# How to Email a WooCommerce Order: A Comprehensive Guide
WooCommerce, the popular WordPress e-commerce plugin, automatically sends emails to customers upon order placement, but sometimes you need to send a custom WooCommerce order email. Perhaps you need to send a personalized message, attach a document, or resend a lost order confirmation. This guide will walk you through several methods to achieve this, catering to different levels of technical expertise.
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Understanding WooCommerce Email Functionality
Before diving into the specifics, it’s crucial to understand how WooCommerce handles emails. WooCommerce utilizes email templates that are customizable via themes and plugins. These templates control the content and appearance of emails sent to customers and administrators. Modifying these templates allows for a high degree of control over the email content. However, directly editing core files is strongly discouraged, as updates can overwrite your changes.
Default WooCommerce Emails
Out of the box, WooCommerce sends several key emails:
- New Order: Sent to the administrator when a new order is placed.
- Order Confirmation: Sent to the customer confirming their order.
- Customer Invoice: Sent to the customer, containing order details.
- Order Processing: Sent to the customer when their order begins processing.
- Order Completed: Sent to the customer upon order completion.
- Order Cancelled: Sent to the customer if their order is cancelled.
- Customize email templates: Change the look and feel of existing emails.
- Add custom email fields: Include extra information in your emails.
- Create entirely new email types: Send emails based on specific events or actions.
- Automate email sending: Schedule emails to be sent at specific times.
These emails are customizable through the WooCommerce settings, but for more significant alterations, you’ll need to utilize other methods described below.
Methods to Email a WooCommerce Order
There are several ways to email a WooCommerce order, ranging from simple actions within the WooCommerce dashboard to using custom code:
1. Using the WooCommerce Dashboard
The easiest method for sending a simple email related to an order is using the WooCommerce order details page. For every order, you can find a “Send order email” option. This allows you to quickly resend any of the standard WooCommerce emails (Order Confirmation, Customer Invoice, etc.) for a specific order. This is ideal for resending lost confirmation emails or dealing with simple email issues.
2. Using a WooCommerce Email Plugin
Several plugins extend WooCommerce’s email functionality, providing more advanced customization options. These plugins often allow you to:
Choose a reputable plugin from the WordPress plugin repository and carefully review its documentation before installation. Improperly configured plugins can interfere with WooCommerce’s core functionality.
3. Manually Sending an Email from the Order Details
For situations where plugins aren’t desirable, or you need a highly specific email, you can manually create and send an email. Access the order details page within the WooCommerce dashboard, gather the necessary order information (customer details, order summary), and then use your preferred email client to compose and send the email. This is a straightforward approach for one-off emails.
4. Using Custom Code (Advanced)
This method requires familiarity with PHP and WooCommerce’s structure. You can add custom code using actions and filters within your `functions.php` file (or a custom plugin). This is the most advanced method and should only be attempted by users with coding experience. Incorrectly implemented code can break your website.
For example, to add a custom email action:
add_action( 'woocommerce_order_status_changed', 'send_custom_email', 10, 4 ); function send_custom_email( $order_id, $old_status, $new_status, $order ){ if ( $new_status == 'completed' ){ // Your email sending logic here... $order = wc_get_order( $order_id ); $customer_email = $order->get_billing_email(); $subject = 'Your Order is Complete!'; $message = 'Thank you for your order!'; wp_mail( $customer_email, $subject, $message ); } }
This code snippet sends a custom email when an order’s status changes to “completed”. Remember to replace the placeholder email content with your desired message.
Conclusion
Sending emails related to WooCommerce orders can be accomplished using various Explore this article on Woocommerce How To Adjust Shipping methods, each suited to different needs and technical capabilities. Starting with the simplest approach (using the WooCommerce dashboard) is recommended. If you require more customization, consider using a WooCommerce email plugin. Only experienced developers should attempt custom code solutions, always backing up your website before making code Explore this article on How To Get Paid Through Woocommerce changes. Remember to prioritize user experience by keeping emails concise, informative, and professional.
