WordPress Emails

This document lists all of the situations where WordPress sends an email, along with how to filter or disable each email.

This list was last updated for WordPress 5.4 beta.

Table of Contents

• Comments
• Change of Admin Email
• Change of User Email or Password
• Personal Data Requests
• Automatic Updates
• New User
• New Site
• Other

Comments

Comment is awaiting moderation

To:        Site Admin
           Post author if they can edit comments
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%1$s] Please moderate: "%2$s"
Function:  wp_notify_moderator()
Pluggable: Yes
Filters:   comment_moderation_subject
           comment_moderation_text
           comment_moderation_recipients
           comment_moderation_headers
Disable:   Return false from notify_moderator filter
           Remove wp_new_comment_notify_moderator action on comment_post hook
           "Email me whenever" on Settings -> Discussion
           Overwrite the pluggable function

Comment has been published

To:        Post author
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%1$s] Comment: "%2$s"
           [%1$s] Pingback: "%2$s"
           [%1$s] Trackback: "%2$s"
Function:  wp_notify_postauthor()
Pluggable: Yes
Filters:   comment_notification_subject
           comment_notification_text
           comment_notification_recipients
           comment_notification_headers
Disable:   Return false from notify_post_author filter
           Remove wp_new_comment_notify_postauthor action on comment_post hook
           Overwrite the pluggable function
           See also the hardcoded action added to wp_set_comment_status in wp_set_comment_status()

Change of Admin Email

Change of site admin email address is attempted

Note: Prior to WordPress 4.9, this was Multisite-only functionality.

To:        Proposed new email address
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] New Admin Email Address
Function:  update_option_new_admin_email()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   new_admin_email_content
Disable:   Remove action on add_option_new_admin_email and update_option_new_admin_email hooks

Site admin email address is changed

To:        Old site admin email address
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Admin Email Changed (WP 5.2+)
           [%s] Notice of Admin Email Change (WP < 5.2)
Function:  wp_site_admin_email_change_notification()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   site_admin_email_change_email
Disable:   Return false from send_site_admin_email_change_email filter

Change of network admin email address is attempted

Note: Multisite only.

To:        Proposed new email address
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Network Admin Email Change Request (WP 5.2+)
           [%s] New Network Admin Email Address (WP < 5.2)
Function:  update_network_option_new_admin_email()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   new_network_admin_email_content
Disable:   Remove action on add_site_option_new_admin_email and update_site_option_new_admin_email hooks

Network admin email address is changed

Note: Multisite only.

To:        Old network admin email address
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Notice of Network Admin Email Change
Function:  wp_network_admin_email_change_notification()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   network_admin_email_change_email
Disable:   Return false from send_network_admin_email_change_email filter

Change of User Email or Password

User requests a password reset via "Lost your password?"

To:        User
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Password Reset
Function:  retrieve_password()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   retrieve_password_title
           retrieve_password_message
Disable:   Return an empty message from retrieve_password_message filter

User resets their password from the password reset link

To:        Site admin
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Password Changed
Function:  wp_password_change_notification()
Pluggable: Yes
Filters:   wp_password_change_notification_email
Disable:   Remove action on after_password_reset hook
           Overwrite the pluggable function

User attempts to change their email address

Note: Prior to WordPress 4.9, this was Multisite-only functionality.

To:        Proposed new email address
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Email Change Request (WP 5.2+)
           [%s] New Email Address (WP < 5.2)
Function:  send_confirmation_on_profile_email()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   new_user_email_content
Disable:   Remove action on personal_options_update hook

User changes their password

To:        User
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Password Changed (WP 5.2+)
           [%s] Notice of Password Change (WP < 5.2)
Function:  wp_update_user()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   password_change_email
Disable:   Return false from send_password_change_email filter

User changes their email address

To:        User
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Email Changed (WP 5.2+)
           [%s] Notice of Email Change (WP < 5.2)
Function:  wp_update_user()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   email_change_email
Disable:   Return false from send_email_change_email filter

Personal Data Requests

Personal data export or erasure request is created or resent from Tools -> Export Personal Data or Tools -> Erase Personal Data

To:        Requester email address
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%1$s] Confirm Action: %2$s
Function:  wp_send_user_request()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   user_request_action_email_content
           user_request_action_email_subject
           user_request_action_email_headers
Disable:   Unknown, may have to remove the admin pages entirely by removing _wp_privacy_hook_requests_page action from admin_menu hook

User clicks confirmation link in personal data export or erasure request email

To:        Site admin / Network admin
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%1$s] Action Confirmed: %2$s
Function:  _wp_privacy_send_request_confirmation_notification()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   user_request_confirmed_email_to
           user_confirmed_action_email_content
           user_request_confirmed_email_subject
           user_request_confirmed_email_headers
Disable:   Remove action on user_request_action_confirmed hook

Site admin clicks Send Export Link button next to a confirmed data export request

To:        Requester email address
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Personal Data Export
Function:  wp_privacy_send_personal_data_export_email()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   wp_privacy_personal_data_email_content
           wp_privacy_personal_data_email_to
           wp_privacy_personal_data_email_subject
           wp_privacy_personal_data_email_headers
Disable:   Remove filter on wp_privacy_personal_data_export_page hook

Site admin clicks Erase Personal Data button next to a confirmed data erasure request

To:        Requester email address
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Erasure Request Fulfilled
Function:  _wp_privacy_send_erasure_fulfillment_notification()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   user_erasure_fulfillment_email_to
           user_erasure_complete_email_subject
           user_confirmed_action_email_content
           user_erasure_complete_email_headers
Disable:   Remove filter on wp_privacy_personal_data_erased hook

Automatic Updates

Completion or failure of a background automatic core update

To:        Site admin / Network admin
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%1$s] Your site has updated to WordPress %2$s
           [%1$s] WordPress %2$s is available. Please update!
           [%1$s] URGENT: Your site may be down due to a failed update
Function:  WP_Automatic_Updater::send_email()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   auto_core_update_email
Disable:   Return false from auto_core_update_send_email filter
           Return false from send_core_update_notification_email filter

Full log of background update results

Note: Only sent when you are using a development version of WordPress.

To:        Site admin / Network admin
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Background Update Failed (WP 5.2+)
           [%s] Background Update Finished (WP 5.2+)
           [%s] There were failures during background updates (WP < 5.2)
           [%s] Background updates have finished (WP < 5.2)
Function:  WP_Automatic_Updater::send_debug_email()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   automatic_updates_debug_email
Disable:   Return false from automatic_updates_send_debug_email filter

New User

An existing user is invited to a site from Users -> Add New -> Add Existing User

Note: Multisite only.

To:        User being invited
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Joining Confirmation
Function:  wp-admin/user-new.php
Pluggable: No
Filters:   None
Disable:   Click the "Skip Confirmation Email" checkbox when adding the user

A new user is invited to a site from Users -> Add New -> Add New User

Note: Multisite only.

To:        User being invited
From:      [Network Name] <[network admin]>
Subject:   [%1$s] Activate %2$s
Function:  wpmu_signup_user_notification()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   wpmu_signup_user_notification_subject
           wpmu_signup_user_notification_email
Disable:   Click the "Skip Confirmation Email" checkbox when adding the user
           Return false from wpmu_signup_user_notification filter
Note:      There is a default filter on wpmu_signup_user_notification_email: admin_created_user_email()

A new user account is created

Note: Multisite only.

To:        Network Admin
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   New User Registration: %s
Function:  newuser_notify_siteadmin()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   newuser_notify_siteadmin
Disable:   Filter registrationnotification option value
           Remove action on wpmu_new_user hook
           Toggle "Registration notification" in Network Admin -> Settings

A user has been added, or their account activation has been successful

Note: Multisite only.

To:        User being added
From:      [Network Name] <[network admin]>
Subject:   New %s User: %s
Function:  wpmu_welcome_user_notification()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   update_welcome_user_subject
           update_welcome_user_email
           See also "Welcome User Email" setting in Network Admin -> Settings
Disable:   Click the "Skip Confirmation Email" checkbox when adding the user
           Return false from wpmu_welcome_user_notification filter
           Remove action on wpmu_activate_user hook

A new user is created

When a new user is created, two emails are sent from the same function. One to the site admin:

To:        Site Admin
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] New User Registration
Filters:   wp_new_user_notification_email_admin

and one to the newly created user:

To:        New user
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Login Details (WP 5.2+)
           [%s] Your username and password info (WP < 5.2)
Filters:   wp_new_user_notification_email

Details:

Function:  wp_new_user_notification()
Pluggable: Yes
Disable:   Remove wp_send_new_user_notifications action on register_new_user hook
           Remove wp_send_new_user_notifications action on edit_user_created_user hook
           Remove wp_send_new_user_notifications action on network_site_new_created_user hook
           Remove wp_send_new_user_notifications action on network_site_users_created_user hook
           Remove wp_send_new_user_notifications action on network_user_new_created_user hook
           Overwrite the pluggable function

New Site

When WordPress is installed, and when a site is added to a Multisite network

To:        Site Admin
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   New WordPress Site
Function:  wp_new_blog_notification()
Pluggable: Yes
Filters:   None
Disable:   Overwrite the pluggable function

New site created from Network Admin -> Sites -> Add New

Note: Multisite only.

To:        Network Admin
From:      Site Admin <[network admin]>
Subject:   [%s] New Site Created
Function:  wp-admin/network/site-new.php
Pluggable: No
Filters:   None
Disable:   Not possible

User registers for a new site

Note: Multisite only.

To:        Site Admin
From:      [Network Name] <[network admin]>
Subject:   [%1$s] Activate %2$s
Function:  wpmu_signup_blog_notification()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   wpmu_signup_blog_notification_subject
           wpmu_signup_blog_notification_email
Disable:   Return false from wpmu_signup_blog_notification filter
           Remove action on after_signup_site hook

User activates their new site, or site added from Network Admin -> Sites -> Add New

Note: Multisite only.

To:        Network Admin
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   New Site Registration: %s
Function:  newblog_notify_siteadmin()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   newblog_notify_siteadmin
Disable:   Filter registrationnotification option value
           Remove action on wpmu_new_blog or wp_initialize_site hooks
           Toggle "Registration notification" in Network Admin -> Settings

User activates their new site, or site added from Network Admin -> Sites -> Add New

Note: Multisite only.

To:        New Site Admin
From:      [Network Name] <[network admin]>
Subject:   New %1$s Site: %2$s
Function:  wpmu_welcome_notification()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   update_welcome_subject
           update_welcome_email
           See also "Welcome Email" setting in Network Admin -> Settings
Disable:   Return false from wpmu_welcome_notification filter
           Remove action on wpmu_activate_blog hook

Other

A fatal error occurs in a plugin or theme and Recovery Mode is not active

Note: Not on Multisite.

To:        Site Admin / Value of RECOVERY_MODE_EMAIL constant
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Your Site is Experiencing a Technical Issue
Function:  send_recovery_mode_email()
Pluggable: No
Filters:   wp_fatal_error_handler_enabled
           recovery_email_support_info
           recovery_email_debug_info
           recovery_mode_email
Disable:   Define WP_DISABLE_FATAL_ERROR_HANDLER as true
           Return false from wp_fatal_error_handler_enabled filter

Site admin deletes site from Tools -> Delete Site

Note: Multisite only.

To:        Site Admin
From:      WordPress <wordpress@host>
Subject:   [%s] Delete My Site
Function:  wp-admin/ms-delete-site.php
Pluggable: No
Filters:   delete_site_email_content
Disable:   Not possible

License: GPLv2

Copyright 2015 - 2020 John Blackbourn

This documentation is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This documentation is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.