Are your WooCommerce email notifications not working? This common issue can disrupt order communications with customers. This guide is designed for WooCommerce store owners and administrators who need reliable email communications to ensure smooth order processing and customer satisfaction. In this guide, we’ll explore the typical causes of WooCommerce email notifications not working and provide step-by-step solutions to ensure your store sends emails reliably. Whether you’re not receiving notifications or WooCommerce isn’t sending them at all, we’ll help you fix the issue and get your email notifications working again.
I understand how frustrating this can be, so in this article, I will be walking you through the common problems that prevent your WooCommerce Plugin from sending emails, and how to resolve them.
If you’re new to our site, you can read more about FixRunner and our WordPress support team to see how we help store owners like you.
There are quite a few causes of this problem. Some can be resolved very easily, others take a few more steps. If you’re considering ongoing help, our general FixRunner WordPress support FAQs explain how our maintenance and support plans work.
We will start with the easy steps. If these steps fix your issue, great, less reading for you.
What Are WooCommerce Email Notifications?
WooCommerce automatically sends emails for various order events, including order confirmations, refunds, and shipping updates, which trigger based on order status. For example, the ‘Processing order’ email serves as the order confirmation and is sent automatically once payment is cleared, while a ‘Completed Order’ email is sent as confirmation when a package is shipped and delivered. Other types of notifications include:
- New Order (sent to store admin when a new order is placed)
- Cancelled Order
- Failed Order
- Customer Invoice / Order Details
- Customer Note
- Reset Password
- New Account
These notifications are essential for keeping both store owners and customers informed about order progress and account activity.
Common Solutions for Email Notification Problems
- Check your WooCommerce Email setup
- Check if your emails are going to Spam Folder
- Use an email with a different domain as your recipient address
- Use an SMTP Plugin
Let’s take these steps one after the other.
Check your WooCommerce Email setup
When dealing with WooCommerce Email settings, the priority is making sure each email notification actually reaches the customer inbox, and the two major things you need to check are “Email sender options” and “Individual notification emails”.
Email Sender Options
To check for errors in your email sender settings:
Login to your WordPress Dashboard
Place your mouse pointer over “WooCommerce” on the main menu and select “Settings”.
Click on the “Emails” tab.
Scroll down to see “WooCommerce email sender options”. These global settings control your sender identity and brand-wide elements used across emails, including the store’s logo, color styling, and footer text. Next, ensure the “From” name and “From” address are properly set up.
From Name: Specifies the name you want people to see when they receive your email.
When setting up “From” name, do not use special characters such as “@/.&-”. Only use letters like “Fix Runner” as used in the picture above. If you currently use something like yourname@BusinessName, this could be the reason why your emails are not getting sent.
From Address: Check to see that your sender email address is correctly entered. If there are errors, make corrections. Finally, scroll down and click Save Changes. If you’re finding these initial setup steps challenging, our WooCommerce setup service can help ensure your store’s email notifications are properly configured from the start.
Individual notification emails
Next, you want to make sure that you have set up your notification emails correctly.
The list of all WooCommerce email notifications can be seen in your emails tab (WooCommerce > Settings > Email), where the settings page shows all the default emails.
Use the manage button for the relevant email.
Check to see if the email is enabled. If it is not, enable it. In the individual email template settings, you can edit the subject line, email heading, and email body.
Next, check the recipient email address and ensure it is entered correctly. Many templates also include available placeholders so order details can be inserted dynamically.
Scroll down and click Save Changes. Now perform a test to see if you have sent the email out correctly.
Check if your emails are going to Spam Folder
Default WordPress and WooCommerce emails often land in the spam folder, which can lead to lost sales and frustrated customers. This often happens when your web host’s IP address is blacklisted due to spam activity from other users on the same server. A recipient-side spam blocker can also stop store’s emails from arriving.
To fix this, contact your web host, explain the issue, and ask if they can resolve it. If your web host cannot fix the problem and you prefer not to switch providers, installing an SMTP plugin is the best solution.
Jump to the last step below to learn how to set up the Gmail SMTP Plugin and ensure your WooCommerce emails stop going to spam.
If you however choose to move your site to another host, we recommend you use WP Engine or our this fully managed WordPress hosting service uses very strong spam filters and offers high security standards, and so their servers are generally safe from email abuse. For ongoing care beyond hosting, our WordPress maintenance plans with 24/7 support can also help keep your store stable and secure.
Use an email with a different domain as your recipient address
In some cases, your WooCommerce not sending emails issue may be one-sided. Customers may receive notifications and can export the orders list as expected, but you might not be able to track these customers activities as you are facing an issue of Woocommerce not sending emails. If you need tailored functionality or integrations to better handle these workflows, consider custom WordPress and WooCommerce development services.
Many WooCommerce users have reported that this problem occurs when the sender and recipient email addresses use the same domain.
For example, if the sender email is example@fixrunner.com and the recipient is person@fixrunner.com, both being on fixrunner.com, this could cause email delivery failures.
The simplest fix is to use an email with a different domain as your recipient email. For the sender, use a professional email on your own domain, but when troubleshooting, send to a different address on another domain if needed.
In your WordPress dashboard, go to WooCommerce > Settings and update your recipient email to resolve the issue.
Click on the Emails tab.
Select the email notification you are trying to fix.
Change the recipient email address to another on a different domain.
Scroll down and click Save Changes. Of course, send a test email to a different address and confirm it arrives to verify that you have fixed the issue. If not, proceed with the next step below.
Use an SMTP Plugin
If you have tried the steps above and still have issues with WooCommerce email notifications, then there is likely a problem in the email server on your web host. The best solution in this case would be to use an SMTP plugin because it improves email deliverability and adds proper authentication.
And here’s why.
WooCommerce sends emails with the wp_mail() WordPress function. WordPress in turn calls on PHP to send the email, and PHP calls on the server in your webhost. In some cases, hosts block PHP mail, which is why order notifications fail. Similar server or configuration problems can also cause issues like the WordPress Customizer not working.
If you install an SMTP plugin, the request will no longer go to your webhost email server which is causing your notification errors, but will go to your SMTP plugin and be queued to be sent out. A popular option is wp mail smtp, and after setup you should send a test message to confirm inbox delivery. If you’re new to extending your site with plugins, you may find it helpful to review what WordPress plugins are and how to use them before making changes.
If the test fails, review the error message and check email logs with a mail logging plugin. In some cases you may need to remove or replace a problematic WordPress plugin if it’s interfering with email delivery.
Please read our step by step guide on how to install Gmail SMTP plugin on your WordPress site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my WooCommerce email notifications not working?
Email notifications in WooCommerce may not work due to various reasons, including incorrect email settings, server issues, or conflicts with other plugins or themes, and problems often appear when the order status does not change correctly during order processing. Conflicts from plugins, themes, custom code, or edited php files can also interrupt notifications. Ensure that you have properly configured your WooCommerce email settings and that there are no conflicts with other plugins or themes.
How do I check if my WooCommerce email settings are configured correctly?
To check your WooCommerce email settings, navigate to your WordPress dashboard, then go to WooCommerce > Settings > Emails. Ensure that the “Enable this email notification” checkbox is selected for each email notification you want to receive. You can also open each email template to review a few fields, such as recipient, subject, and content.
What are the common reasons for email notifications not being sent in WooCommerce?
Email issues often appear alongside other store problems such as the WooCommerce cart not working, since both can be caused by conflicts, outdated software, or hosting limitations.
Common reasons for email notifications not being sent in WooCommerce include issues with which order notification WooCommerce is trying to send and which order status transition triggers it:
- Incorrect email settings
- Issues with your server or hosting provider
- Plugin or theme conflicts
- Incorrectly configured SMTP settings
- Email marked as spam by the recipient’s email client
- A pending payment status or unpaid orders can prevent the expected notification from sending until payment is completed
- A failed order may not trigger the email you expect depending on how that status is configured
How can I test if my WooCommerce email notifications are working?
To test your WooCommerce email notifications, you can either place a test order or use a plugin like WP Mail Logging or Email Log to monitor the outgoing emails from your WordPress site. This way, you can check if the email notifications are sending and identify any issues. If you suddenly can’t access your dashboard while testing, follow our guide on fixing a blank WordPress admin panel to regain access.
Can I use SMTP to fix email notification issues in WooCommerce?
Yes, using an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) service can help resolve email notification issues in WooCommerce, improving delivery for order notifications like the processing order email and the order completed email. It is especially helpful when pending notifications need to reach the admin email or the customer reliably. SMTP services like SendGrid, Mailgun, or Google Workspace can help ensure reliable email delivery and bypass common issues with email notifications.
What should I do if the issue persists even after checking the email settings and using an SMTP service?
If the issue with email notifications in WooCommerce persists, try the following steps:
- Check for plugin or theme conflicts by deactivating plugins one by one and switching to a default WordPress theme.
- Ensure that the notifications are not marked as spam by checking your email’s spam folder.
- Contact your hosting provider to verify if there are any server-side issues affecting email delivery.
- Verify that the order’s payment details were captured correctly and that it moved into processing status after payment.
- Review whether a cancelled order should have triggered an internal notice and whether shipping updates are being sent after status changes.
- Seek assistance from a professional WordPress support service like FixRunner, whose managed WordPress support services cover WooCommerce troubleshooting, performance, and security.
How can FixRunner help me resolve my WooCommerce email notification issues?
Beyond solving email problems, FixRunner also provides 24/7 WordPress website management services to keep your entire store secure, fast, and well‑maintained.
FixRunner offers a wide range of WordPress support services, including troubleshooting and resolving WooCommerce email notification issues in a woocommerce store when transactional emails such as password resets are not being delivered. They can also help configure add ons that segment customers or automate follow-up messages. With their experienced team of WordPress experts, they can quickly identify the cause of the problem and provide a suitable solution to fix your email notification issues, as reflected in many of their WordPress support customer reviews.