Think of triggers like doorbells — each one rings for a different reason, and you decide which ones you want to hear. Some are urgent (a flagged customer placing an order), some are routine (a new customer’s first purchase), and some relate to fulfilment (a packed or shipped status change). Tracksies gives you control over all of them.
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Why This Matters
Without understanding your triggers, you’re either drowning in emails you don’t need or missing the ones that matter. A store owner who gets a “Do Not Serve” alert the moment a blocked customer tries to order can intercept it before it ships. A store owner who’s turned that alert off by accident won’t know until the package is already out the door.
Knowing what triggers each email means you can set up exactly the right level of communication — enough to stay informed and keep customers happy, without flooding anyone’s inbox.
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What You’ll Need
- Tracksies HQ installed and activated
- Email delivery configured — WordPress on its own is unreliable at sending emails. It’s a bit like posting a letter without a stamp and hoping for the best. You’ll want an SMTP plugin (like WP Mail SMTP or FluentSMTP) connected to a proper email service. Without this, triggers will fire but emails may never arrive.
- For Custom Status emails: the relevant status email must be enabled via its feature flag in Tracksies > Settings > Features (see the Custom Status section below for details)
- For Returns emails: the Returns feature must be enabled in Tracksies > Settings > Features
- For Customer Engagement emails: the relevant engagement features must be enabled in Tracksies > Settings > Features
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How Triggers Work
When something happens in your store — an order is placed, a status changes, a customer hits a milestone — Tracksies checks if there’s an email enabled for that event. If there is, the email gets added to a queue and sent out on schedule. If you’ve turned that email off, nothing happens. No email is sent without your say-so.
Every trigger is tied to a specific WooCommerce action or Tracksies event. You don’t need to know the technical details, but it helps to understand the basic flow:
- Something happens (a customer places an order, you mark it as shipped, etc.)
- Tracksies checks whether the email for that event is enabled
- If enabled, the email is assembled from its template and added to the email queue
- The queue processes every 5 minutes, sending emails based on each template’s configured delay
- If disabled, nothing happens — the event is ignored
It’s like having a switchboard where each switch controls a different notification. Flip the ones you want on, leave the rest off.
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The Email Queue
Tracksies doesn’t fire emails the instant an event happens. Instead, emails are added to a queue and processed every 5 minutes by a background task (WordPress cron). This matters because:
- It prevents overload — if 50 orders come in at once, your email service won’t get hammered with 50 simultaneous sends
- It allows delays — some emails have a configurable
delay_minutessetting on their template, so you can choose to wait before sending (for example, delaying an “Order Received” email by 10 minutes in case a customer immediately cancels) - It’s more reliable — if your email service has a momentary hiccup, queued emails get retried on the next cycle
You can see the queue status and manage pending emails from Tracksies > Settings > Emails in the Settings sub-tab.
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Trigger Reference
Here’s every email Tracksies can send — all 25 of them — organised by category. For each one, you’ll see exactly what causes it to fire and what the subject line looks like.
Store Alerts (6 Emails — Sent to Admin)
These go to you (or your store admin email). They’re designed to flag things that need your attention right away.
1. VIP Customer Order
- Trigger: A customer with VIP status places a new order
- Subject:
[VIP Order] {customer_name} just placed order #{order_number} - Why it matters: VIP customers are your most valuable buyers. This alert lets you keep a personal eye on their orders — maybe you want to add a thank-you note, prioritise their packing, or make sure nothing goes wrong with their experience.
2. Caution Customer Order
- Trigger: A customer flagged with “Caution” status places a new order
- Subject:
[Caution] Flagged customer... - Why it matters: You’ve flagged this customer for a reason — maybe they have a history of disputes or chargebacks. This alert gives you a heads-up so you can review the order before processing it.
3. Do Not Serve Customer Order
- Trigger: A customer marked as “Do Not Serve” (banned) places a new order
- Subject:
[URGENT] Do Not Serve customer... - Why it matters: This is your most critical store alert. If you’ve banned a customer (for abuse, fraud, legal reasons, etc.), this email fires immediately so you can cancel the order before it gets packed and shipped. Missing this one can cost you real money and headaches.
4. High Value Order
- Trigger: A new order matches a Priority Rule with a high-value condition (e.g. “order total > $500”)
- Subject:
[High Value] Order #{order_number} - {order_total} - Why it matters: Big orders deserve extra attention. You might want to double-check inventory, add insurance to the shipment, or personally review the order details before it goes out. Set your threshold using Priority Rules (HQ Settings > Priority Rules).
5. New Customer Alert
- Trigger: A first-time customer places their very first order
- Subject:
[New Customer] {customer_name} placed their first order - Why it matters: First impressions matter. Knowing when a new customer arrives gives you the chance to make their experience memorable — whether that’s a personal welcome, an extra careful packing job, or noting any first-order promotions that should apply.
For scheduled summary emails (daily, weekly, or custom cadence), see the separate Scheduled Reports feature — it’s a report builder rather than a single fixed digest, so you configure what each scheduled email contains.
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WooCommerce Admin Notifications (3 Emails — Sent to Admin)
These are the admin-side WooCommerce emails that Tracksies manages. They keep you informed about order activity.
7. New Order
- Trigger: An order status changes from pending to processing (this typically means payment has been confirmed)
- Why it matters: This is your cue that a real, paid order is waiting to be fulfilled. Without this, you’d need to keep refreshing your orders page to spot new ones.
8. Cancelled Order
- Trigger: An order is cancelled (by the customer, by an admin, or automatically)
- Why it matters: Cancellations can mean lost revenue, so you want to know when they happen. It’s also your signal to release any reserved stock back to inventory.
9. Failed Order
- Trigger: A payment attempt fails
- Why it matters: A failed payment doesn’t always mean a lost sale — sometimes the customer’s card was declined temporarily, or they entered the wrong details. Knowing about it lets you follow up or investigate if you’re seeing a pattern of failures.
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WooCommerce Customer Notifications (5 Emails — Sent to Customer)
These go to your customers. Tracksies replaces the standard WooCommerce emails for these types, so you won’t get duplicates — your customers receive one email per event, styled with your branding.
10. Order Received (Processing)
- Trigger: The order status changes to “Processing” (payment confirmed)
- Why it matters: This is the customer’s confirmation that their order went through and you’ve got it. It’s reassurance — “yes, we have your order, and we’re on it.” Without this, customers often wonder if their order actually worked.
11. Order Complete
- Trigger: The order status changes to “Completed”
- Why it matters: This tells the customer their order is done and dusted. For physical products, this usually means everything has been shipped and delivered. For digital products, it means they’re ready to download.
12. Order On Hold
- Trigger: The order status changes to “On Hold”
- Why it matters: Orders go on hold when payment is pending (like a bank transfer that hasn’t cleared yet) or when you manually hold them for review. This email lets the customer know their order hasn’t been forgotten — it’s waiting on something specific.
13. Order Refunded
- Trigger: A full refund is processed on the order
- Why it matters: Customers want confirmation that their money is coming back. This email provides that peace of mind and gives them a reference for when to expect the funds in their account.
14. Customer Note
- Trigger: You (or another admin) add a note to the order that’s marked as visible to the customer
- Why it matters: Customer notes are your way of communicating specific information about an order — “we’ve substituted X because Y was out of stock” or “your custom engraving will add 2 days.” This email delivers that message to their inbox so they don’t have to keep checking the order page.
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Custom Status Notifications (4 Emails — Sent to Customer)
These emails are tied to the custom order statuses that Tracksies adds to WooCommerce. They give your customers much better visibility into where their order actually is in the fulfilment process.
Think of these as the “where’s my order?” preventers. Customers who know their order has been packed and shipped are far less likely to contact support asking for updates.
15. Order Packed
- Trigger: The order status changes to “Packed”
- Feature flag:
woo.status_emails.packed— must be enabled in Tracksies > Settings > Features (look under the WooCommerce module tile) - Why it matters: Letting the customer know their order has been physically packed and is ready to leave the warehouse builds anticipation and trust. It also signals that shipping is imminent.
16. Order Partially Shipped
- Trigger: The order status changes to “Partially Shipped”
- Why it matters: When an order has to be split across multiple shipments (some items ship now, others later), this email explains what’s happening. Without it, a customer receiving only half their order might panic and contact support thinking something went wrong.
17. Order Shipped
- Trigger: The order status changes to “Shipped”
- Feature flag:
woo.status_emails.shipped— must be enabled in Tracksies > Settings > Features (look under the WooCommerce module tile) - Why it matters: This is the email customers are really waiting for. It includes tracking information so they can follow their package. A shipped notification with a tracking link dramatically reduces “where’s my order?” support requests.
18. Ready for Pickup
- Trigger: The order status changes to “Ready for Pickup”
- Feature flag:
woo.status_emails.ready_pickup— must be enabled in Tracksies > Settings > Features (look under the WooCommerce module tile) - Why it matters: For click-and-collect orders, this is the “come and get it” email. It tells the customer their order is packed and waiting at the pickup location, so they know exactly when to swing by.
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Customer Engagement (4 Emails — Sent to Customer)
These are the relationship-building emails. They’re not tied to a specific order — they’re about the customer’s journey with your store over time.
19. Tag Earned
- Trigger: The
tracksies_tag_earnedhook fires when a customer crosses a tag threshold - Subject:
Congratulations {customer_first_name}! You've reached {tag_name} status - Why it matters: Tags recognise your customers’ loyalty — their spending milestones, order frequency, or tenure with your store. Celebrating these moments makes customers feel valued and gives them a reason to keep coming back.
20. Tenure Anniversary
- Trigger: A daily background task (cron) checks for customers whose first-order anniversary falls on today’s date
- Subject:
Happy {years} year anniversary... - Duplicate prevention: After sending, Tracksies sets a 365-day cooldown (using WordPress transients) so the same customer won’t receive another anniversary email until their next anniversary rolls around.
- Why it matters: Remembering when a customer first bought from you shows them they’re more than a transaction number. It’s a small gesture that builds long-term loyalty.
21. Win Back
- Trigger: A daily background task (cron) identifies customers who haven’t ordered in 60 or more days
- Subject:
We miss you, {customer_first_name}! - Duplicate prevention: After sending, Tracksies sets a 30-day cooldown (using WordPress transients) so the same customer won’t get bombarded with “we miss you” emails every single day they remain inactive.
- Why it matters: The Win Back email is like a friendly wave to a regular who hasn’t visited in a while. Tracksies works out when a customer’s ordering pattern has dropped off and nudges them back. A well-timed “we miss you” email can re-engage customers who might have drifted away to a competitor.
22. VIP Welcome
- Trigger: A customer’s status changes to VIP (fires the
tracksies_customer_vip_flaggedhook) - Subject:
Welcome to VIP status... - Why it matters: When a customer earns VIP status, they should know about it. This email welcomes them to the club, explains any perks or benefits, and makes them feel special. It’s the red carpet moment.
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Returns (3 Emails — Sent to Customer)
These only apply if you’ve turned on the Returns feature in Tracksies > Settings > Features (look under the WooCommerce module tile for Returns). They keep your customers informed throughout the return process without you having to send manual updates.
23. Return Approved
- Trigger: A return request’s status changes to “Approved” (either manually by an admin or automatically if auto-approve is enabled)
- Why it matters: Customers waiting on a return decision are anxious. The approval email confirms their return is accepted and includes instructions on how and where to send the item back. No more back-and-forth emails asking “what do I do next?”
24. Return Rejected
- Trigger: A return request’s status changes to “Rejected”
- Why it matters: Nobody likes hearing “no,” but a clear explanation is far better than silence. This email lets the customer know their return wasn’t approved and gives you the opportunity to explain why (outside the return window, item not eligible, etc.).
25. Return Refunded
- Trigger: A return request’s status changes to “Refunded” (the refund has been processed)
- Why it matters: This is the final step in the return journey. The customer gets confirmation that their money is on its way back, closing the loop on the entire process.
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Unsubscribe System
Tracksies includes a per-email-type unsubscribe system so customers can opt out of specific email categories without losing all communication from your store.
- Endpoint: Your site’s
/tracksies-unsubscribe/URL handles unsubscribe requests - How it works: Each email includes an unsubscribe link. When a customer clicks it, they’re taken to a page where they can opt out of that specific email type — not all emails, that specific type
- Why per-type matters: A customer who doesn’t want Win Back emails might still want their shipping notifications. Blanket unsubscribe links lose you both. Per-type opt-out lets customers choose exactly what they want to hear from you.
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Placeholder Reference
Every email template can use placeholders — those {curly_brace} tokens that get replaced with real data when the email is sent. Here’s the complete list, grouped by category.
Global Placeholders
These work in any email template.
| Placeholder | What It Becomes |
|---|---|
{site_name} | Your store’s name (from WordPress Settings) |
{site_url} | Your store’s URL |
{date} | The current date |
{time} | The current time |
{admin_email} | Your store’s admin email address |
Order Placeholders
These pull data from the specific order that triggered the email. Available in all order-related emails (Store Alerts, WooCommerce Admin/Customer, Custom Status).
| Placeholder | What It Becomes |
|---|---|
{order_number} | The order number (e.g., 1234) |
{order_total} | The order’s total value, formatted with currency |
{order_date} | The date the order was placed |
{order_url} | Admin link to the order in WooCommerce |
{order_details} | A formatted table showing the items ordered |
{view_order_url} | The customer’s “View Order” link in My Account |
{customer_note} | The text of the customer note (for the Customer Note email) |
Customer Placeholders
These pull data from the customer’s profile. Available in all email types.
| Placeholder | What It Becomes |
|---|---|
{customer_name} | Full name (first + last) |
{customer_first_name} | First name only |
{customer_last_name} | Last name only |
{customer_email} | Email address |
{customer_phone} | Phone number |
{billing_address} | Full billing address |
{shipping_address} | Full shipping address |
{payment_method} | Payment method used (e.g., “Credit Card via Stripe”) |
{customer_status} | Their Tracksies status (Active, VIP, At Risk, etc.) |
{customer_status_reason} | Why they have that status |
{customer_url} | Admin link to their customer profile |
{customer_order_count} | Total number of orders they’ve placed |
{customer_ltv} | Their lifetime value (total spend) |
{customer_intel_panel} | A formatted Customer Intelligence panel showing key customer data at a glance |
Shipping Placeholders
Available in Shipped, Partially Shipped, and related order emails.
| Placeholder | What It Becomes |
|---|---|
{tracking_info} | Full formatted tracking information |
{tracking_url} | Direct link to the tracking page |
{tracking_number} | The tracking/consignment number |
{carrier_name} | The shipping carrier (e.g., “Australia Post”, “FedEx”) |
Refund Placeholders
Available in the Order Refunded email.
| Placeholder | What It Becomes |
|---|---|
{refund_amount} | The amount refunded, formatted with currency |
Returns Placeholders
Available in the Return Approved, Return Rejected, and Return Refunded emails.
| Placeholder | What It Becomes |
|---|---|
{rma_number} | The return authorisation number |
{return_address} | The address where the customer should send their return |
{return_instructions} | Instructions for how to package and ship the return |
Tag Placeholders
Available in the Tag Earned email.
| Placeholder | What It Becomes |
|---|---|
{tag_name} | The name of the tag earned (e.g., “Gold Shopper”) |
{tag_channel} | The tag category/channel (e.g., “Spending”, “Frequency”) |
{tag_icon} | The tag’s icon (rendered with custom colours if configured) |
Anniversary & Win Back Placeholders
Available in the Tenure Anniversary and Win Back emails.
| Placeholder | What It Becomes |
|---|---|
{years} | Number of years since their first order (Anniversary email) |
{days_inactive} | Number of days since their last order (Win Back email) |
Pickup Placeholders
Available in the Ready for Pickup email.
| Placeholder | What It Becomes |
|---|---|
{pickup_location} | The pickup location name and address |
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Enabling and Disabling Triggers
Every email in the reference above has its own on/off switch. Here’s how to control them:
- Go to Tracksies > Settings > Emails (you’ll find it as a tab along the top of the settings page)
- You’ll see each email listed with a toggle next to it
- Turn the toggle on to enable that email, or off to disable it
- Changes save automatically — no need to hit a separate save button
Disabling a trigger means that event will still happen in your store (orders still process, statuses still change), but Tracksies won’t send an email about it. The trigger is silenced, not the event itself.
For the Custom Status emails (Packed, Shipped, Ready for Pickup), there’s an extra step: each one has a feature flag that also needs to be enabled in Tracksies > Settings > Features under the WooCommerce module tile. Both the feature flag and the individual email toggle need to be on for those emails to send.
A good starting point: Enable all the customer-facing emails (Order Received, Order Complete, Shipped, etc.) and the store alerts that matter most to you. You can always come back and fine-tune later once you see what’s useful and what’s noise.
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Common Questions
Can I change WHEN an email sends (e.g., delay it)?
Yes, to a degree. Each email template has a delay_minutes setting that controls how long the email sits in the queue before sending. You can configure this when editing the template in Tracksies > Settings > Emails. Click on any email to open its editor, and you’ll see the delay option. This is handy if you want to delay an “Order Received” email by a few minutes in case the customer cancels immediately.
Can I add my own custom triggers?
Not currently. Triggers are based on WooCommerce actions and Tracksies events. If there’s a trigger you’d love to see, let us know — it might make it into a future release.
What if two triggers fire at the same time?
Each email sends independently. They don’t interfere with each other. For example, a VIP customer placing a high-value order would trigger both the VIP Customer Order alert and the High Value Order alert. You’d get two separate emails, each with their own relevant information.
Do customers get the standard WooCommerce emails too?
No. Tracksies replaces the standard WooCommerce emails for the types it handles. Your customers receive one email per event, not two. No duplicates, no confusion.
What about emails from other plugins?
Tracksies only manages its own email types. If you have other plugins sending emails (shipping plugins, marketing tools, etc.), those continue to work independently. Tracksies doesn’t interfere with them.
Can customers unsubscribe from specific email types?
Yes. Every email includes an unsubscribe link that takes the customer to a page where they can opt out of that specific type of email. They won’t be unsubscribed from everything — only the type they chose. So a customer can stop receiving Win Back emails while still getting their shipping notifications.
What stops a customer from getting the same engagement email over and over?
Tracksies has built-in duplicate prevention. Tenure Anniversary emails have a 365-day cooldown per customer (so they only get one per year), and Win Back emails have a 30-day cooldown (so an inactive customer won’t get nudged more than once a month). These cooldowns are managed automatically using WordPress transients.
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Troubleshooting
Email not firing for an event
Check that the email is enabled. Go to Tracksies > Settings > Emails and confirm the toggle is turned on for that email type. It’s the most common cause — easy to accidentally toggle something off. For Custom Status emails (Packed, Shipped, Ready for Pickup), also check that the feature flag is enabled in Tracksies > Settings > Features under the WooCommerce module tile.
Getting too many admin alerts
Disable the ones you don’t need from Tracksies > Settings > Emails. If you’re getting too many High Value Order alerts, adjust the order total condition in your Priority Rules (Tracksies HQ > Settings > Priority Rules).
Customer engagement emails not sending
Two things to check. First, make sure SMTP is configured on your site (WordPress doesn’t reliably send emails on its own — an SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP handles delivery). Second, confirm the engagement feature toggle is turned on in Tracksies > Settings > Features.
Scheduled report not arriving
Scheduled Reports rely on WordPress cron, which runs when someone visits your site. If your site has low traffic, the cron might not fire on schedule. Some hosting providers (especially shared hosting) need a real server cron configured instead. Check with your host if reports are consistently late or missing.
Customer says they didn’t receive an email
Start with the basics: ask them to check spam/junk folders. If it’s not there, check whether they’ve unsubscribed from that email type (the unsubscribe system is per-type, so they might have opted out without realising). Then verify the email is enabled in Tracksies settings and check your SMTP plugin’s logs to see if the email was sent. If it was sent but not received, the issue is with email deliverability — not Tracksies.
Returns emails not sending after approval
Make sure the Returns feature is enabled in Tracksies > Settings > Features (look under the WooCommerce module tile). Also confirm that the specific return email (Approved, Rejected, or Refunded) is toggled on in Tracksies > Settings > Emails. Both the feature and the individual email need to be enabled.
Emails seem delayed
This is likely the email queue working as designed. Emails are processed every 5 minutes, and individual templates can have a delay_minutes setting. Check the template’s delay setting in Tracksies > Settings > Emails by clicking on the email to open its editor. If you want faster delivery, set the delay to 0 — the email will go out on the next 5-minute queue cycle.
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Related Guides
- Email Templates — customise the content, design, and branding of each email
- Customer Profiles & Statuses — understand VIP, Flagged, and Do Not Serve statuses that drive store alerts
- Customer Tags — how tags are earned (which drives the Tag Earned email)
- Custom Order Statuses — the Packed, Shipped, and Pickup statuses that trigger custom emails
- Returns — the returns system that drives return notification emails