How To Create Custom Email Template In Woocommerce

How to Create Custom Email Templates in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide

WooCommerce is a powerhouse for creating online stores, and a crucial part of any e-commerce experience is email communication. Think about it: order confirmations, shipping updates, password resets – these emails are your direct line to your customers. But those default WooCommerce emails? They’re a little…generic. That’s where custom email templates come in.

This guide will walk you through how to create custom email templates in WooCommerce so you can build a branded, professional, and engaging experience for your customers. No coding wizardry required (though a little HTML/CSS knowledge helps!).

Why Bother Customizing Your WooCommerce Emails?

Think of your WooCommerce emails as an extension of your brand. Here’s why customizing them is essential:

Reinforce Your Brand: Generic emails look, well, generic. Customized templates let you add your logo, brand colors, and voice, creating a cohesive brand experience. Imagine receiving an order confirmation email that perfectly matches your website’s style – it builds trust and recognition!
Improve Customer Experience: Clear, concise, and visually appealing emails make a difference. You can add helpful information, such as order tracking links or special offers, to enhance the customer journey.
Increase Sales: Subtle marketing within your transactional emails can lead to repeat business. For example, including “You might also like…” product recommendations in the order confirmation email is a simple way to boost sales.
Stand Out from the Crowd: In a sea of online stores, personalized emails help you differentiate yourself and create a lasting impression.
Reduce Confusion: Clearer information reduces customer support inquiries. A well-structured email with all the necessary details (order summary, shipping address, payment method) can save you time and effort.

Understanding the WooCommerce Email System

Before diving into customization, let’s understand how WooCommerce handles emails. WooCommerce uses templates to generate these emails. These templates are basically HTML files that define the structure and content of the emails. They use variables to dynamically insert information like customer names, order details, and shipping addresses.

The default templates are located in the `woocommerce/templates/emails/` directory within the WooCommerce plugin folder. Directly editing these files is strongly discouraged! Why? Because updates to WooCommerce will overwrite your changes, leaving you back at square one.

The correct approach is to override these templates by copying them to your theme’s folder.

Step-by-Step: Creating Custom Email Templates

Here’s the process broken down into manageable steps:

1. Create a WooCommerce Folder in Your Theme:

Navigate to your WordPress theme’s folder (usually found in `wp-content/themes/your-theme-name/`). If you’re using a child theme (which is highly recommended!), navigate to your child theme folder instead.
Create a folder named `woocommerce`.
Inside the `woocommerce` folder, create another folder named `emails`. So, the full path should be `wp-content/themes/your-theme-name/woocommerce/emails/` (or `wp-content/themes/your-child-theme-name/woocommerce/emails/`).

2. Copy the Template Files You Want to Customize:

Go to the WooCommerce plugin folder: `wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/templates/emails/`.
Identify the email template you want to customize. For example, if you want to customize the “New Order” email, you’ll need the `email-new-order.php` file.
Copy the file (don’t move it!) from the WooCommerce plugin folder to your theme’s `woocommerce/emails/` folder.

3. Customize the Template File:

Open the copied template file (e.g., `wp-content/themes/your-theme-name/woocommerce/emails/email-new-order.php`) in a text editor or code editor.
This is where the fun begins! You can now modify the HTML and CSS of the template to match your brand. Here are some common customizations:

Add your logo: Use the `` tag with the correct path to your logo. Example: `<img src="/images/your-logo.png” alt=””>`
Change the colors: Use CSS to adjust the background colors, text colors, and button styles to align with your brand.
Modify the content: Edit the text to reflect your brand voice and add helpful information for your customers.
Rearrange elements: Change the order of sections to improve the email’s flow.

Example Customization:

Let’s say you want to add a welcome message to the top of the “New Order” email. You could add the following HTML code within the `email-new-order.php` file:

Hi get_billing_first_name() ); ?>,

Thank you for your order from ! We’re excited to get your order processed and shipped to you.

This code adds a personalized greeting with the customer’s first name and a thank you message.

4. Testing Your Custom Email Template:

WooCommerce offers a handy feature for previewing emails. Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Emails.
Click on the email you’ve customized (e.g., “New Order”).
You should see a “Preview email template” link. Click it to Read more about How Do I Migrate My Shopify Store To Woocommerce see how your changes look.
Alternatively, place a test order on your website to trigger the email and see it in your inbox.

5. More Advanced Customization Options:

Custom Email Styles (CSS): You can add custom CSS to your theme’s `style.css` file or within the email template itself (using `
` tags) to further control the appearance of your emails.
WooCommerce Email Hooks: WooCommerce provides hooks that allow you to add custom content and functionality to your emails without directly modifying the template files. This is a more advanced approach, but it offers greater flexibility.
Plugins: Several WooCommerce plugins are designed specifically for customizing email templates with drag-and-drop interfaces or pre-built templates. Examples include:
Kadence WooCommerce Email Designer: Provides a visual builder for creating custom email templates.
YayMail – WooCommerce Email Customizer: Another popular option with a drag-and-drop interface.

Important Considerations:

Use a Child Theme: Always customize email templates within a child theme to prevent Read more about How To Email Woocommerce Reports your changes from being overwritten during theme updates.
Backup Your Files: Before making any changes, create a backup of the original template files.
Test Thoroughly: Always test your custom email templates to ensure they look and function as expected.
Keep it Simple: Don’t overload your emails with too much information or too many images. Focus on clarity and conciseness.
Mobile Responsiveness: Make sure your email templates are responsive and look good on mobile devices. Most email clients have limitations, so test extensively.

Conclusion

Customizing your WooCommerce email templates is a powerful way to enhance your brand, improve customer experience, and drive sales. By following these steps, you can create professional and engaging emails that reflect your unique brand identity. Don’t be afraid to experiment and iterate to find the perfect email design for your store! Remember, those emails are a direct line to your customers, so make them count!