Automation

SpecCart includes powerful automation features to streamline your prescription lens workflow and reduce manual intervention.

Automation Overview

SpecCart automates these key processes:

1. Auto-Hold: Orders awaiting prescriptions automatically placed on hold
2. Auto-Release: Verified prescriptions automatically release orders to processing
3. Reminder Scheduling: Automatic prescription reminder emails at set intervals
4. Auto-Cancel: Optional automatic cancellation of long-abandoned orders
5. Lab Email Notifications: Auto-send order details to lab on verification

Auto-Hold on Order Creation

When a customer selects “Send Later” for their prescription, SpecCart automatically:

1. Sets Order Status: Changes order to On Hold immediately after payment
2. Generates Magic Link: Creates secure 7-day upload token
3. Sends Initial Reminder: Emails customer with magic link and upload instructions
4. Sets Metadata: Flags order as awaiting prescription
5. Adds Order Note: Documents hold reason for staff reference

How It Works

The auto-hold process:

Customer Checkout (Send Later)
    ↓
Payment Complete
    ↓
SpecCart Intercepts Status Change
    ↓
Generates Magic Link Token
    ↓
Sets Order Status: On Hold
    ↓
Sends Initial Reminder Email
    ↓
Adds Order Note

Note

Auto-hold runs at priority 20 on the woocommerce_new_order hook, ensuring it overrides payment gateway status changes.

Payment Gateway Compatibility

SpecCart prevents payment gateways from overriding the On Hold status:

• Standard gateways: Prevented from setting “Processing” or “Completed”
• Cash on Delivery: Forced to “On Hold” for send-later orders
• Direct bank transfer: Remains “On Hold” until prescription verified

This ensures orders stay held regardless of payment method.

Auto-Release on Verification

When an admin verifies a prescription, SpecCart automatically:

1. Checks Order Status: Confirms order is currently On Hold
2. Verifies Hold Reason: Confirms hold was for prescription (not other reasons)
3. Checks Payment: Ensures order is fully paid
4. Releases Order: Changes status to Processing
5. Sends Confirmation: Emails customer that order is moving forward
6. Clears Flags: Removes “awaiting prescription” metadata

Release Conditions

Auto-release only occurs when all of these are true:

• Order status is On Hold
• Order was held specifically for prescription (_speccart_awaiting_prescription = yes)
• Prescription is marked as verified
• Order payment is complete (order->needs_payment() = false)

Handling Unpaid Orders

If prescription is verified but payment is pending:

1. Order remains On Hold
2. Order note added: “Prescription verified but order still needs payment. Will process once paid.”
3. Auto-release triggers when payment completes
4. No customer email sent until order is released

Tip

This prevents notifying customers their order is processing when they haven’t paid yet.

Prescription Reminder Automation

Reminders are sent automatically on a scheduled basis.

Reminder Schedule

Default reminder intervals:

• Day 0: Initial reminder (sent immediately when order placed)
• Day 3: First follow-up reminder
• Day 7: Second follow-up reminder
• Day 14: Third follow-up reminder

After day 14, no additional automatic reminders are sent.

Note

The initial reminder (Day 0) is sent immediately via the auto-hold process, not via cron.

How Reminders Work

1. Daily Cron Job: Runs at 9:00 AM server time
2. Query Orders: Finds all orders with _speccart_awaiting_prescription = yes
3. Calculate Days: Determines days since order placed or hold date
4. Check Counter: Reads current reminder count from order meta
5. Send if Due: Sends reminder if days match schedule and counter matches
6. Increment Counter: Updates reminder count in order meta

Reminder Email Content

Each reminder includes:

• Customer’s order number
• Days since order placed
• Magic link for secure upload (regenerated with 30-day expiration)
• Alternative submission methods (email, fax)
• Contact information for support

Cron Configuration

Reminders use WordPress cron:

Event: speccart_send_prescription_reminders Frequency: Daily Time: 9:00 AM server time Next Run: Shows in Tools > Cron Events (with WP Crontrol plugin)

To verify cron is working:

1. Install WP Crontrol plugin
2. Navigate to Tools > Cron Events
3. Find speccart_send_prescription_reminders
4. Check “Next Run” timestamp
5. Click “Run Now” to test manually

Caution

WordPress cron requires site traffic to trigger. For precise timing, configure server-level cron to call wp-cron.php.

Auto-Cancel Abandoned Orders

Optionally auto-cancel orders where customers never send prescriptions.

Enable Auto-Cancel

Currently configured via database option:

update_option( 'speccart_auto_cancel_enabled', 'yes' );

Note

Future releases will add a UI toggle in SpecCart > Settings > Automation.

Auto-Cancel Settings

• Enabled: Default is enabled
• Cancel After: 30 days without prescription
• Applies To: Only orders with _speccart_awaiting_prescription = yes
• Cron Schedule: Daily at 10:00 AM

Auto-Cancel Process

1. Daily Cron: Runs at 10:00 AM server time
2. Query Orders: Finds orders on hold awaiting prescription
3. Check Age: Calculates days since order placed or hold date
4. Cancel if Old: Changes status to Cancelled if ≥30 days
5. Add Metadata: Flags order as auto-cancelled with timestamp
6. Trigger Email: WooCommerce sends order cancelled email to customer

Cancellation Note

Order note added:

Order auto-cancelled - No prescription received after 30 days.

Refunds

Auto-cancel does not automatically refund payments. Store owner must:

1. Review cancelled orders periodically
2. Process refunds manually via WooCommerce
3. Or configure auto-refund via WooCommerce settings

Tip

Before enabling auto-cancel, notify customers in reminder emails that orders will be cancelled after 30 days without prescription.

Lab Email Automation

SpecCart automatically sends order details to your lab when prescriptions are verified.

Configuration

Configure lab email settings at SpecCart > Settings > General > Lab Email Settings:

• Enable/Disable: Toggle automatic lab emails on/off
• Lab Email Addresses: Configure one or more lab email addresses
• Email Format: Structured for lab fulfillment systems
• PDF Attachments: Optionally attach prescription files

How It Works

When a prescription is verified:

1. Trigger: Prescription verification action fires
2. Email Generated: System compiles order details, lens configuration, and prescription data
3. Attachment Added: Prescription file (if uploaded) attached as PDF
4. Email Sent: Sent to configured lab email address(es)
5. History Tracked: Email send event logged in order meta

Email Content

Lab emails include:

• Complete order details (order number, customer info)
• Full lens configuration (type, material, coatings, tints, add-ons)
• Prescription data (OD/OS values, PD, prescription type)
• Customer information for lab reference
• Prescription file attachment (if uploaded)

Magic Link Token Management

Magic links are automatically managed:

Token Generation

Tokens are generated:

• When customer selects “Send Later” (initial order)
• When admin clicks “Send Reminder” (regenerated)
• When link expires and reminder is sent (regenerated)

Token Expiration

• Expiration: 7 days from generation
• Status: Tracked as Active, Expired, or Used
• Regeneration: Automatic when reminder sent after expiration

Token Security

Tokens include:

• Cryptographically random string
• Order ID association
• Expiration timestamp
• Single-use flag (marked used after upload)

Automation Settings (Future)

Planned settings UI at SpecCart > Settings > Automation:

Reminder Settings

• Enable/disable automatic reminders
• Customize reminder schedule (days)
• Set maximum reminder count
• Customize reminder email content

Auto-Hold Settings

• Enable/disable auto-hold
• Customize hold reason note
• Set initial reminder timing

Auto-Release Settings

• Enable/disable auto-release
• Require manual release (override)
• Set release conditions

Auto-Cancel Settings

• Enable/disable auto-cancel
• Set cancellation threshold (days)
• Enable auto-refund
• Customize cancellation email

Note

These settings are planned for future releases. Current automation uses hardcoded values.

Monitoring Automation

Track automation performance:

Dashboard Statistics

View at SpecCart > Dashboard:

• Orders awaiting prescription (count)
• Average verification time
• Reminder emails sent (last 30 days)
• Auto-released orders (last 30 days)
• Auto-cancelled orders (total)

Order Meta Tracking

Each order stores automation metadata:

• _speccart_awaiting_prescription: Yes/no flag
• _speccart_prescription_reminder_sent: Reminder count
• _speccart_prescription_reminder_dates: Array of send dates
• _speccart_hold_date: When order was held
• _speccart_initial_reminder_sent: Initial reminder flag
• _speccart_auto_cancelled: Auto-cancel flag

Troubleshooting Automation

Reminders Not Sending

Check these issues:

1. Cron not running: Verify WordPress cron is active
2. Event not scheduled: Check Tools > Cron Events
3. Email disabled: Check WooCommerce > Settings > Emails > Prescription Reminder
4. Order not flagged: Verify _speccart_awaiting_prescription = yes in order meta
5. Reminder limit reached: Check reminder count (max 3 automatic)

Orders Not Auto-Releasing

If orders stay On Hold after verification:

1. Payment incomplete: Check order payment status
2. Hold reason different: Verify order was held for prescription
3. Meta flag not cleared: Check _speccart_awaiting_prescription is deleted
4. Hook not triggering: Verify speccart_prescription_verified_notification hook fires

Auto-Hold Not Working

If orders don’t hold automatically:

1. Payment gateway override: Check gateway priority
2. Hook conflict: Disable other order status plugins
3. Send Later not detected: Verify prescription method in order meta
4. Already verified: Check if prescription marked verified during checkout

Cron Not Running

If WordPress cron is unreliable:

1. Disable WP cron: Add to wp-config.php:

   define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);

2. Set up server cron: Add to crontab:

   */15 * * * * wget -q -O - https://yoursite.com/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron >/dev/null 2>&1

3. Verify timing: Check cron runs consistently
4. Monitor logs: Install WP Crontrol to view execution history

Best Practices

Automation Workflow

Recommended automation setup:

1. Enable all automation: Auto-hold, auto-release, reminders
2. Configure email templates: Customize reminder content
3. Set up monitoring: Track dashboard statistics
4. Test workflow: Create test orders through complete cycle
5. Train staff: Ensure team understands automation behavior

Email Deliverability

For reliable reminder delivery:

1. Use SMTP plugin: Configure transactional email service
2. Authenticate domain: Set up SPF, DKIM records
3. Monitor bounces: Check email logs for failures
4. Test spam scores: Send to various email providers
5. Avoid spam triggers: Review email content

Customer Communication

Set expectations with customers:

1. Checkout notice: Inform about reminder schedule
2. Order confirmation: Explain prescription requirement
3. Reminder emails: Include support contact information
4. Cancellation warning: Notify of auto-cancel policy (if enabled)

Related Topics

• Review Order Workflow for complete process
• Configure Email Notifications
• Learn Prescription Verification best practices