Basic Notifications
2 min read
The free version of Smart Cycle Discounts includes essential email notifications to keep you informed about your campaigns. These notifications help you stay on top of campaign lifecycles without requiring constant manual monitoring.
Free Notification Types #
Campaign Expiration Warning #
Receive an alert before your campaigns expire, giving you time to extend, renew, or create replacement campaigns.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Trigger | Campaign end date approaching |
| Default Timing | 3 days before expiration |
| Configurable | Yes (1-14 days) |
| Frequency | Once per campaign |
Expiration Email Contents #
Subject: Campaign Expiring Soon: "Summer Sale" Your campaign "Summer Sale" will expire in 3 days. Campaign Details: - End Date: December 20, 2025 at 11:59 PM - Products Included: 25 products - Status: Active Actions: - [Extend Campaign] - Link to edit page - [View Campaign] - Link to overview - [Create Similar] - Link to duplicate
Campaign Activation Confirmation #
Get notified when a scheduled campaign becomes active, confirming your promotions are live.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Trigger | Scheduled campaign starts |
| Timing | Immediately upon activation |
| Frequency | Once per campaign start |
Activation Email Contents #
Subject: Campaign Now Active: "Flash Friday Deal" Your campaign "Flash Friday Deal" is now active! Campaign Details: - Started: December 15, 2025 at 12:00 AM - Ends: December 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM - Discount: 30% off - Products: 42 products affected The discount is now live on your store. [View Campaign] - Link to overview
Configuring Free Notifications #
Enable Expiration Warnings #
- Go to SC Discounts → Notifications → Settings
- Find “Campaign Expiration Alerts” section
- Toggle “Enable” to On
- Set “Days Before Expiration” (recommended: 3-7 days)
- Click “Save Settings”
Enable Activation Confirmations #
- Go to SC Discounts → Notifications → Settings
- Find “Campaign Start Notifications” section
- Toggle “Enable” to On
- Click “Save Settings”
Notification Settings #
Expiration Alert Options #
| Setting | Options | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Days Before | 1-14 | 3-5 days |
| Include Performance | Yes/No | Yes |
| Include Products | Yes/No | No (keeps email short) |
Activation Options #
| Setting | Options | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Include Details | Yes/No | Yes |
| Include Product Count | Yes/No | Yes |
When Notifications Are Sent #
Expiration Warning Timing #
The expiration check runs daily (typically at midnight site time). If a campaign’s end date is within your configured warning period, a notification is queued.
Example:
Campaign End Date: December 20, 2025 Warning Period: 3 days Notification Sent: December 17, 2025 (during daily check)
Activation Timing #
Activation notifications are sent when the campaign status changes from “Scheduled” to “Active.” This happens during the cron check that runs hourly or when Action Scheduler processes the scheduled activation.
Email Recipients #
Default Recipient #
By default, notifications are sent to the WordPress admin email (Settings → General → Administration Email Address).
Adding Additional Recipients #
- Go to SC Discounts → Notifications → Settings
- Find “Notification Recipients”
- Add email addresses separated by commas
- Example:
[email protected], [email protected]
Recipient Limits #
- Free version: Up to 3 recipients
- Pro version: Unlimited recipients
Notification History #
Viewing Sent Notifications #
- Go to SC Discounts → Notifications → Queue Status
- The “Sent” tab shows delivered notifications
- Click any notification to see full details
Available History #
- Retention: Last 30 days of notifications
- Details: Date sent, recipients, subject, content preview
- Status: Sent, Failed, or Pending
Troubleshooting #
Notifications Not Arriving #
- Check spam folder: Notifications may be filtered
- Verify email address: Ensure correct spelling
- Test WordPress email: Try password reset to test if site can send email
- Check notification settings: Ensure notifications are enabled
- Review queue: Check Queue Status for failed deliveries
Wrong Timing #
- Verify WordPress timezone setting (Settings → General)
- Check that WP-Cron is functioning
- Note that cron runs on site visits, so low-traffic sites may have delays
Missing Expiration Warnings #
Expiration warnings only send once per campaign. If you didn’t receive one:
- Campaign may have already passed the warning window
- Warning may have been sent before you enabled the feature
- Check Queue Status for delivery history
Upgrading to Pro Notifications #
The free notifications cover basic campaign lifecycle events. Pro adds:
- Performance alerts: Know when campaigns underperform
- Low stock warnings: Alert when discounted products run low
- Conflict detection: Warning about overlapping campaigns
- Scheduled reports: Daily, weekly, or monthly analytics summaries
- Unlimited recipients: No limit on notification recipients
See Proactive Alerts (Pro) and Low Stock Alerts (Pro) for details.
