Custom Order Statuses

Overview #

Custom Order Statuses integration allows Smart Product Emails PRO to work seamlessly with third-party plugins that add custom order statuses to WooCommerce. Instead of being limited to the four core statuses (Processing, On-Hold, Completed, Refunded), you can now assign custom email messages to any order status registered by your plugins.

What You Can Do with Custom Order Statuses #

• Send custom email messages when orders transition to statuses like “Shipped”, “Awaiting Pickup”, or “Partially Shipped”
• Integrate with popular plugins like Bright Plugins Custom Order Status, YITH WooCommerce Custom Order Status, and WooCommerce Subscriptions
• Use the Visual Email Customizer to preview exactly how your messages will appear in custom status emails
• Send test emails for custom order statuses to verify formatting before going live
• Automatically detect email templates from third-party plugins

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Supported Third-Party Plugins #

Smart Product Emails PRO automatically detects and integrates with custom order statuses from these popular plugins:

Plugin	Example Statuses
Bright Plugins Custom Order Status for WooCommerce	Shipped, Awaiting Pickup, Ready to Ship, etc.
Custom Order Status for WooCommerce	Any custom status you create
YITH WooCommerce Custom Order Status	Any custom status you create
WooCommerce Order Status Manager	Any custom status you create
WooCommerce Subscriptions	Active, Pending Cancellation, Expired, etc.
ShipStation Integration	Shipped, Partially Shipped, etc.
Custom code	Any status registered via register_post_status()

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Accessing the Custom Statuses Settings #

1. Go to Smart Product Emails in your WordPress admin menu
2. Click Custom Statuses in the submenu
3. The Custom Order Status Settings page displays all detected custom statuses

Settings Page Layout #

The settings page shows a table with the following information for each detected custom status:

Column	Description
Enable	Checkbox to enable/disable SPE support for this status
Order Status	The display name of the status (e.g., “Shipped”)
Status Slug	The internal slug used by WooCommerce (e.g., shipped)
Status	Whether the status is currently available or not registered
Email Template	Whether a dedicated email template was detected for this status

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Enabling Custom Statuses #

Step-by-Step #

1. Navigate to Smart Product Emails → Custom Statuses
2. Review the list of detected custom statuses
3. Check the Enable checkbox for each status you want to use
4. Click Save Changes

What Happens When You Enable a Status #

When you enable a custom status:

• A new message card appears on product edit pages for that status
• You can assign SPE messages to products for that specific order status
• The Visual Email Customizer becomes available for that status
• Test Email functionality works for that status

Status Availability #

A status shows as “Available” (green checkmark) when:

• The plugin providing the status is active
• The status is properly registered with WooCommerce

A status shows as “Not registered” (warning icon) when:

• The plugin providing the status has been deactivated
• The status was removed or renamed

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Email Template Scanner #

The Email Template Scanner helps detect email templates from third-party plugins that may not be visible through standard WooCommerce APIs.

Using the Scanner #

1. Click the Scan for Email Templates button on the Custom Statuses settings page
2. Wait for the scan to complete (usually a few seconds)
3. Review the results showing discovered templates
4. Refresh the page to see updated template detection in the table

What the Scanner Detects #

• Email templates from plugin directories (/templates/emails/)
• Theme email template overrides (/woocommerce/emails/)
• WooCommerce registered email classes
• Plugin-specific email patterns (Bright Plugins, YITH, etc.)

Scan Results #

After scanning, you’ll see:

• Number of templates found
• Template names and source plugins
• Associated order statuses (when detectable)

The scan results are cached and displayed with a timestamp. Re-scan anytime to check for new templates.

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Email Template Detection #

Smart Product Emails PRO automatically detects whether each custom status has a dedicated email template:

“Detected” Status #

When a template is detected:

• The Visual Email Customizer shows the actual email template from your plugin
• Email styling (headers, colors, formatting) displays correctly
• Test emails use the correct template

Information displayed:

• Source plugin name (e.g., “Bright Plugins Custom Order Status”)
• Template file path
• Whether a theme override is active

“Uses Fallback” Status #

When no dedicated template is found:

• The Visual Email Customizer shows the Processing email as a reference preview
• Your SPE messages will still appear correctly in actual emails
• Test emails use the Processing template as a preview

Note: Even with “Uses Fallback”, your messages will display correctly when real status change emails are sent. The fallback only affects the preview/test experience.

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Using Custom Statuses with Products #

Once a custom status is enabled, you can assign SPE messages to products:

Assigning Messages #

1. Edit any WooCommerce product
2. Navigate to the Product Data section
3. Click the Smart Product Emails tab
4. Scroll down to find your enabled custom status cards
5. Click Customize Email to open the Visual Email Customizer
6. Add messages to your desired template locations
7. Click Save Changes in the modal
8. Click Update on the product page

Custom Status Cards #

Enabled custom statuses appear as cards below the core statuses (Processing, On-Hold, Completed, Refunded). Each card displays:

• Status name and color badge
• Number of assigned messages
• Customize Email button
• Test Email button

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Visual Email Customizer #

The Visual Email Customizer works fully with custom order statuses:

With Detected Email Templates #

When a custom status has a detected email template:

• The preview shows the actual email template from your plugin
• Email header styling (colors, logo) displays correctly
• Location zones appear at all six standard positions
• Messages can be added, reordered, and removed
• Hover effects highlight location zones

With Fallback Templates #

When using a fallback template:

• A notice explains that the Processing template is used for preview
• All functionality works the same
• Your actual emails will use the correct template when sent

Location Zones #

All six standard WooCommerce email locations are available:

1. Email Header – After the header banner
2. Before Order Table – Above the order details
3. After Order Table – Below the order details
4. Order Meta – With order metadata
5. Customer Details – With billing/shipping info
6. Email Footer – At the bottom of the email

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Test Email Feature #

Send test emails for custom order statuses to verify your messages:

Sending a Test Email #

1. Edit a product with messages assigned to a custom status
2. Click the Test Email button on the custom status card
3. Enter your email address
4. Click Send Test Email
5. Check your inbox to verify the email

How It Works #

For custom order statuses, the test email system:

1. Creates a temporary test order
2. Sets the order to the custom status
3. Triggers the email with your SPE messages
4. Sends to your specified recipient
5. Cleans up the test order

The email you receive shows exactly how customers will see your messages.

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Troubleshooting #

Custom Status Not Appearing in List #

Possible causes:

• The plugin providing the status is not activated
• The status was recently added (refresh the page)
• The status uses a non-standard registration method

Solutions:

1. Verify the status plugin is active
2. Refresh the Custom Statuses settings page
3. Run the Email Template Scanner
4. Check WooCommerce → Settings → Order Statuses (if available)

Enable Checkbox is Disabled #

Cause: The status shows as “Not registered”

Solution: Reactivate the plugin that provides this status, then refresh the page.

Messages Not Appearing in Test Emails #

Possible causes:

• Messages not saved properly
• Conditional logic preventing display
• Email not configured in the third-party plugin

Solutions:

1. Verify messages are assigned in the Visual Email Customizer
2. Check for conditional logic rules
3. Ensure the third-party plugin has email notifications enabled for this status
4. Check your spam folder

Visual Customizer Shows Wrong Template #

Cause: Template detection couldn’t find the correct email class

Solutions:

1. Run the Email Template Scanner
2. Verify the third-party plugin has email templates enabled
3. Check if theme overrides exist

Test Email Shows Success but No Email Received #

Possible causes:

• Email going to spam
• SMTP/mail server issues
• Third-party plugin email disabled

Solutions:

1. Check spam/junk folder
2. Verify WordPress email is working (try password reset)
3. Check third-party plugin settings for email notifications
4. Use an SMTP plugin to improve deliverability

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Best Practices #

Start with Core Statuses #

Before enabling custom statuses, ensure your messages work correctly with the four core statuses (Processing, On-Hold, Completed, Refunded).

Enable Only What You Need #

Only enable custom statuses that you actively use for email communication. This keeps your product edit screens cleaner.

Test Before Going Live #

Always send test emails for custom statuses before enabling them on live products. Third-party plugin email configurations can vary.

Keep Plugins Updated #

Ensure your custom order status plugins are kept up to date. Updates may include improved email template support.

Use Descriptive Message Names #

When creating SPE messages for custom statuses, use descriptive names like “Shipped – Tracking Info” or “Ready for Pickup – Store Hours” so you can easily identify them.

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Compatible Plugin Configuration #

Bright Plugins Custom Order Status for WooCommerce #

To ensure full compatibility:

1. Go to WooCommerce → Order Status
2. Edit your custom status
3. Ensure Enable Email Notification is checked
4. Set Email Type to “Customer” for customer-facing emails
5. Save changes

YITH WooCommerce Custom Order Status #

1. Go to YITH → Custom Order Status
2. Edit your custom status
3. Enable the email option for the status
4. Configure email recipients and template

WooCommerce Order Status Manager #

1. Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Order Statuses
2. Edit your custom status
3. Configure email settings in the Email tab
4. Save changes

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Summary #

Feature	Description
Purpose	Add SPE message support for third-party custom order statuses
Access	Smart Product Emails → Custom Statuses
Supported Plugins	Bright Plugins, YITH, WooCommerce Order Status Manager, Subscriptions, and more
Template Detection	Automatic detection of email templates from plugins and themes
Scanner	Built-in tool to discover additional email templates
Visual Customizer	Full support with detected templates or fallback preview
Test Emails	Send test emails for any enabled custom status

Custom Order Statuses integration extends Smart Product Emails PRO to work with your entire order workflow, ensuring customers receive relevant, timely messages at every stage of their order journey.