How to Customize WooCommerce Emails (Step-by-Step Guide)

If you want your order notifications to look professional, you need to know how to customize WooCommerce emails. With a few updates, you can adjust the design, refine the message, and make every email match your brand.

In this guide, you will learn:

• The main WooCommerce email types you can customize
• How to edit WooCommerce emails using default settings
• How to customize email templates inside your theme
• How to customize WooCommerce emails with plugins (general workflow)
• Best practices to keep your emails clear, congisistent, and on-brand

These methods make it easy to improve the look and clarity of the emails your store sends without adding extra complexity to your setup.

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WooCommerce Email Types You Can Customize

Customizing WooCommerce emails gives you more control over how your store communicates with customers. WooCommerce provides several built in email templates that you can adjust to match your brand, improve clarity and present information in a more organized way.

Transactional Emails

Transactional emails in WooCommerce are system-generated messages automatically sent to customers (or store admins) when a specific action or event occurs in the store. They are not promotional. Their purpose is to deliver essential information related to orders, accounts, payments, or other required store activities.

1. Order-related emails

These emails cover the full order process. Common WooCommerce templates include:

• New Order: Sent to the store admin when a new order is placed. It alerts you to review and process the order.
• Processing Order: Sent to the customer after payment is received. It confirms the order is being prepared.
• Completed Order: Sent to the customer when the order is finished and delivered or fulfilled.
• Failed Order: Sent when the payment fails. It alerts the customer that the order did not go through.
• Cancelled Order: Sent when an order is cancelled by the customer or store admin.
• Order on Hold: Sent when the order is waiting for manual review or payment confirmation.
• Customer Invoice: Sent to the customer with payment details or a link to pay for the order.

You can update the wording, add helpful notes or include simple branding elements.

2. Customer account emails

These emails support account creation and login details. WooCommerce email templates include:

• New Account: Sent to the customer after they create an account. It provides login details and confirms the account is active.
• Password Reset: Sent when a customer requests a new password. It includes a link to reset their password.
• Account Updated: Sent when a customer’s account details are changed. It confirms that the update was successful.

You can refine the message to build trust and create a smoother onboarding experience.

3. Refund, cancellation, and invoice emails

These templates inform customers of changes to their order or payment details. Templates include:

• Refunded Order: Sent to the customer when their entire order has been refunded. It confirms the refund amount and status.
• Partially Refunded Order: Sent to the customer when only part of the order is refunded. It explains the refunded items and amount.

Clear communication in these WooCommerce emails can reduce confusion for customers.

Emails from Extensions

Emails from extensions are email notifications added to WooCommerce by plugins or add-ons that extend the platform’s functionality. These emails are not part of WooCommerce core; they only appear if you install a plugin that introduces a new feature requiring customer communication.

Many WooCommerce extensions add their own email notifications. Common types include:

• Subscription Renewal: Sent to remind the customer that their subscription is renewing or has just renewed.
• Subscription Expired: Sent when a customer’s subscription has ended and is no longer active.
• Subscription Cancelled: Sent when a subscription is cancelled by the customer or the system.
• Membership Activated: Sent when a customer’s membership becomes active and ready to use.
• Membership Reminder: Sent to remind the customer about upcoming membership renewals or expirations.
• Welcome Email: Sent to greet new customers and introduce them to your store or service.
• Abandoned Cart Email: Sent when a customer leaves items in the cart without checking out.
• Booking Confirmations: Sent to confirm a customer’s booking after they complete the reservation.
• Appointment Reminders: Sent to remind customers about an upcoming appointment.
• Gift Card Emails: Sent to deliver a purchased gift card to the recipient.
• Points and Rewards Notifications: Sent when customers earn, use, or receive updates about reward points.
• Pre-order Updates: Sent to update customers about the status or release of a pre-ordered product.

These templates can often be customized to match the rest of your store’s communication.

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How to Customize WooCommerce Emails Using Default WooCommerce Settings

WooCommerce provides simple built in options that let you adjust the content and basic design of your email notifications. This method is suitable for quick updates that do not require coding.

Step 1. Open the email settings in WooCommerce

From your WordPress dashboard go to WooCommerce, then select Settings and click the Emails tab. You will see a list of all email notifications your store sends.

Step 2. Review and adjust global sender information

Before customizing individual emails, scroll to the Email Sender Options section.

Here, you can update:

1 – From Name: WooCommerce uses this name in the sender field of all emails. You can enter your store name so customers can identify your messages easily.

2 – From Address: This field controls the email address used to send all notifications. You should use a valid business email to improve deliverability and trust.

Step 3. Review global email style settings

Right here, add this short WooCommerce 9.8 note:

Email styling options in WooCommerce 9.8 and later

If your store uses WooCommerce 9.8 or later and the new email settings feature is enabled, you will see updated styling controls. You can edit the following:

• Logo
• Logo width
• Header alignment
• Font family
• Footer text
• Color palette settings such as accent color, email background, content background, heading text and secondary text

These options allow you to match your email layout more closely to your theme and brand.

Email styling options in earlier versions or when the new settings are disabled

Stores running older versions of WooCommerce, or stores that have not enabled the new email settings, will see the classic styling options. You can edit:

• Header image
• Base color
• Background color
• Body background color
• Body text color
• Footer text and footer text color

These fields help you create a consistent look across all default WooCommerce emails.

Step 4. Choose an email template to edit

Scroll back up to the Email Notifications table and click Manage on the template you want to edit, such as Processing Order or Completed Order. This opens the customization screen for that specific email.

Step 5. Edit the subject, heading and custom message

When the editor opens, you will see several fields:

1 – Subject: This controls the subject line shown in the customer’s inbox. You can use placeholders such as

• {site_title} for your store name
• {order_number} for the order ID. Updating this field helps you create a clear and recognizable subject line.

2 – Email heading: This is the heading shown at the top of the email body. It usually appears inside the styled header of the WooCommerce email layout. You can change it to match your brand tone or make the message easier to understand.

3 – Additional content: This box lets you add a custom message that will appear at the bottom of the email. Many stores use this for:

• Support contact details
• Short thank you messages
• Delivery reminders
• A link to the help center. You can also use placeholders such as {site_url} for your store link.

4 – Email type: Choose the format of the email. Options include HTML, plain text and multipart.

• HTML gives you the styled WooCommerce layout
• Plain text creates a simple text only message. Most stores keep this set to HTML.

Step 6. Adjust email type and branding options

At the bottom of the page, you can change the header image, base color, background color, and footer text for your emails. These settings help you maintain visual alignment throughout your store.

Step 7. Review the template file and save changes

WooCommerce shows the file path for the template used by this email. You can click View template to inspect the code. After making your edits, click Save changes.

And that’s how to how to customize WooCommerce emails!

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How to Customize WooCommerce Email Templates

If you need more control over the layout and structure of your emails, you can override the actual template files that WooCommerce uses. This gives you full access to the HTML and PHP inside each email.

Step 1. Identify the template file WooCommerce uses

At the bottom of the email settings page, WooCommerce shows the exact file path of the template for both formats:

HTML template: woocommerce/templates/emails/customer-processing-order.php

Plain text template: woocommerce/templates/emails/plain/customer-processing-order.php

These paths tell you which file WooCommerce loads when sending the email.

Step 2. Copy the template into your theme

To override the email safely, copy the file into your theme using the same folder structure.

For HTML:

yourtheme/woocommerce/emails/customer-processing-order.php

For plain text:

yourtheme/woocommerce/emails/plain/customer-processing-order.php

Once the file is in your theme, WooCommerce will use your version automatically.

Step 3. Edit the template file

Open the copied file in a code editor. Inside, you can edit:

• The main HTML structure
• Headings and text
• Layout blocks
• The greeting and intro lines
• Any additional message you want to add

Each template contains comments to help you understand what each part does. You can insert your own HTML and adjust existing markup.

Step 4. Use WooCommerce email hooks for dynamic content

Templates rely on hooks that output important data such as:

• Order information
• Customer details
• Order items and totals
• The header and footer sections

Common hooks you may see include:

woocommerce_email_header

woocommerce_email_order_details

woocommerce_email_footer

These hooks keep your custom template compatible with future WooCommerce updates.

Step 5. Save your override and test the email

After editing the file:

1. Save it inside your theme
2. Place a test order
3. Open the email to check spacing, style and content
4. Adjust the template if something does not look correct

Testing ensures the email displays correctly in users’ inboxes.

Step 6. Watch for outdated templates after WooCommerce updates

If WooCommerce updates its default email template, the system may alert you that your overridden file is outdated. You may need to copy the new version again and reapply your custom edits.

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How to Customize WooCommerce Emails with Plugins

If you want more visual control without editing code, email customizer plugins offer a simple way to design and structure your WooCommerce emails. These tools usually provide drag and drop builders, style controls and live previews.

What email customizer plugins can help you do

Most WooCommerce email plugins allow you to change many design and content elements, such as:

• Layout blocks
• Font size and font style
• Button style
• Header and footer sections
• Colors, spacing and alignment
• Custom text fields
• Conditional messages based on order status
• Brand logo and images
• Social icons or support links

These features make it easier to create a branded email template without manually editing HTML.

Popular plugin options you can explore

These are widely used tools for designing WooCommerce emails. This list is for reference only and is not a recommendation.

• WooCommerce Email Customizer
• Kadence WooCommerce Email Designer
• Email Customizer for WooCommerce by ThemeHigh
• YayMail Email Builder
• FluentCRM email builder elements for WooCommerce
• Decorator WooCommerce Email Customizer

Each tool provides its own design styles and customization controls, so you can choose the one that fits your workflow.

General steps to customize emails with a plugin

Although each plugin has a different interface, the workflow is usually the same:

Step 1. Install and activate a WooCommerce email customizer plugin

You can find options in the WordPress plugin directory or from third party developers.

Step 2. Open the email builder

The builder is often located under WooCommerce or Appearance. Some plugins create their own menu.

Step 3. Choose the email template you want to customize

Select an email such as New Order, Completed Order or Reset Password. The plugin loads a preview you can edit visually.

Step 4. Customize the layout and content

Use the builder to adjust layout blocks, upload your logo, change colors or edit text. Some plugins also allow dynamic placeholders such as customer name, order number or store URL.

Step 5. Add optional custom elements

You can add:

• Banners
• CTA buttons
• Support messages
• Order tips
• Policy links
• Social icons

These small touches help you provide a more helpful experience for customers.

Step 6. Preview and test the email

Most plugins offer a preview mode or a Test Email button so you can check the design before activating it on your store.

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Best Practices for WooCommerce Email Customization

Effective WooCommerce emails help customers understand their order details clearly and strengthen your overall brand experience. The best practices below guide you toward creating simple, readable and consistent email communication.

Best practice	Explanation
Keep your subject lines clear and simple	You should write subject lines that tell customers exactly what the email contains so they can identify the message quickly.
Maintain a consistent brand style	You should use the same colors, fonts and logo that appear on your website so your emails feel familiar and professional.
Avoid long blocks of text	You should keep the message short and easy to scan so customers can read important details without effort.
Highlight important information	You should place key information such as order number and delivery details near the top of the email so customers can find it quickly.
Use placeholders for dynamic content	You can insert placeholders for customer name or order number so WooCommerce fills in the correct information for each email.
Test your design across devices	You should preview your email on desktop and mobile to make sure it displays correctly on all screens.
Keep the template lightweight	You should avoid large images or complex layouts so the email loads quickly and delivers more reliably.

With the right adjustments, your WooCommerce emails can deliver a more polished and helpful experience. These tools and techniques give you full control over how your store communicates with customers.

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How to Customize WooCommerce Emails: FAQs

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Final Words 

As you have learned in this guide, knowing how to customize WooCommerce emails gives you full control over your store’s communication. With these methods, you can create clearer and more professional messages that match your brand and support a better customer experience.