How to Attach Multiple Files to WooCommerce Emails in WordPress
As an ecommerce store owner using WooCommerce on WordPress, you're probably familiar with the importance of order confirmation emails. These emails not only notify customers of their successful purchase, but can also include important documents like invoices, packing slips, or other files related to their order.
While the default WooCommerce email functionality allows you to attach a single file to your order emails, there are times when you may need to include multiple attachments. Perhaps you want to send customers both an invoice and a returns policy document, or include product spec sheets along with their order details.
Fortunately, WordPress provides a robust plugin API that allows you to extend the core functionality of WooCommerce through the use of filters and actions. In this article, we'll explore how you can leverage these WordPress hooks to easily attach multiple files to your WooCommerce email notifications.
Understanding the send_order_email
Filter
The key to adding multiple attachments to WooCommerce emails lies in the send_order_email
filter. This WordPress filter is triggered whenever an order email is being sent, providing you with the opportunity to modify the email content before it's delivered.
The send_order_email
filter accepts three parameters:
$attachments
: An array of file paths to be attached to the email.
$order_info
: An array of information about the current order, including the order object, recipient email, and email type.
$email_type
: The type of email being sent (e.g. "new_order", "cancelled_order", etc.).
By adding your own custom functions to this filter, you can append additional files to the $attachments
array, allowing you to include as many attachments as needed in your WooCommerce emails.
Step 1: Create a Function to Attach the First File
Let's start by creating a function that will add the first attachment to the email. In this example, we'll attach an invoice PDF to the order confirmation email:
function attach_invoice_to_order_email($attachments, $order_info) {
// Get the order object
$order = $order_info['order'];
// Generate the invoice file path
$invoice_file = get_order_invoice_path($order);
// Add the invoice file to the attachments array
$attachments[] = $invoice_file;
return $attachments;
}
In this function, we first retrieve the order object from the $order_info
array. We then generate the file path for the invoice PDF using a hypothetical get_order_invoice_path()
function (you'll need to implement this function to match your own file storage and naming conventions).
Finally, we add the invoice file path to the $attachments
array and return it, allowing the email to be sent with the invoice attached.
Step 2: Add the First Attachment Filter
Now that we have our first attachment function, we can add it to the send_order_email
filter:
add_filter('send_order_email', 'attach_invoice_to_order_email', 10, 2);
The add_filter()
function takes four parameters:
- The name of the filter we're hooking into (
'send_order_email'
).
- The name of the function we want to execute (
'attach_invoice_to_order_email'
).
- The priority of the filter (in this case,
10
).
- The number of parameters the function expects to receive (
2
in this case, since our function only uses the $attachments
and $order_info
parameters).
Step 3: Create a Function to Attach the Second File
Now, let's add a second attachment to the email, such as a returns policy document:
function attach_returns_policy_to_order_email($attachments, $order_info) {
// Get the returns policy file path
$returns_policy_file = get_returns_policy_file_path();
// Add the returns policy file to the attachments array
$attachments[] = $returns_policy_file;
return $attachments;
}
In this function, we simply generate the file path for the returns policy document using a hypothetical get_returns_policy_file_path()
function, and then add it to the $attachments
array before returning it.
Step 4: Add the Second Attachment Filter
Now we can add the second attachment filter to the send_order_email
hook:
add_filter('send_order_email', 'attach_returns_policy_to_order_email', 10, 2);
Notice that we're using the same priority (10
) and parameter count (2
) as the first filter. This ensures that both attachment functions are executed in the correct order and with the appropriate number of parameters.
Get a Free AI Website Audit
Automatically identify UX and content issues affecting your conversion rates with Flowpoint's comprehensive AI-driven website audit.
Handling the Filter Parameters
You may have noticed that the add_filter()
function in our examples specifies 2
as the number of parameters for the callback functions, but our functions only use 2
parameters ($attachments
and $order_info
). This is because the send_order_email
filter actually accepts 3
parameters: $attachments
, $order_info
, and $email_type
.
If you want to access the $email_type
parameter in your attachment functions, you'll need to update the function signatures accordingly:
function attach_invoice_to_order_email($attachments, $order_info, $email_type) {
// Function code
}
function attach_returns_policy_to_order_email($attachments, $order_info, $email_type) {
// Function code
}
By making this change, you can now access the $email_type
variable within your attachment functions, allowing you to potentially apply different logic or attachments based on the type of email being sent.
Implementing Multiple Attachments
You can continue to add more attachment functions and filters to the send_order_email
hook, allowing you to include as many files as needed in your WooCommerce email notifications. Here's an example of how you could add a third attachment:
function attach_product_specs_to_order_email($attachments, $order_info, $email_type) {
// Get the order items
$order_items = $order_info['order']->get_items();
// Loop through the items and attach product spec sheets
foreach ($order_items as $item) {
$product = $item->get_product();
$product_specs_file = get_product_specs_file_path($product);
$attachments[] = $product_specs_file;
}
return $attachments;
}
add_filter('send_order_email', 'attach_product_specs_to_order_email', 10, 3);
In this example, we loop through the order items, retrieve the corresponding product object, and then generate the file path for the product's spec sheet using a get_product_specs_file_path()
function. We then add each product's spec sheet to the $attachments
array before returning it.
By using this approach, you can add as many attachment functions as needed, each with their own unique logic for determining which files to include in the email. The send_order_email
filter will call each of these functions in the order they were added, allowing you to build up a comprehensive list of attachments for your WooCommerce email notifications.
Conclusion
Attaching multiple files to WooCommerce email notifications in WordPress is a relatively straightforward process, thanks to the flexibility provided by the send_order_email
filter. By creating custom functions that add files to the $attachments
array, you can easily include invoices, returns policies, product spec sheets, and any other relevant documents in your order confirmation emails.
Remember to carefully consider the user experience when adding multiple attachments, as excessive files could potentially overwhelm or confuse your customers. However, with the right balance of helpful information and a streamlined email design, you can enhance the overall customer experience and provide a more comprehensive order fulfillment process.
If you're looking for a solution to help you identify technical issues and optimize your website's conversion rates, be sure to check out Flowpoint.ai. Flowpoint's advanced analytics and AI-powered recommendations can assist you in optimizing your WooCommerce store and improving the overall customer experience