Sending WooCommerce Email Accounts to Specific People: A Beginner’s Guide
WooCommerce is a fantastic platform for building your online store. One of its strengths is its email functionality, sending automated emails to customers about orders, account updates, and more. But what if you need to send those same emails (or specific ones) to someone else? Maybe you want to notify your fulfillment team about new orders, keep your accountant in the loop on refunds, or even just keep a close eye on things yourself! This guide walks you through how to send WooCommerce email accounts to specific people, even if you’re a complete beginner.
We’ll cover the most common scenarios and provide actionable steps you can implement today. Think of this as your “WooCommerce Email Sharing 101” class.
Why Would You Need To Forward WooCommerce Emails?
Before diving in, let’s understand *why* you might need to forward these emails. Here are a few real-life examples:
* Order Fulfillment: Let’s say you outsource your order fulfillment to a third-party company. Forwarding order confirmation emails directly to them ensures they’re immediately aware of new orders and can start the fulfillment process without you manually having to relay the information. This saves you time and reduces the risk of errors.
* Accounting & Finance: Keeping track of refunds, payment failures, and other financial transactions is crucial. Forwarding these emails to your accountant or financial advisor provides them with the necessary data for bookkeeping and reporting. This saves them time hunting in your WooCommerce dashboard.
* Team Collaboration: If you have a team managing your online store, forwarding certain emails to specific team members ensures everyone is informed and can take appropriate action. For example, forwarding customer support inquiries directly to the relevant team member allows them to respond promptly.
* Backup & Monitoring: Forwarding important emails to a separate email account can act as a backup and allows you to monitor transactions. Imagine you’re traveling and want to ensure your store is running smoothly. Forwarding key email notifications to your personal email gives you peace of mind.
Methods for Forwarding WooCommerce Emails
There are several methods for forwarding WooCommerce emails. We’ll cover the most common and user-friendly options:
1. Using a Dedicated Plugin (Recommended for Most Users)
2. Manually Using Code (For Advanced Users)
Let’s start with the easiest and often the most effective method:
1. Using a Dedicated Plugin
The easiest and generally recommended approach is to use a WooCommerce plugin specifically designed for email forwarding. These plugins offer a user-friendly interface and often provide advanced features like filtering emails based on type, order status, and more.
A Good Plugin Option: Email Copy for WooCommerce (There are others, search the WordPress plugin repository for “WooCommerce email copy”).
Here’s a simplified example of how you might use this type of plugin:
* Install and Activate the Plugin: Go to *Plugins > Add New* in your WordPress dashboard, search for “Email Copy for WooCommerce,” install, and activate it.
* Configure the Plugin: Once activated, you’ll typically find a settings page under *WooCommerce > Settings* (or a similar location, depending on the plugin).
* Specify the Recipient: In the plugin settings, you’ll usually have a field to enter the email address(es) to which you want to forward the emails. You can enter multiple email addresses, usually separated by commas.
* Choose the Email Types: Most plugins allow you to select which email types you want to forward. For example, you might choose to forward “New Order” emails, “Refunded Order” emails, and “Failed Order” emails.
* Customize the Email Subject (Optional): Some plugins let you customize the subject line of the forwarded emails, which can be helpful for filtering and organization.
Example:
Let’s say you want to forward all new order emails to your fulfillment team at `[email protected]`. You would:
1. Install and activate the “Email Copy for WooCommerce” plugin.
2. Go to the plugin’s settings page.
3. Enter `[email protected]` in the recipient field.
4. Select “New Order” from the list of email types.
5. Save your settings.
Now, every time a new order is placed on your WooCommerce store, an exact copy of the “New Order” email will be sent to `[email protected]`. Easy peasy!
Why Use a Plugin?
- Ease of Use: Plugins provide a user-friendly interface that simplifies the email forwarding process.
- Flexibility: Many plugins offer advanced features like email filtering, subject customization, and conditional forwarding.
- No Coding Required: You don’t need to write any code to use a plugin, making it accessible to users of all skill levels.
- Maintenance and Updates: Plugin developers typically provide regular updates to ensure compatibility and security.
2. Manually Using Code (For Advanced Users)
If you’re comfortable with PHP and WordPress development, you can manually forward WooCommerce emails using code. This approach gives you more control but requires technical expertise. This is NOT recommended for beginners unless you’re comfortable editing your theme’s functions.php file or creating a custom plugin.
Important: Always back up your WordPress site before making any code changes. Editing your theme’s `functions.php` file incorrectly can break your site. Consider creating a child theme to avoid losing your changes when your theme is updated.
Here’s an example of how you can forward WooCommerce “New Order” emails using a code snippet:
<?php add_action( 'woocommerce_new_order_notification', 'forward_woocommerce_new_order_email', 10, 1 );
function forward_woocommerce_new_order_email( $order_id ) {
$order = wc_get_order( $order_id );
// Recipient email address
$recipient = ‘[email protected]’;
// Subject of the forwarded email
$subject = ‘FWD: New WooCommerce Order #’ . $order->get_order_number();
// Email headers
$headers = array(‘Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8’);
// Get the email content
ob_start();
wc_get_template( ’emails/new-order.php’, array( ‘order’ => $order, ’email_heading’ => __( ‘New order’, ‘woocommerce’ ) ) );
$message = ob_get_clean();
// Send the email
wp_mail( $recipient, $subject, $message, $headers );
}
?>
Explanation:
1. `add_action( ‘woocommerce_new_order_notification’, ‘forward_woocommerce_new_order_email’, 10, 1 );`: This line hooks into the `woocommerce_new_order_notification` action, which is triggered when a new order is placed. It tells WordPress to run the `forward_woocommerce_new_order_email` function when this action occurs.
2. `function forward_woocommerce_new_order_email( $order_id ) { … }`: This defines the function that will handle the email forwarding. It takes the order ID as an argument.
3. `$order = wc_get_order( $order_id );`: This retrieves the order object using the order ID.
4. `$recipient = ‘[email protected]’;`: This sets the recipient email address to which the email will be forwarded. Replace `[email protected]` with the actual email address you want to use.
5. `$subject = ‘FWD: New WooCommerce Order #’ . $order->get_order_number();`: This sets the subject of the forwarded email.
6. `$headers = array(‘Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8’);`: This defines the email headers, specifying that the email content is HTML and uses UTF-8 character encoding.
7. `ob_start(); … $message = ob_get_clean();`: This captures the output of the WooCommerce email template into a variable called `$message`. This effectively renders the same email that would be sent to the customer.
8. `wp_mail( $recipient, $subject, $message, $headers );`: This uses the `wp_mail()` function to send the forwarded email.
How to Use the Code:
1. Access Your Theme’s `functions.php` File (Not Recommended): Log in to your WordPress dashboard, go to *Appearance > Theme Editor*, and select your theme’s `functions.php` file. This is risky. Errors here can break your site.
2. Create a Child Theme (Recommended): If you don’t have a child theme, create one. This is the safest way to add custom code.
3. Create a Custom Plugin (Also Recommended): Another way to add custom code is to create a very simple plugin that just includes your functions.
4. Paste the Code: Paste the code snippet into your `functions.php` file (or your child theme’s `functions.php` or your custom plugin’s main file).
5. Modify the Recipient: Be sure to replace `[email protected]` with the correct email address.
6. Save the File: Save the changes to your `functions.php` file (or activate your custom plugin).
Why Avoid Directly Editing `functions.php`?
When your theme is updated, all changes you’ve made to the `functions.php` file will be overwritten. Using a child theme or a custom plugin prevents this from happening.
Why Use Code (If You Know What You’re Doing)?
- Fine-Grained Control: Code allows you to customize the email forwarding process precisely to your needs. You can filter emails based on complex criteria, modify the email content, and integrate with other systems.
- No Plugin Dependency: You don’t need to rely on third-party plugins, which can sometimes be outdated or incompatible.
Important Considerations for Using Code:
- Security: Ensure your code is secure and doesn’t introduce any vulnerabilities.
- Maintainability: Write clean, well-documented code that is easy to maintain and update.
- Error Handling: Implement error handling to catch and log any errors that occur during the email forwarding process.
- Testing: Thoroughly test your code to ensure it works as expected and doesn’t cause any conflicts with other plugins or themes.
Testing Your Email Forwarding
Regardless of which method you choose, it’s crucial to test your email forwarding setup to ensure it’s working correctly. Place a test order on your WooCommerce store and verify that the email is being forwarded to the specified recipient. Check the subject line, content, and attachments to ensure everything is being forwarded as expected.
Conclusion
Forwarding WooCommerce emails to specific people can significantly improve your workflow, enhance team collaboration, and streamline your business processes. Whether you choose to use a dedicated plugin or manually implement code, the key is to select the method that best suits your technical skills and business needs. Remember to thoroughly test your setup to ensure it’s working correctly and to back up your website before making any code changes. Now go forth and conquer those WooCommerce emails!
