Automatic Emails - Overview

Overview

By default, Squirrelcart automatically sends emails when certain events occur in your store. We call these Automatic Emails. There are several built-in automatic emails.

They can include attachments, custom messages, and can be personalized.

You can also create custom automatic emails, and can control when they are sent using our rule system.

Built-in Automatic Emails

Squirrelcart has the following built-in automatic emails:

Cart - Reminder to Complete Order

This email is sent to customers that have not completed their order within a certain timeframe. It can be used as a reminder or to offer assistance and incentives to finish their order. This email is sent via Squirrelcart's cron.php script. If you would like Squirrelcart to automatically send this email to customers that have not completed their orders you will need to configure a Cron job to call Squirrelcart's cron script. See this topic for more information.

You can also manually send this email via a record action when viewing carts in the control panel (under Orders > Carts).

Forgot Password

This is used to send an email to a user that they can use to reset their account if they have forgotten their username or password. It is automatically sent when the user submits the Forgot Password form in the storefront. You can also send a user this email yourself via a record action when viewing the Users table.

New Account Notification to Staff

This is used to send an email to staff when a new user account is created, including information from the user record. It is automatically sent when the user creates a new account, and when you create a user account in the control panel.

New Account Welcome to Customer

This is used to send a welcome email to a customer, when they create a new user account. It is automatically sent when the user creates a new account, and when you create a user account in the control panel. You can also resend this email via a record action when viewing the Users table.

Order - Notification to Staff

This is used to send an email to staff notifying them of a new order. It includes the details from the order. It is automatically sent when the user places an order.

Order - Receipt to Customer

This is used to send an email receipt to a customer when they place an order. It includes the details from the order. It is automatically sent when the user places an order. You can also resend this email via a record action when viewing the Orders table.

Order - Refund Notification to Customer

This is used to send an email to a customer notifying them that a refund has been submitted for their order. It is automatically sent when you assign a status of Refund Issued to an order.

Order - Ship Notification to Customer

This is used to send an email to a customer notifying them that their order has shipped. It can also include a tracking number, and information on how to track their shipment.

It is automatically sent when you assign a status of Shipped to an order. When you create a shipment in the control panel, a status of Shipped is automatically assigned to the order, and will also trigger this email.

Order - Status Note to Customer

This is used to send an email to a customer notifying them that a note has been added to their order. It is automatically sent when you assign a status of Note for Customer to an order.

Order - Warehouse Notification

This sends an email to a warehouse when items assigned to that warehouse are ordered. They will receive a list of the items shipping from their warehouse, along with options and quantities. They will not see pricing for items not shipping from their warehouse.

Viewing Automatic Email Settings

Each automatic email has a corresponding record in your control panel, used to control the email. You can view the settings by clicking the Automatic Emails menu link in the control panel:

Record Overview

Below you will find a list of the fields seen on your Automatic Email records. Please note that some built-in automatic emails do not include all of these fields.

Details

Name

This is for your use only, to help identify the automatic email.

Enabled

This can be used to turn the automatic email on and off without having to delete it.

Send When

This controls when the email is sent, and is like a trigger. Possible values are:

Order placed - email is sent when an order is placed
Order status set: STATUS_NAME - email is sent when a status is assigned to an order
User added to group: GROUP_NAME - email is sent when a user is added to a group
User created - email is sent when a new user is created

To Customer

Send to User

When checked, the email will be sent to the associated user.

User's Email Address

This determines which email address to use when sending an email to a user. When set to auto, Squirrelcart will use the email address on the user account. If no user account exists, the billing email address from an order will be used, followed by the shipipng email address.

To Staff

Message Details

Subject

Subject of the email. Variables may be used in this field. See the variable guide in this section for more info.

Reply To

This controls the email address (and name) that replies to this email will be sent to. When set to store default, the default from settings on the store settings will be used.

Format

This controls the format of the message content. Messages can be sent in HTML, Text, or multi-part (both HTML and text, in one message).

HTML Source

This tells Squirrelcart were to obtain the HTML for the message. You can specify either a field, or a file.

Text Source

This tells Squirrelcart were to obtain the text for the message. You can specify either a field, or a file.

Attachments

Checking this field will allow you to assign attachments to the email.

vCards

This option is only available when the Contact module is installed. See this page for more info.

HTML Message

This field is used to enter your HTML formatted message, when HTML Source is set to use field. Variables may be used in this field. See the variable guide in this section for more info.

HTML File

This field is used to select or upload your HTML file containing an HTML formatted message, when HTML Source is set to use file. Variables may be used in this file. See the variable guide in this section for more info.

Text Message

This field is used to enter your plain text formatted message, when Text Source is set to use field. Variables may be used in this field. See the variable guide in this section for more info.

Text File

This field is used to select or upload your file containing a plain text formatted message, when Text Source is set to use file. Variables may be used in this file. See the variable guide in this section for more info.

Additional Rules

For more information on how rules work, see the Managing Your Store > Rule System section of this documentation.

Variable Guide

Automatic emails can be associated with an order, an order status, a user account, or a shipment. Variables can be used to include information from these records in the email message or subject. This can be used to include a user's first name in a greeting, or any other information you might want to include. Variables must be included inside a set of braces, as in this example:

Hi {Order_Bill_First_Name},

Thanks again for your order...

Squirrelcart will automatically replace the variable with the corresponding value.

Order Variables

Order_*

Any field from an order record can be used as a variable. For a list of fields, open any order in edit mode and view the field labels. Some examples: Order_Grand_Total, Order_Ship_First_Name, Order_Bill_Email_Address, etc...

Order_Detail_Customer_HTML

This variable contains HTML to display the entire order in detail, formatted specifically for the customer.

Order_Detail_Customer_Text

This variable contains plain text to display the entire order in detail, formatted specifically for the customer.

Order_Detail_Merchant_HTML

This variable contains HTML to display the entire order in detail, formatted specifically for the merchant.

Order_Detail_Merchant_Text

This variable contains plain text to display the entire order in detail, formatted specifically for the merchant.

Order_Status_Note_HTML

This contains a note (if you entered one) corresponding to the last order status assigned to an order. It is formatted for use in an HTML message.

Order_Status_Note_Text

This contains a note (if you entered one) corresponding to the last order status assigned to an order. It is formatted for use in an plain text message.

Order_Status

This contains the name of the last status assigned to an order, such as Shipped, or Refund Issued.

Order_Status_Date

This contains the date the last status was assigned to an order.

User Account Variables

First_Name, Last_Name, etc...

Any field from a user record can be used as a variable. For a list of fields, open any user record in edit mode and view the field labels. Some examples: First_name, Email_Address, etc...

Account_Fields_HTML

This is a list of the fields assigned to the user account, formatted for use in an HTML message.

Account_Fields_Text

This is a list of the fields assigned to the user account, formatted for use in a plain text message.

Account_Admin_Opts_HTML

This includes some links to edit and view a user's account in the control panel, formatted for use in an HTML message. It should only be included in emails being sent to staff only.

Account_Admin_Opts_Text

This includes some links to edit and view a user's account in the control panel, formatted for use in a plain text message. It should only be included in emails being sent to staff only.

Shipment Variables

These variables are availalbe for use in the shipment notification email, sent when a status of "shipped" is assigned to an order.

Shipment_record_number

Record number of the shipment record

Shipment_Tracking_Number

Shipment_Method

Name of the shipment method, as in FedEx Ground

Shipment_Courier

Name of the courier, as in UPS

Shipment_Courier_rn

Record number of the shipping courier record

Shipment_Weight

Shipment_Cost

Shipment_Shipped_On

Date the shipment was created

Forgot Password (Account Reset) Variables

These variables are available for use in the built-in Forgot Password email, sent to reset a user's account.

PWD_Reset_URL_HTML

This contains the URL that will initiate an account reset, for use in an HTML formatted email.

PWD_Reset_URL_Text

This contains the URL that will initiate an account reset, for use in an plain text formatted email.

Security Info

These variables can be used to include information specific to the computer that initiated the email.

IP Address

Unique number identifying the computer.

Host Name

Unique name identifying the computer.

User Agent

Unique string identifying the browser

Referer

The URL that referred the user to your store

Referral Date

The date when the user was first referred to your store

Store Info

These variables include information about your store, from your Store Settings page.

Store_Company_Name

Company name of your store

Store_Street

First street address line

Store_Street_2

Second street address line

Store_City

Store_State_or_Province

Full name of state or province. Example: California

Store_State_Abbreviation

Abbreviation of state or province. Example: CA

Store_State_Other

Alternate state / province name

Store_Postal_Code

Store_Country

Full name of country. Example: United States

Store_Country_Alpha_2

2 letter ISO-3166 abbreviation of country. Example: US

Store_Country_Alpha_3

3 letter ISO-3166 abbreviation of country. Example: USA

Store_Customer_Service_Email

Store_URL

Other

View_Cart_URL

URL to view cart page

Constants

Squirrelcart uses constants to store information specific to your installation. The following constants can be used as variables in your emails.

Constants ending in DYN return a URL starting with either http:// or https:// depending on the protocol used in the current URL.

Constants ending in HTTP return a URL starting with http://

Constants ending in HTTPS return a URL starting with https://

SC_STORE_DIR_DYN             http://www.example.com or https://www.example.com
SC_STORE_DIR_HTTPS         https://www.example.com
SC_STORE_DIR_HTTP           http://www.example.com

URL to the directory containing your storefront page.

SC_STORE_DIR_RELATIVE store

This is the relative path to the store folder, without the domain name and protocol. If the store dir URL is: http://www.example.com/store , this would be equal to store

SC_STORE_PAGE_DYN          http://www.example.com/store.php or https://www.example.com/store.php
SC_STORE_PAGE_HTTPS      https://www.example.com/store.php
SC_STORE_PAGE_HTTP        http://www.example.com/store.php

SC_STORE_PAGE_NAME store.php

SC_CP_DIR_DYN http://www.example.com/squirrelcart or https://www.example.com/squirrelcart

URL to the control panel folder.

SC_CP_PAGE_DYN http://www.example.com/squirrelcart/index.php or https://www.example.com/squirrelcart/index.php
SC_CP_PAGE_HTTP http://www.example.com/squirrelcart/index.php

URL to the control panel page

SC_CURRENCY_PREFIX This matches the value specified in the control panel, and is typically a dollar sign or other currency symbol.

SC_CURRENCY_SUFFIX This matches the value specified in the control panel, and is typically a currency code, like USD or EUR

SC_DOMAIN_NAME example.com

SC_IMG_DIR_DYN                 http://www.example.com/sc_images or https://www.example.com/sc_images
SC_IMG_DIR_HTTPS             https://www.example.com/sc_images
SC_IMG_DIR_HTTP               http://www.example.com/sc_images

URL to the Squirrelcart image folder

SC_IMG_DIR_NAME sc_images

Name of the Squirrelcart image folder

SC_MASTER_THEME_DIR_DYN         https://www.example.com/squirrelcart/themes/squirrelcart or http://www.example.com/squirrelcart/themes/squirrelcart
SC_MASTER_THEME_DIR_HTTPS     https://www.example.com/squirrelcart/themes/squirrelcart
SC_MASTER_THEME_DIR_HTTP       http://www.example.com/squirrelcart/themes/squirrelcart

URL to the master Squirrelcart theme folder

SC_REQUEST_URL

Current URL being requested

SC_THEME_DIR_DYN             http://www.example.com/squirrelcart/themes/your_theme or https://www.example.com/squirrelcart/themes/your_theme
SC_THEME_DIR_HTTPS         https://www.example.com/squirrelcart/themes/your_theme
SC_THEME_DIR_HTTP           http://www.example.com/squirrelcart/themes/your_theme

URL to your custom theme folder

SC_THEME_DIR_NAME your_theme

Name of your custom theme folder