Tempdata

Tempdata is session data that expires after a time limit instead of after one request. It is useful for short-lived flows such as an OTP, a multi-step form, or a temporary download token.

Set tempdata with a lifetime

$session = session();

// Expires after 300 seconds.
$session->setTempdata('verification_code', '482913', 300);

Read it

$code = $session->tempdata('verification_code');

Remove it early

$session->unsetTempdata('verification_code');

Flashdata or tempdata?

• Flashdata disappears after the next request. Use it for messages after a redirect.
• Tempdata disappears when its timer expires. Use it for short-lived values that may be read several times.

Neither is a secure vault. Store a reference and validate on the server, especially for codes used to approve payments or account changes.

Practical notes

• Keep lifetimes short; a stale temp value is a security and correctness risk.
• Do not rely on tempdata alone for one-time tokens. Mark them used in the database after verification.
• Clear temp values on sign-out along with the rest of the session.