An order confirmation email should answer three questions at a glance: what did I buy, how much did I pay and when will it arrive. Nearly every customer opens it, so after the required part there is room for one useful block.
Why this email matters to the customer and the store
For the customer the email is a document: they come back to it to find the order number, check the items or start a return. For the store it reduces support tickets and builds trust. People expect it and open it, unlike newsletters, so don't squander that trust with extra content.
In the EU the email also has a legal role. The seller must confirm the concluded contract on a durable medium, and an email with the order details and a link to your terms usually does that job. Check with a lawyer which details are required in your country.
Required structure
- Subject: "Order #1234 is paid" or "Order #1234 received". No exclamation marks and no ads in the subject.
- First line: confirmation and the expected ship date.
- Order contents: name, quantity, price, discounts, shipping, total including tax.
- Shipping address and method, payment method.
- What happens next: packing, shipping, an email with the tracking number.
- A link to the order in the customer account, if there is one.
- Support contacts, returns policy and the right of withdrawal.
- Seller details: company name, tax ID, address.
What you can add after the main part
The required part comes first. Below it you can place one additional block. Choose it based on what your store needs.
| Block | Goal | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Care or setup instructions | Fewer returns | Suits electronics, shoes, cosmetics |
| Coupon for the next order | Repeat purchase | With a clear expiry date |
| Partner gift | Revenue from every order | Labeled as a partner offer, not above the order details |
| Loyalty program invitation | Retention | No mandatory signup |
| Review link | Reviews | Better in a separate email after delivery |
What not to do
- Turn the email into a newsletter with ten products.
- Put banners above the order data.
- Send from a noreply address with no way to contact the store.
- Put the order data in an image only: screen readers and email clients with images off can't read it.
- Add ads for third-party products without checking the legal rules for commercial messages in your country.
The legal line: transactional email vs advertising
A confirmation email is transactional, so it doesn't need newsletter consent. But if you add an advertising block, part of the email becomes a commercial communication. In Spain, such email messages are regulated by article 21 of the LSSI: without consent you may only advertise your own products similar to the ones bought, and every message needs a simple way to opt out.
The practical takeaway: keep the main part of the email transactional, keep the extra block small and tied to the order, and run the format of partner offers by a lawyer. More in our article on GDPR and sharing data with partners.
WooCommerce emails: what is configured where
After a card payment the customer gets a "Processing order" email, after a bank transfer an "Order on-hold" email, and once fulfilled a "Completed order" email. You can enable, disable and change the subject and heading under WooCommerce → Settings → Emails.
Colors, logo and footer text are set in the same place. To change the structure there are two paths: override the email templates in a child theme (the woocommerce/emails folder) or add a block through hooks, such as woocommerce_email_after_order_table. The second option is safer: it doesn't break when WooCommerce updates its templates.
Pre-launch check
- Send test orders with every payment method.
- Check the email in Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail, on phone and desktop.
- Turn images off and make sure the order data is still readable.
- Check that the email doesn't land in spam: SPF, DKIM and DMARC are set up for your domain.
- Match the amounts in the email against the thank-you page.
Example email structure
- Subject: "Order #1234 is paid — we'll ship by November 12".
- Heading: "Thanks, Maria! Your order is in".
- Next-step line: "We'll pack your order tomorrow and send you a tracking number".
- Table: items, quantity, prices, shipping, total.
- Shipping address and payment method.
- A "View your order" button.
- A block: "Questions about your order? Reply to this email", plus the returns policy.
- One extra block: instructions, a coupon or a partner gift.
- Footer: company details, links to terms and the privacy policy.
Tone and language
Write the way your store talks on the site. If the customer placed the order in Spanish, the email should arrive in Spanish too: WooCommerce sends emails in the site language, and a multilingual store needs a translation plugin that also translates emails.
Avoid stiff phrases like "Your order has been successfully generated and forwarded for processing". Simpler and clearer: "Order received. We'll pack it tomorrow." Short sentences are easier to read on a phone, and most emails are opened there.
An extra block without extra work
The ThanklyClub plugin adds a block with 1–3 partner gifts to the WooCommerce email, below the order table. It uses the standard email hook and doesn't pass the customer's name, email or address to partners.
FAQ
What should an order confirmation email include?
The order number, items, prices and total, shipping address and method, payment method, next steps, support contacts and the returns policy.
Can I add ads to an order confirmation email?
A small block after the order data is acceptable, but it becomes a commercial communication. In Spain article 21 of the LSSI applies, so run the format of partner offers by a lawyer.
How do I edit the order email in WooCommerce?
Texts and styling are under WooCommerce → Settings → Emails. Structure is changed through templates in a child theme or through email hooks.
Why does my order email land in spam?
Most often because SPF, DKIM and DMARC aren't set for the domain, or because it's sent from shared hosting. Use a transactional email service and set up your domain records.
When should the order confirmation email be sent?
Right after checkout or payment, within a few minutes. If it is delayed, customers start to wonder whether the order went through and write to support.
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