The easiest path in a Next.js app is usually:

Option 1: Use a managed auth provider

If you want the least code and least maintenance, use something like:

• Supabase Auth
• Clerk
• Auth0
• Firebase Auth
• NextAuth/Auth.js plus your own email flow

These services can generate password reset emails, handle tokens, and give you a reset page or callback flow.

Best choice if you want “just works”:

• Clerk for fastest setup
• Supabase if you’re already using Postgres/Supabase
• Auth0 if you want enterprise features

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Option 2: Send your own reset emails with an email service

If you want full control, the simplest setup is:

• Use Resend, Postmark, SendGrid, or Mailgun
• Generate a secure one-time reset token
• Store a hashed token with expiration in your DB
• Email the user a link like: https://yourapp.com/reset-password?token=...
• Verify token on the reset page and update the password

Easiest email provider for Next.js

I’d recommend Resend because it’s very straightforward with React/Next.js.

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Simple recommended stack

If you’re building this yourself:

• Next.js App Router
• Prisma or your DB layer
• Resend for email delivery
• bcrypt or argon2 for password hashing
• nanoid or crypto.randomBytes() for reset tokens

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Basic flow

1. User enters email on “Forgot password” page
2. Your API route:
   • checks if account exists
   • creates reset token
   • stores hashed token + expiry
   • sends email
3. User clicks email link
4. Reset page accepts new password
5. Server verifies token and updates password
6. Token is invalidated

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Important security notes

• Don’t reveal whether the email exists (“If that email exists, we sent a link”)
• Make tokens:
  • random
  • single-use
  • short-lived, like 15–60 minutes
• Hash tokens in the DB, don’t store them raw
• Rate-limit the reset request endpoint
• Always use HTTPS

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If you want the absolute easiest code path

Use Resend + a simple reset-token table.

If you want, I can give you:

1. a full Next.js App Router example with Resend, Prisma, and reset pages, or
2. the fastest setup using Clerk/Supabase.