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Why Are Some WooCommerce Emails Not Showing in WP Mail Logging?

28 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Wp mail logging

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If you're using the WP Mail Logging plugin to monitor your WooCommerce store's communications, you might have encountered a frustrating issue: some emails are missing from the log. This is a common problem reported by many users, particularly with WooCommerce transactional emails like 'Completed Order', 'Processing Order', and shipping notifications.

Understanding the Core Issue

WP Mail Logging works by hooking into the wp_mail function, which is WordPress's core function for sending email. If an email is not logged, it typically means the plugin was not able to intercept that specific wp_mail call. This is rarely a fault of the logging plugin itself, but rather a symptom of how and when the email is sent by WooCommerce or a third-party extension.

Common Causes and Solutions

1. Emails Sent via Custom Methods (Advanced Shipment Tracking & Others)

Many popular WooCommerce extensions, such as Advanced Shipment Tracking (AST), don't always use the standard wp_mail function. They might use direct SMTP connections or API calls to external services to send emails, completely bypassing WordPress's mailing system. Since WP Mail Logging only intercepts wp_mail calls, these emails will not appear in its log.

What to do: Check the documentation or settings of your specific shipping or tracking plugin. Look for an option labeled something like "Use WordPress mailing system" or "Use wp_mail function" and ensure it is enabled. If no such option exists, the emails from that plugin will not be loggable by any WordPress mail logging plugin.

2. Large Email Content or Specific Characters

In some cases, the content of the email itself can prevent it from being logged. Threads indicate that emails containing certain characters, like emojis, or emails with very large content (e.g., big order tables) can sometimes fail to be processed correctly by the logging hook, resulting in a missing log entry even though the email is sent.

What to do: Test by sending a simplified version of the email without emojis or large HTML tables. If the simplified email is logged, you've identified the culprit. You may need to modify your email templates to avoid these specific elements.

3. Database or Caching Issues

Although less common, a corrupted database table for the plugin or aggressive object caching can sometimes interfere with the logging process.

What to do: One user reported that running the "Upgrade Database" function within the WP Mail Logging plugin resolved their issue. It's also a good practice to temporarily disable any full-page or object caching mechanisms (like Redis or Memcached) to see if it affects logging.

4. Theme or Plugin Conflicts

A conflict with your theme or another plugin can prevent the wp_mail function from firing correctly for specific emails. This is a broad category, but conflicts are a common source of unexpected behavior in WordPress.

What to do: Follow a standard conflict test:

  1. Switch temporarily to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four).
  2. Disable all plugins except WooCommerce and WP Mail Logging.
  3. Test if the problematic email is now logged.
  4. If it is, re-enable your theme and plugins one by one, testing after each, to identify the conflict.

Important Note: What WP Mail Logging Can and Cannot Do

It's crucial to understand the scope of this plugin. WP Mail Logging is a passive recorder. It can only log emails that are successfully passed through the wp_mail function. It cannot:

  • Log emails sent via direct SMTP or external API calls.
  • Force WooCommerce to send an email that it isn't sending.
  • Provide advanced features like open tracking or delivery status; it only logs the act of sending and any immediate PHP errors from the mailer.

Conclusion

The most likely reason a WooCommerce email is not appearing in your WP Mail Log is that it is being sent by a method that bypasses the standard wp_mail function. Your first step should always be to investigate the plugin responsible for sending the missing email. By methodically testing for conflicts and understanding the limitations of mail logging, you can better diagnose where the communication breakdown is occurring.

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