If you’re designing a user verification or validation flow, you might have asked yourself what the best approach is when it comes to confirming user’s email address: sending an email confirmation link, sending a verification code in email or something else.
Recommended Approach
The best approach to confirming a user’s email address is by sending a confirmation link. This is the most user-friendly approach as it requires the least amount of effort on the part of the user. All the user has to do is click on the link and their email address is confirmed. Note, as a designer, you will have to block certain actions in your app that should only be performed by verified users e.g., key workflows.
Alternative
Sending a verification code by email is another option, but it is not as user-friendly as sending a confirmation link. With this approach, the user has to enter the code in order to confirm their email address. This can be confusing for users, especially if they are not expecting to receive a code. This experience is common when you’re verifying a phone number.
The same experience works for the forgot password flow which we discussed when talking about the confirm password field. Users would expect a clickable link which is more user-friendly, than a code. In some cases, you can also let the users decide i.e., send them the link and the code.
Conclusion
When it comes to confirming a user’s email address, the best approach is to send a confirmation link. This is the most user-friendly approach as it requires the least amount of effort on the part of the user.
