How to Fix Missing Variation Names in WooCommerce Order Emails

Are your WooCommerce variable product variations no longer appearing in customer order confirmation emails? This is a common issue that can confuse customers who ordered specific product options. Let's explore why this happens and walk through the most effective troubleshooting steps.

Why Do Variation Names Disappear from Emails?

When variation data stops showing in WooCommerce emails, it's typically caused by one of these scenarios:

• Theme or Plugin Conflict: Another plugin or your active theme might be overriding how WooCommerce displays order items in emails.
• Template Customizations: Custom email templates that are outdated or incorrectly modified can prevent variation data from rendering properly.
• Recent Updates: Sometimes, updates to WooCommerce, WordPress, or other components can introduce compatibility issues.

Troubleshooting Steps to Restore Variation Names

1. Test for Conflicts

The most reliable first step is to temporarily disable all plugins except WooCommerce and switch to a default WordPress theme like Storefront or Twenty Twenty-Four.

1. Install a maintenance mode plugin to hide your site from visitors during testing.
2. Deactivate all plugins except WooCommerce.
3. Switch to a default WordPress theme.
4. Place a test order with a variable product and check if the variation names now appear in the email.
5. If they do, reactivate your plugins and theme one by one, testing after each, to identify the culprit.

2. Check Your Email Templates

If you've customized WooCommerce email templates, they might be outdated or missing the necessary code to display variations.

1. Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Emails in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Check if any templates show a "Outdated template" warning. If so, update them.
3. If you have custom email templates in your theme (located in your-theme/woocommerce/emails/), compare them with the latest versions in the WooCommerce plugin directory. Pay special attention to the email-order-items.php template.

3. Re-save Permalinks

Sometimes, a simple refresh of your site's permalink structure can resolve display issues.

1. Go to Settings > Permalinks in WordPress.
2. Simply click "Save Changes" without modifying any settings.

4. Check for Known Issues

Visit the official WooCommerce plugin repository on WordPress.org and check the support forums for similar reports. Other users may have documented workarounds for specific version conflicts.

What If the Problem Persists?

If you've tried all the above steps and variation names still don't appear, the issue might be more specific to your setup. When seeking help from the community, be sure to include:

• The exact versions of WordPress, WooCommerce, and your theme
• A list of active plugins
• Whether the issue occurs with all variable products or specific ones

By systematically working through these troubleshooting steps, you should be able to identify what's preventing your variation names from displaying in order emails and restore this important customer communication feature.