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Smithy Factory Emailer – User Guide

5 min read

Table of Contents

Smithy Factory Emailer is a WordPress plugin that lets you send personalized, bulk emails to your users or WooCommerce customers, directly from your WordPress dashboard. It’s designed to be easy for everyday users, but also powerful enough for advanced needs.

Getting Started

  1. Install & Activate: Upload the plugin to your /wp-content/plugins/ directory and activate it from the Plugins menu.
  2. Access the Menu: Find Smithy Factory Emailer in your WordPress admin menu. This is your main dashboard for all plugin features.

License Activation

  1. Your Key: You will be given a license key when you purchase SFE. If you have forgotten it, simply log in and you’ll find downloads and license keys in your dashboard.
  2. Settings: Go to SFE settings and paste in your license key. You will now get automatic updates.

Main Features

  • Bulk Email Sending: Email all selected users or customers in batches, respecting your server’s limits.
  • User & Order Selection: Easily filter and tag users or WooCommerce orders for email campaigns.
  • Email Composer: Write, format, and send emails with attachments and dynamic placeholders.
  • Personal Signatures: Each user can set their own email signature, and choose to include it per email or always.
  • Role-Based Permissions: Administrators can choose which user roles are allowed to send emails.
  • Database Integrations: (Advanced) Create custom placeholders from your database for use in emails.

Menu Overview

  • Main Dashboard: See a summary of scheduled email jobs and their status.
  • Select Users: Filter by role or search for users. Tag users for your next email campaign. Review or remove tagged users as needed.
  • Select Orders: (WooCommerce) Filter or search for orders, or select by product. Tag orders for email, and review or remove tagged orders.
  • Composer – Users: Write and send emails to tagged users. Use placeholders for personalization, attach files, and add batch notes.
  • Composer – Orders: Similar to user composer, but for WooCommerce customers.
  • My Email Settings: Set your personal email signature and choose if it should always be included.
  • System Settings: (Admins only) Set batch size, interval between batches, and manage which roles can send emails.
  • Email Jobs: (Admins only) Manage and monitor scheduled email jobs. Download reports or delete jobs as needed.
  • Database Integrations: (Admins only) Create and manage custom placeholders from your database for use in emails.

How to Use Smithy Factory Emailer

1. Tagging Users or Orders

  • Go to Select Users or Select Orders.
  • Use filters or search to find your target audience.
  • Select users/orders and click Tag Selected. You can also tag all users of a role or all orders for a product.
  • Review your tagged list in the Review tab and remove any you don’t want to include.

2. Composing and Sending Emails

  • Go to Composer – Users or Composer – Orders.
  • Write your subject and email body. You can use formatting and images.
  • Use the Choose Placeholder dropdown to insert dynamic fields (like first name, order total, etc.).
  • Attach a file if needed.
  • Add batch/job notes for your own reference (optional).
  • Check Include my signature if you want your signature added (or set it to always include in your settings).
  • Click Send Email. Emails will be scheduled and sent in batches.

3. Managing Your Signature

  • Go to My Email Settings.
  • Write your signature using the editor. You can include images and formatting.
  • Check Always append signature to emails if you want it included by default.
  • Save your settings.

4. System Settings (Admins Only)

  • Go to System Settings.
  • Set the number of emails per batch and the interval (in minutes) between batches. This helps avoid server limits and spam flags.
  • Choose which user roles are allowed to tag users/orders and send emails by checking the boxes in Permission Management.
  • Save your settings.

5. Monitoring Email Jobs (Admins Only)

  • Go to Email Jobs to see all scheduled and completed email batches.
  • Download reports for each job, or delete jobs you no longer need.

6. Database Integrations (Admins Only, Advanced)

Database Integrations allow you to create custom placeholders from any database field or meta key, and use them in your emails. This is a powerful feature for advanced users and should be managed by administrators.

  • Go to Database Integrations.
  • Click Add New Integration.
  • Select a database table and field, choose the data type, and give your placeholder a name and label.
  • Use the Test Integrations panel to check your placeholder with a sample user or order ID before using it in emails.
  • Once saved, your custom placeholder will appear in the composer dropdown for easy use.
  • Security: The system blocks access to sensitive fields (passwords, tokens, payment data) and logs all integration actions. Only super admins can manage integrations.

Tips & Best Practices

  • Check your host’s email limits and set batch size and interval accordingly to avoid being flagged as spam.
  • Use placeholders to personalize your emails for each recipient.
  • Test your integrations before sending large batches.
  • Review tagged users/orders before sending to avoid mistakes.
  • Keep your signature professional and up to date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can send emails?

By default, only administrators can send emails. Admins can allow other roles (like editors or authors) in the System Settings.

Can I send emails to WooCommerce customers?

Yes! Use the Select Orders and Compose – Orders menus.

How do I add custom data to my emails?

Admins can use the Database Integrations feature to create new placeholders from any database field.

How do I avoid sending too many emails at once?

Set a reasonable batch size and interval in System Settings. This helps avoid server overload and spam issues.

Can each user have their own signature?

Yes, every user can set their own signature in My Email Settings.

Support & Troubleshooting

  • If you have issues, check your WordPress debug log for errors.
  • Make sure your user role has permission to use the plugin features.
  • For advanced troubleshooting, contact your site administrator or plugin support.