplate('module:emailverification/views/templates/front/error.tpl');
            return;
        }        Db::getInstance()->update('email_verification', [
            'token' => '',
        ], 'id_customer = ' . (int)$id_customer);        $customer = new Customer((int)$id_customer);
        $customer->active = 1;
        $customer->update();        Tools::redirect('index.php?controller=authentication&verified=1');
    }
}

Path: /modules/emailverification/controllers/front/verify.php.
Purpose: Validates token, sets active=1, clears token, redirects to login.

4. Create Email Templates

Path: /modules/emailverification/mails/en/.

verification_email.html

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Verify Your Email Address</title>
</head>
<body>
    <p>Dear {{firstname}} {{lastname}},</p>
    <p>Please verify your email by clicking the link:</p>
    <p><a href="proxy.php?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2F%7B%7B+verification_link+%7D%7D">Verify Your Email</a></p>
    <p>Thank you for registering with us!</p>
</body>
</html>

verification_email.txt

text
Dear {{firstname}} {{lastname}},Please verify your email by clicking the link below:
{{ verification_link }}Thank you for registering with us!

5. Create Error Template

Path: /modules/emailverification/views/templates/front/error.tpl.

html
{extends file='page.tpl'}{block name='page_title'}
    {l s='Email Verification Error' d='Modules.Emailverification'}
{/block}{block name='page_content'}
    <div class="alert alert-danger">
        {foreach from=$errors item=error}
            <p>{$error}</p>
        {/foreach}
    </div>
    <a href="proxy.php?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2F%7B%24link-%26gt%3BgetPageLink%28%27authentication%27%29%7Cescape%3A%27html%27%7D" class="btn btn-primary">{l s='Back to Login' d='Modules.Emailverification'}</a>
{/block}

6. Create Translation File

Path: /modules/emailverification/translations/en.php.

php
<?php
global $_MODULE;
$_MODULE = [];
$_MODULE['<{emailverification}prestashop>emailverification_1234567890'] = 'Email Verification';
$_MODULE['<{emailverification}prestashop>emailverification_0987654321'] = 'Adds email verification to customer registration.';
$_MODULE['<{emailverification}prestashop>verify_1234567890'] = 'Invalid verification link.';
$_MODULE['<{emailverification}prestashop>verify_0987654321'] = 'Invalid or expired verification link.';
$_MODULE['<{emailverification}prestashop>error_1234567890'] = 'Email Verification Error';
$_MODULE['<{emailverification}prestashop>error_0987654321'] = 'Back to Login';

7. Create `config.xml`

Path: /modules/emailverification/config.xml.

xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<module>
    <name>emailverification</name>
    <displayName><![CDATA[Email Verification]]></displayName>
    <version><![CDATA[1.0.0]]></version>
    <description><![CDATA[Adds email verification to customer registration.]]></description>
    <author><![CDATA[Your Name]]></author>
    <tab><![CDATA[front_office_features]]></tab>
    <is_configurable>0</is_configurable>
    <need_instance>0</need_instance>
    <limited_countries></limited_countries>
</module>

8. Fix Registration Form

Ensure the form submits correctly, as it may lack method or class.

bash
cp /var/www/html/prestashop/themes/your_theme/templates/customer/registration.tpl /var/www/html/prestashop/themes/your_theme/templates/customer/registration.tpl.bak
nano /var/www/html/prestashop/themes/your_theme/templates/customer/registration.tpl

Update <form> tag:

html
<form id="customer-form" action="proxy.php?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2F%7Burl+entity%3D%27authentication%27+params%3D%5B%27create_account%27+%3D%26gt%3B+1%5D%7D" method="post">

Remove AJAX scripts (e.g., $.ajax). Clear cache:

bash
rm -rf /var/www/html/prestashop/var/cache/prod/* /var/www/html/prestashop/var/cache/dev/*

9. Set Permissions

bash
chmod -R 644 /var/www/html/prestashop/modules/emailverification
chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/prestashop/modules/emailverification/controllers
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/prestashop/modules/emailverification

10. Install the Module

Zip and upload via Back Office > Modules > Module Manager > Upload a module.

bash
zip -r emailverification.zip emailverification

Verify ps_email_verification table:

bash
mysql -u root -p -e "DESCRIBE ps_email_verification;" prestashop_db

11. Enable Logging

Debug issues like missing logs.

php
// In /var/www/html/prestashop/config/defines.inc.php
define('_PS_MODE_DEV_', true);
define('_PS_DEBUG_LOG_FILE_', _PS_ROOT_DIR_.'/var/logs/custom.log');

bash
touch /var/www/html/prestashop/var/logs/custom.log
chmod 664 /var/www/html/prestashop/var/logs/custom.log
chown www-data:www-data /var/www/html/prestashop/var/logs/custom.log

In Back Office > Advanced Parameters > Logs, set severity to “Informative messages and above (1)”.

12. Test the Module

Register a new customer.
Verify receipt of account.html and verification_email.html.
Click verification link and confirm active=1 in ps_customer.
Check logs in Back Office > Advanced Parameters > Logs or /var/www/html/prestashop/var/logs/custom.log for:
- “EmailVerification module instantiated”
- “actionCustomerAccountAdd hook executed”
- “Customer X set to active=0 and verification email sent”

Key Considerations

Form Attributes: Add method="post" to registration.tpl if missing to ensure server-side submission.

Logging: Clear cache and reinstall module if logs are missing. Check permissions and debug mode.

Cache: Run rm -rf /var/www/html/prestashop/var/cache/* after changes.

Permissions: Ensure www-data owns files and logs.

Database: Confirm ps_email_verification table creation.

Email Delivery: Use SMTP if local email sending fails.

PHP Settings: In /etc/php/8.2/fpm/php.ini, set:

ini
max_execution_time = 300
memory_limit = 256M
error_log = /var/log/php_errors.log
log_errors = On

Security: pSQL() in verify.php prevents SQL injection.

Theme: Test with classic theme if issues arise.

Flow Description

User visits yourshopurl.com/index.php?controller=authentication&create_account=1.
Submits form, processed by AuthController::processSubmitAccount().
actionCustomerAccountAdd hook generates token, sends verification_email.html, sets active=0.
User receives account.html and verification_email.html.
Clicks verification link, processed by verify.php, setting active=1.
User logs in.

Credits

Special thanks to Grok, created by xAI, for their invaluable assistance in developing and debugging this module!

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 5 Commits
emailverification		emailverification
README.md		README.md

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Repository files navigation

Email Verification Module Tutorial for PrestaShop 8.2.1

Module Purpose

Folder Structure

Implementation Steps

1. Create the Module Directory

2. Create `emailverification.php`

3. Create `verify.php`

4. Create Email Templates

verification_email.html

verification_email.txt

5. Create Error Template

6. Create Translation File

7. Create `config.xml`

8. Fix Registration Form

9. Set Permissions

10. Install the Module

11. Enable Logging

12. Test the Module

Key Considerations

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Email Verification Module Tutorial for PrestaShop 8.2.1

Module Purpose

Folder Structure

Implementation Steps

1. Create the Module Directory

2. Create emailverification.php

3. Create verify.php

4. Create Email Templates

verification_email.html

verification_email.txt

5. Create Error Template

6. Create Translation File

7. Create config.xml

8. Fix Registration Form

9. Set Permissions

10. Install the Module

11. Enable Logging

12. Test the Module

Key Considerations

Flow Description

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About

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2. Create `emailverification.php`

3. Create `verify.php`

7. Create `config.xml`

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