---
title: "Autologin using Cookie / Remember Me in Dotkernel"
description: "A step-by-step guide to implementing a Remember Me / autologin feature in Dotkernel Frontend."
author: "SergiuB"
date_published: "2022-07-18"
canonical_url: "https://www.dotkernel.com/dotkernel/autologin-using-cookie-remember-me-in-dotkernel/"
category: "Dotkernel"
language: "en"
---

# Autologin using Cookie / Remember Me in Dotkernel

## TL;DR
This feature automatically logs in a user who checks the "remember me" box at login.
It has been implemented in [Dotkernel Frontend](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend) starting from Release 3.3.0, and requires changes across the login form, a new entity/migration, a new middleware, config, and the user service/repository/controller.

## Add remember me button to user interface

Navigate to `src/User/templates/user/login.html.twig` and, under the password element, add:

```twig
<div class="checkbox remember-me-checkbox">
     {% set rememberMe = form.get('rememberMe') %}
     {{ formElement(rememberMe) }}
     <p>Remember me</p>
</div>
```

Then navigate to `src/User/src/Form/LoginForm.php` and add the following element to your form:

```php
$this->add([
    'name' => 'rememberMe',
    'type' => 'checkbox',
    'attributes' => [
        'class' => 'tooltips',
        'data-toggle' => 'tooltip',
        'title' => 'Remember me',
    ],
]);
```

Then navigate to `src/User/src/InputFilter/LoginInputFilter.php` and add a filter for the new element:

```php
$this->add([
            'name' => 'rememberMe',
            'filters' => [
                ['name' => 'StringTrim']
            ],
            'validators' => [
                [
                    'name' => 'NotEmpty',
                    'break_chain_on_failure' => true,
                ]
            ]
        ]);
```

To style the button, navigate to `src/App/assets/scss/components/_profile.scss` and add:

```scss
.remember-me-checkbox {
  input {
    display: block;
    float: left;
    margin: 4px 6px 10px 0;
    width: auto;
    height: auto;
  }
}
```

After making the changes, compile the CSS so the button styling takes effect:

```shell
npm run prod
```

## Add functionality to remember me button

1. Navigate to `src/User/src/Entity`, create a new entity named `UserRememberMe.php`, modeled on [UserRememberMe](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend/blob/3.0/src/User/src/Entity/UserRememberMe.php).
2. Create a migration file for the new table:
   ```shell
   vendor/bin/phinx create --configuration=config/migrations.php  RememberUserSchema
   ```
3. Modify the generated migration file as in [user_remember_schema](https://www.dotkernel.com/dotkernel/autologin-cookie-remember-me-feature/), then run it against the database:
   ```shell
   vendor/bin/phinx migrate --configuration=config/migrations.php
   ```
   The table generated by the migration is used to store data from the cookie, which helps log the user in automatically.
4. Create a new middleware at `src/App/src/Middleware/RememberMeMiddleware.php`, modeled on [RememberMeMiddleware](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend/blob/3.0/src/App/src/Middleware/RememberMeMiddleware.php).
5. Register the middleware in `config/pipeline.php` as shown in [pipeline](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend/blob/3.0/config/pipeline.php).
6. To generate the cookie, add a new key to `config/autoload/local.php`:
   ```php
   'rememberMe' => [
            'cookie' => [
                'name' => 'rememberMe',
                'lifetime' => 3600 * 24 * 30,
                'samesite' => 'Lax',
                'secure' => false,
                'httponly' => true
            ]
        ],
   ```
7. Edit `src/User/src/Service/UserService.php`: add two new properties, `$defaultSessionManager` (to get config) and `$repository` (to get repository), then add the methods `getRepository()`, `addRememberMeToken()`, `deleteRememberMeCookie()` as in [UserService](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend/blob/3.0/src/User/src/Service/UserService.php) (and add the new methods to the interface if needed).
8. Edit `src/User/src/Repository/UserRepository.php` and add the methods `saveRememberUser()`, `getRememberUser()`, `findRememberMeUser()`, `deleteExpiredCookies()`, `removeRememberUser()` as in [UserRepository](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend/blob/3.0/src/User/src/Repository/UserRepository.php).
9. Edit `src/User/src/Controller/UserController.php`: add a new property called `$config`, and edit `loginAction()` and `logoutAction()` as in [UserController](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend/blob/3.0/src/User/src/Controller/UserController.php).

## FAQ

**Q: Since which release is Remember Me implemented in Dotkernel?**
A: It's implemented in Dotkernel Frontend starting from Release 3.3.0.

**Q: How do you add the Remember Me checkbox to the login UI?**
A: In src/User/templates/user/login.html.twig, under the password element, render the rememberMe element retrieved via form.get('rememberMe') with formElement().

**Q: What form and validation changes are needed?**
A: A 'rememberMe' checkbox element must be added to src/User/src/Form/LoginForm.php, and a StringTrim filter plus a NotEmpty validator must be added for it in src/User/src/InputFilter/LoginInputFilter.php.

**Q: What backend pieces implement the actual remember-me functionality?**
A: A new UserRememberMe entity, a database migration (created and run with phinx) for its table, a new RememberMeMiddleware registered in config/pipeline.php, a rememberMe cookie configuration block added to config/autoload/local.php, and new methods added to UserService, UserRepository, and UserController (including loginAction() and logoutAction()).

**Q: What does the UserRememberMe table store?**
A: It's used to store data from the cookie, which helps log the user in automatically.

**Q: How do you apply the new remember-me button styles?**
A: Add the CSS to src/App/assets/scss/components/_profile.scss, then run npm run prod to compile the CSS so the button styling takes effect.

## Resources

- [Dotkernel Frontend on GitHub](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend)
- [UserRememberMe entity example](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend/blob/3.0/src/User/src/Entity/UserRememberMe.php)
- [Remember user schema migration example](https://www.dotkernel.com/dotkernel/autologin-cookie-remember-me-feature/)
- [RememberMeMiddleware example](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend/blob/3.0/src/App/src/Middleware/RememberMeMiddleware.php)
- [pipeline.php example](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend/blob/3.0/config/pipeline.php)
- [UserService example](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend/blob/3.0/src/User/src/Service/UserService.php)
- [UserRepository example](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend/blob/3.0/src/User/src/Repository/UserRepository.php)
- [UserController example](https://github.com/dotkernel/frontend/blob/3.0/src/User/src/Controller/UserController.php)