How to Add a Custom WooCommerce Order Status & Email

Extending WooCommerce functionalities is essential for many online stores. This tutorial explains how to create a custom order status and send tailored emails whenever this status is triggered. This is ideal for stores with unique workflows.

Step 1: Register a Custom Order Status in WooCommerce

Use the register_post_status function to define a new order status. Add the following code to your child theme’s functions.php or within a custom plugin:

// Define custom status
function add_custom_order_status() {
    register_post_status( 'wc-custom-status', array(
        'label'                     => _x( 'Custom Status', 'Order status', 'your-text-domain' ),
        'public'                    => true,
        'exclude_from_search'       => false,
        'show_in_admin_all_list'    => true,
        'show_in_admin_status_list' => true,
        'label_count'               => _n_noop( 'Custom Status (%s)', 'Custom Status (%s)', 'your-text-domain' )
    ) );
}
add_action( 'init', 'add_custom_order_status' );

Step 2: Make the Status Appear in Order Filters

To show this status in WooCommerce admin filters, use wc_order_statuses:

// Add to order status filter
function add_custom_order_status_to_filter( $order_statuses ) {
    $order_statuses['wc-custom-status'] = _x( 'Custom Status', 'Order status', 'your-text-domain' );
    return $order_statuses;
}
add_filter( 'wc_order_statuses', 'add_custom_order_status_to_filter' );

Step 3: Trigger Emails on Custom Status

Register an email action using the woocommerce_email_actions hook:

// Add custom email action
function add_custom_email_action( $email_actions ) {
    $email_actions[] = 'woocommerce_order_status_wc-custom-status';
    return $email_actions;
}
add_filter( 'woocommerce_email_actions', 'add_custom_email_action' );

Step 4: Create a Custom Email Handler

Define a class that extends WC_Email and controls the custom email logic. Save this as custom-new-order-email.php:

class Custom_New_Order_Email extends WC_Email {
    public function __construct() {
        $this->id             = 'custom_new_order';
        $this->title          = __( 'Custom Order Notice', 'your-text-domain' );
        $this->description    = __( 'Sent when an order is marked with the custom status.', 'your-text-domain' );
        $this->heading        = __( 'New Custom Order', 'your-text-domain' );
        $this->subject        = __( 'Order #{order_number} - Custom Status', 'your-text-domain' );
        $this->template_html  = 'emails/custom-new-order.php';
        $this->template_plain = 'emails/plain/custom-new-order.php';
        $this->template_base  = plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ );
        $this->placeholders   = array(
            '{order_number}' => '',
        );

        parent::__construct();
    }

    public function trigger( $order_id ) {
        $this->object = wc_get_order( $order_id );
        $this->recipient = $this->object->get_billing_email();
        $this->placeholders['{order_number}'] = $this->object->get_order_number();
        $this->heading = apply_filters( 'woocommerce_email_heading_' . $this->id, $this->heading, $this->object );
        $this->subject = apply_filters( 'woocommerce_email_subject_' . $this->id, $this->subject, $this->object );

        parent::trigger( $order_id );
    }
}

Step 5: Hook Your Custom Email into WooCommerce

Connect your custom email class using woocommerce_email_classes like so:

// Include the custom email class
function add_custom_email_class( $email_classes ) {
    require_once 'path/to/custom-new-order-email.php'; // Adjust path
    $email_classes['Custom_New_Order_Email'] = new Custom_New_Order_Email();
    return $email_classes;
}
add_filter( 'woocommerce_email_classes', 'add_custom_email_class' );

Wrapping Up

With these steps, you’ve successfully integrated a custom order status and linked it to an automated email in WooCommerce. This helps maintain a smoother workflow and improves customer communication.

Tip: Always develop in a staging environment and use a child theme or custom plugin to keep your setup upgrade-safe.

Need reference? Visit the official WooCommerce email customization docs.