Email Notifications

MindfulMedia can send email notifications to users when new content is published in their subscribed areas.

Overview

Email notifications:

• Notify subscribers of new content
• Customizable templates for branding
• Flexible scheduling (instant, hourly, daily)
• Test functionality to verify setup

How It Works

1. User subscribes to a teacher, topic, playlist, or category
2. New content is published in that area
3. Plugin queues notification
4. Email sent based on schedule settings

Enabling Notifications

Go to MindfulMedia → Settings → Emails:

1. Configure sender settings
2. Customize the email template
3. Test with the Send Test button

Email Settings

Sender Information

Setting	Description
From Name	Name shown in email "From" field
From Email	Email address for sending

Recommendations:

• Use a branded name: "Mindful Design"
• Use a deliverable email: "notifications@yoursite.com"

Notification Schedule

Option	Description
Instant	Send immediately when content publishes
Hourly Digest	Batch into hourly summaries
Daily Digest	Batch into daily summaries

Digest emails combine multiple notifications into one email.

Email Template

Header

Setting	Description
Header Logo	Upload your logo (optional)
Header Text	Text if no logo (defaults to site name)
Header Background	Background color
Header Text Color	Text color

Body

Customize the email body with placeholders:

Available Placeholders:

Placeholder	Description
{user_name}	Recipient's display name
{post_title}	Media item title
{post_excerpt}	Media item excerpt
{post_url}	Link to the media item
{term_name}	Teacher/topic/playlist name
{site_name}	Your site name
{thumbnail_url}	Media item thumbnail
{button_color}	CTA button color
{button_text_color}	CTA button text color

Default Template:

Hi {user_name},

New content is available from <strong>{term_name}</strong>:

<div style="background: #f5f5f5; padding: 15px; border-radius: 6px; margin: 20px 0;">
<strong>{post_title}</strong>
<p style="margin: 8px 0 0; color: #666;">{post_excerpt}</p>
</div>

<a href="{post_url}" style="display: inline-block; background: {button_color}; color: {button_text_color}; padding: 12px 24px; border-radius: 4px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600;">Watch Now</a>

Footer

Setting	Description
Footer Text	Text below the content

Default: "You received this email because you subscribed to updates. Click unsubscribe to stop receiving these emails."

Colors

Setting	Description
Button Color	CTA button background
Button Text Color	CTA button text

Test Email

Before relying on notifications, test your setup:

1. Go to Settings → Emails
2. Scroll to Email Preview & Test
3. Enter your email address
4. Click Send Test Email

Preview

The live preview shows exactly how your email will look:

• Header with logo or text
• Body content with placeholder examples
• Footer with your custom text
• Button with your colors

Troubleshooting

Emails Not Sending

Check these first:

1. WordPress Email: Does wp_mail() work?
2. SMTP Plugin: Do you have one configured?
3. Spam Folder: Check recipient's spam
4. Logs: Check WP Mail SMTP logs

Test email shows success but nothing arrives:

• wp_mail() returning true only means PHP accepted it
• Actual delivery depends on your mail server
• Configure WP Mail SMTP for reliable delivery

WP Mail SMTP Setup

For reliable delivery:

1. Install WP Mail SMTP plugin
2. Configure with a real SMTP provider:
   • SendGrid
   • Mailgun
   • Amazon SES
   • Gmail (for small volume)
3. Verify with test email

Logo Not Showing

1. Ensure image is uploaded to Media Library
2. Use HTTPS URL for the image
3. Keep logo under 60px height for best display

Unsubscribe Handling

In Email

Each email includes an unsubscribe link.

In My Library

Users can manage subscriptions in My Library → Subscriptions.

Behavior

When unsubscribed:

• Immediately stops notifications
• Removes from subscription table
• No confirmation email (clean removal)

Best Practices

Email Frequency

Scenario	Recommendation
High-volume publishing	Daily digest
Weekly updates	Instant or daily
Breaking news	Instant

Content Strategy

• Compelling subject lines - Include content title
• Clear preview text - Summarize the value
• Single CTA - "Watch Now" is clear
• Mobile-friendly - Most emails read on mobile

Deliverability

• Use authenticated email (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
• Use a reputable SMTP service
• Keep sender reputation clean
• Include unsubscribe option (automatic)

Database

Notification data stored in:

Table	Purpose
wp_mindful_media_subscriptions	Who's subscribed to what
WordPress options	Email settings/templates

Hooks for Developers

// Modify email subject
add_filter('mindful_media_notification_subject', function($subject, $post, $term) {
    return 'New: ' . $subject;
}, 10, 3);

// Modify email body
add_filter('mindful_media_notification_body', function($body, $post, $term, $user) {
    return $body . '<p>Thanks for being a subscriber!</p>';
}, 10, 4);

// Before notification sends
add_action('mindful_media_before_notification', function($user_id, $post_id, $term_id) {
    // Track notification analytics
}, 10, 3);