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Password validation issues

Problem​

Password validation requirements are not working correctly or real-time feedback is not displaying.

Symptoms​

  • Validation messages don't appear
  • Requirements not enforced on submission
  • JavaScript errors in browser console
  • Password accepted despite not meeting requirements
  • Real-time feedback not updating

Common causes​

JavaScript not loaded​

Plugin JavaScript files may not be loading correctly.

JavaScript conflicts​

Other plugins or theme JavaScript may conflict.

Settings misconfigured​

Password requirements may not be properly configured.

Caching issues​

Cached JavaScript files may be outdated.

Browser compatibility​

Older browsers may not support validation features.

Solutions​

Solution 1: Check security settings​

Verify password requirements are configured.

Steps:

  1. Go to Settings > Frontend Reset Password
  2. Click "Security Settings" tab
  3. Check "Minimum Password Length" is set (default: 8)
  4. Verify other requirements are enabled:
    • Lowercase letter required
    • Uppercase letter required
    • Number required
    • Special character required
  5. Save changes
  6. Test password reset

Solution 2: Check JavaScript console​

Look for JavaScript errors preventing validation.

Steps:

  1. Open reset password page
  2. Press F12 to open developer tools
  3. Click "Console" tab
  4. Look for red error messages
  5. Note errors related to validation

Common errors:

  • jQuery is not defined
  • Uncaught ReferenceError
  • Cannot read property of undefined

Solution 3: Clear all caches​

Clear cached JavaScript files.

Clear WordPress cache:

  1. Go to caching plugin settings
  2. Clear all cache
  3. Refresh the page

Clear browser cache:

  • Chrome/Edge: Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+Delete (Mac)
  • Hard refresh: Ctrl+F5 (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)

Clear CDN cache:

  • If using Cloudflare or similar, purge CDN cache

Solution 4: Verify JavaScript files load​

Check plugin JavaScript files are loading.

Steps:

  1. Open reset password page
  2. Press F12 to open developer tools
  3. Click "Network" tab
  4. Refresh the page
  5. Look for plugin JavaScript files
  6. Verify they load with status 200

Expected files:

  • Plugin JavaScript files in /wp-content/plugins/frontend-reset-password/assets/js/

Solution 5: Check for plugin conflicts​

Other plugins may interfere with validation JavaScript.

Steps:

  1. Deactivate all plugins except Frontend Reset Password
  2. Test password validation
  3. If it works, reactivate plugins one by one
  4. Identify conflicting plugin
  5. Contact conflicting plugin support

Common conflicts:

  • Form validation plugins
  • JavaScript optimization plugins
  • Security plugins modifying forms

Solution 6: Test with default theme​

Switch to default theme to rule out theme conflicts.

Steps:

  1. Go to Appearance > Themes
  2. Activate "Twenty Twenty-Four"
  3. Test password validation
  4. If it works, the issue is theme-related
  5. Contact theme developer

Common theme issues:

  • Theme JavaScript conflicts
  • jQuery version conflicts
  • Theme overriding form styles

Solution 7: Ensure jQuery is loaded​

Verify jQuery is available for validation scripts.

Add to functions.php:

functions.php
// Ensure jQuery is loaded
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'ensure_jquery_for_validation' );
function ensure_jquery_for_validation() {
    if ( ! wp_script_is( 'jquery', 'enqueued' ) ) {
        wp_enqueue_script( 'jquery' );
    }
}

Solution 8: Check password requirements display​

Verify requirements list is visible on the page.

Steps:

  1. View the reset password form
  2. Look for password requirements list
  3. Should show:
    • Minimum length requirement
    • Character type requirements
  4. If not visible, check CSS

Fix hidden requirements:

Custom CSS
.password-requirements {
    display: block !important;
    visibility: visible !important;
}

Solution 9: Test server-side validation​

Client-side validation may fail but server-side should still work.

Steps:

  1. Try submitting a weak password
  2. Check if server rejects it
  3. Look for error message
  4. If server accepts weak password, check settings

Server-side validation is always enforced even if JavaScript fails.

Solution 10: Check browser compatibility​

Test in different browsers.

Test browsers:

  • Chrome (latest)
  • Firefox (latest)
  • Safari (latest)
  • Edge (latest)

Minimum browser requirements:

  • Modern browsers with JavaScript enabled
  • Cookies enabled
  • No script blockers

Solution 11: Disable JavaScript optimization​

JavaScript optimization plugins may break validation.

Check these plugins:

  • Autoptimize
  • WP Rocket
  • W3 Total Cache
  • Fast Velocity Minify

Steps:

  1. Go to optimization plugin settings
  2. Exclude plugin JavaScript from optimization
  3. Clear cache
  4. Test validation

Example exclusion:

/wp-content/plugins/frontend-reset-password/

Solution 12: Check eye toggle feature​

If eye toggle is enabled, verify it works.

Steps:

  1. Go to Settings > Frontend Reset Password > Design Settings
  2. Check "Enable Eye Toggle" setting
  3. Save changes
  4. Test password visibility toggle
  5. Verify validation still works with toggle

Solution 13: Add custom validation​

Implement custom validation if needed.

Add to functions.php:

functions.php
add_action( 'validate_password_reset', 'custom_password_validation', 10, 2 );
function custom_password_validation( $errors, $user ) {
    if ( isset( $_POST['pass1'] ) && isset( $_POST['pass2'] ) ) {
        $password = $_POST['pass1'];
        
        // Check minimum length
        if ( strlen( $password ) < 8 ) {
            $errors->add( 'password_too_short', 'Password must be at least 8 characters long.' );
        }
        
        // Check for lowercase
        if ( ! preg_match( '/[a-z]/', $password ) ) {
            $errors->add( 'password_no_lowercase', 'Password must contain at least one lowercase letter.' );
        }
        
        // Check for uppercase
        if ( ! preg_match( '/[A-Z]/', $password ) ) {
            $errors->add( 'password_no_uppercase', 'Password must contain at least one uppercase letter.' );
        }
        
        // Check for number
        if ( ! preg_match( '/[0-9]/', $password ) ) {
            $errors->add( 'password_no_number', 'Password must contain at least one number.' );
        }
        
        // Check for special character
        if ( ! preg_match( '/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/', $password ) ) {
            $errors->add( 'password_no_special', 'Password must contain at least one special character.' );
        }
    }
}

Solution 14: Debug validation function​

Add logging to see validation process.

Add to functions.php:

functions.php
add_action( 'validate_password_reset', 'debug_password_validation', 10, 2 );
function debug_password_validation( $errors, $user ) {
    error_log( 'Password validation triggered for user: ' . $user->user_login );
    
    if ( is_wp_error( $errors ) && $errors->has_errors() ) {
        error_log( 'Validation errors: ' . print_r( $errors->get_error_messages(), true ) );
    } else {
        error_log( 'No validation errors' );
    }
}

Check debug log at: wp-content/debug.log

Verification​

After implementing solutions:

  1. Open reset password form
  2. Enter weak password (e.g., "test")
  3. Verify real-time feedback shows requirements not met
  4. Try to submit form
  5. Verify server rejects weak password
  6. Enter strong password meeting all requirements
  7. Verify validation passes
  8. Complete password reset successfully

Prevention​

Keep plugins updated​

  • Update Frontend Reset Password regularly
  • Update WordPress core
  • Update theme and other plugins

Test after updates​

  • Test validation after plugin updates
  • Test after theme updates
  • Test after WordPress updates

Monitor JavaScript errors​

  • Check browser console regularly
  • Fix JavaScript errors promptly
  • Test in multiple browsers

Configure properly​

  • Set appropriate password requirements
  • Don't make requirements too strict
  • Balance security with usability

What's next​