# Creating a Login Form In the previous tutorial, you created a registration form that stores users in the database. In this tutorial, you will create a login form that checks a username and password against the database and allows a user to log in. --- ## Create the Login Page Create a new file called: ```text login.php ``` Add the following code: ```php Login

Login

``` Save the file and open it in your browser. Example: ```text http://localhost/login.php ``` [![](https://mr.napper.au/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/image-1780894283100.png)](https://mr.napper.au/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/image-1780894283100.png) ## Connect to the Database Add the following code above the `` line: ```php connect_error) { die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error); } ?> ``` This creates a connection to the database. --- ## Process the Login Form Add the following code underneath the database connection: ```php if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") { $username = $_POST["username"]; $password = $_POST["password"]; } ``` This code will run when the form is submitted. --- ## Find the User Inside the `if` statement, add: ```php $stmt = $conn->prepare( "SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?" ); $stmt->bind_param( "s", $username ); $stmt->execute(); $result = $stmt->get_result(); ``` This searches the database for the username entered on the form. --- ## Check if the User Exists Add: ```php if ($result->num_rows == 1) { $user = $result->fetch_assoc(); } else { echo "

User not found.

"; } ``` If the username exists, the user's record is loaded from the database. --- ## Verify the Password Inside the successful login section, add: ```php if ( password_verify( $password, $user["password"] ) ) { echo "

"; } else { echo "

Incorrect password.

"; } ``` This compares the entered password against the stored password hash. --- ## Complete Login Logic Your completed login section should look like: ```php if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") { $username = $_POST["username"]; $password = $_POST["password"]; $stmt = $conn->prepare( "SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?" ); $stmt->bind_param( "s", $username ); $stmt->execute(); $result = $stmt->get_result(); if ($result->num_rows == 1) { $user = $result->fetch_assoc(); if ( password_verify( $password, $user["password"] ) ) { echo "

"; } else { echo "

Incorrect password.

"; } } else { echo "

User not found.

"; } } ``` --- ## Test a Successful Login Open: ```text http://localhost/login.php ``` Enter a username and password that already exist in the database. Example: ```text Username: admin Password: password123 ``` Click **Login**. You should see: ```text Login successful. ``` [![](https://mr.napper.au/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/image-1780894384204.png)](https://mr.napper.au/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/image-1780894384204.png) ## Test an Incorrect Password Enter: ```text Username: admin Password: wrongpassword ``` Click **Login**. You should see: ```text Incorrect password. ``` [![](https://mr.napper.au/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/image-1780894428828.png)](https://mr.napper.au/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/image-1780894428828.png) ## Test an Unknown User Enter: ```text Username: unknownuser Password: password123 ``` Click **Login**. You should see: ```text User not found. ``` [![](https://mr.napper.au/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/image-1780894454026.png)](https://mr.napper.au/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/image-1780894454026.png) ## Complete Code ```php connect_error) { die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error); } if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") { $username = $_POST["username"]; $password = $_POST["password"]; $stmt = $conn->prepare( "SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?" ); $stmt->bind_param( "s", $username ); $stmt->execute(); $result = $stmt->get_result(); if ($result->num_rows == 1) { $user = $result->fetch_assoc(); if ( password_verify( $password, $user["password"] ) ) { echo "

"; } else { echo "

Incorrect password.

"; } } else { echo "

User not found.

"; } } ?> Login

Login

``` You now have a working login form that validates usernames and passwords against your database. Next tutorial: **Using PHP Sessions to Keep Users Logged In**.