This page explains, in plain language, how Order Daemon’s automation works: Rules, Triggers, Conditions, and Actions. You don’t need to be technical to use it.
What is a rule?
- A rule is a simple instruction you set for your store: “If this happens, and certain things are true, then do that.”
- You manage rules in WordPress under: Orders → Completion Rules.
- You can keep rules as drafts while you experiment, then enable them when you’re ready.
How a rule is structured
Trigger: When should the rule run?
- Examples:
- “Order status changes to Processing.”
- “Payment is completed.”
- “Order is created/paid.”
- The plugin listens to WooCommerce events and wakes rules at the right time.
Conditions: Should the rule apply to this order?
- Examples (Core):
- Product categories: only if all items are from the selected category.
- Product types: only digital/downloadable products, or exclude certain types.
- Order total: only if the order value is above/below a threshold.
- You can combine multiple conditions; they all must pass for the rule to run.
Actions: What should happen when conditions pass?
- Example (Core):
- Change the order status to Completed.
Typical examples
Auto‑complete digital orders
- Trigger: Payment completed
- Conditions: Products are all digital/downloadable
- Action: Set status to Completed
High‑value orders
- Trigger: Order status changes to Processing
- Condition: Order total is at least $50 (or your currency)
- Action: Set status to Completed
Category‑specific handling
- Trigger: Payment completed
- Condition: Products belong to a specific category (e.g., “Courses”)
- Action: Set status to Completed
Free vs Pro (at a glance)
Free (Core):
- Essential triggers and conditions for common completion scenarios.
- Change order status action.
Pro (Add‑on):
- More trigger options and more granular conditions.
- Additional actions or settings for complex workflows.
- CLI commands for full order management
How rules are evaluated
- Order Daemon checks rules automatically whenever their trigger event happens.
- If all the conditions you set are met, the action runs.
- Every time a rule runs, the plugin records a timeline entry you can view in the Insight dashboard.
Where to manage rules
- Go to Order Daemon → All Order Rules.
- Click “Add New” to create a rule, or open an existing rule to edit it.
- Use the Rule Builder to pick a trigger, add conditions, and choose actions. Save any time; enable the rule when ready.
Tips and best practices
- Start simple: Create one clear rule and test with a fresh order.
- Name rules clearly: e.g., “Complete digital-only orders after payment.”
- Use the Insight dashboard if something doesn’t run as expected; it shows why a rule did or didn’t run.
- First match wins. Keep overlapping rules to a minimum to avoid confusion; if multiple rules could apply, use conditions to separate them.
Troubleshooting basics
A rule didn’t run:
- Make sure the rule is Enabled (not Draft).
- Confirm the trigger you chose actually happened (e.g., status reached Processing).
- Check that all conditions match the order you tested.
- Open the Insight dashboard to see timeline entries for that order.
Pro options are disabled:
- Those require the Pro add‑on. Install/activate Pro to unlock them.