Newsletter & Email Marketing

The newsletter system in OpenCart allows you to send bulk email campaigns to different customer segments. This is a powerful tool for announcing promotions, new products, and staying connected with your audience.

Accessing Email Marketing

Navigate to Marketing > Mail in your admin panel to access the email campaign tool.

The newsletter feature is called “Mail” in the OpenCart admin interface.

Creating an Email Campaign

Access the Mail Tool

Go to Marketing > Mail from the admin menu.

Select Store

Choose which store to send from if you run a multi-store setup. This determines the sender email address and store name.

Choose Recipients

Select who should receive this email:

Newsletter Subscribers: Customers who opted in to newsletters
All Customers: Every customer in your database
Specific Customers: Hand-pick individual customers
Customer Group: Target a specific customer group (Wholesale, Retail, etc.)
All Affiliates: All affiliate partners
Specific Affiliates: Selected affiliate partners
Product Purchasers: Customers who bought specific products

Write Email Content

Compose your email message:

Subject Line: Enter an engaging subject (required)
Message: Write your email body with HTML support

Send Campaign

Click Send to begin sending the email campaign. The system processes emails in batches of 200.

Recipient Types Explained

Newsletter Subscribers Only

Sends to customers who checked the “Subscribe to newsletter” option during registration or in their account settings.Best for: Regular promotional emails, product updates, sales announcementsCompliance: This is the most compliant option as customers explicitly opted in.

// Controller: upload/admin/controller/marketing/contact.php:136
case 'newsletter':
  $customer_data = [
    'filter_newsletter' => 1,
    'start' => ($page - 1) * $limit,
    'limit' => $limit
  ];

All Customers

Sends to every customer account in your database, regardless of newsletter preference.Best for: Important account updates, security notifications, policy changesCaution: Use sparingly to avoid being marked as spam. Ensure emails are relevant to all customers.

case 'customer_all':
  $customer_data = [
    'start' => ($page - 1) * $limit,
    'limit' => $limit
  ];

Customer Group

Target specific customer groups like Wholesale, VIP, or Default customers.Best for: Group-specific promotions, tier-exclusive offers, B2B communicationsExample: Send wholesale pricing updates only to wholesale customers.

case 'customer_group':
  $customer_data = [
    'filter_customer_group_id' => $post_info['customer_group_id'],
    'start' => ($page - 1) * $limit,
    'limit' => $limit
  ];

Specific Customers

Manually select individual customers from a searchable list.Best for: Personalized offers, VIP communications, follow-up on specific issuesUse case: Send a special discount to customers who abandoned high-value carts.

Affiliate Partners

Send to all or selected affiliate marketers.Best for: Affiliate program updates, new promotional materials, commission announcementsExample: “New products available - updated affiliate links inside!”

case 'affiliate_all':
  $affiliate_data = [
    'start' => ($page - 1) * $limit,
    'limit' => $limit
  ];

Product Purchasers

Target customers who previously purchased specific products.Best for: Cross-selling, upselling, product updates, complementary product offersExample: Send an email about camera accessories to everyone who bought a camera.Powerful for:

Consumable product replenishment reminders
Accessory recommendations
Upgrade offers
Product recall notifications

Email Content Best Practices

Subject Lines

Effective subject lines:

Keep under 50 characters
Create urgency: “24-Hour Flash Sale Ends Tonight”
Use numbers: “Save 30% on 100+ Products”
Personalization works: ”, exclusive offer inside”
Ask questions: “Ready for summer?”

Message Body

The message field supports HTML, allowing you to create rich, formatted emails:

<h2>Spring Sale - 25% Off Everything!</h2>

<p>Hi there,</p>

<p>Our biggest sale of the season is here! For the next 48 hours, enjoy <strong>25% off</strong> everything in our store.</p>

<p>Use code: <strong>SPRING25</strong> at checkout</p>

<p><a href="https://yourstore.com" style="background: #007bff; color: white; padding: 10px 20px; text-decoration: none; display: inline-block;">Shop Now</a></p>

<p>Happy shopping!<br>
The YourStore Team</p>

The email system automatically wraps your content in a proper HTML email template with your store branding.

Batch Processing

Email campaigns are sent in batches to prevent server overload and avoid being flagged as spam:

Batch Size: 200 emails per batch (configurable)
Progress Tracking: System shows “Sent X of Y emails” during processing
Queue System: Emails are queued via the task system for reliable delivery

// Controller: upload/admin/controller/marketing/contact.php:259
$task_data = [
  'code'   => 'mail_affiliate',
  'action' => 'task/system/mail',
  'args'   => [
    'to'      => trim($email),
    'from'    => $store_email,
    'sender'  => $store_name,
    'subject' => $post_info['subject'],
    'content' => $message
  ]
];

Practical Email Campaign Examples

Example 1: New Product Announcement

To: Newsletter Subscribers Subject: “Just Arrived: The [Product Name] You’ve Been Waiting For”

<h2>Introducing the New [Product Name]!</h2>

<p>We're excited to announce the arrival of our latest product - the [Product Name].</p>

<ul>
  <li>Feature 1</li>
  <li>Feature 2</li>
  <li>Feature 3</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Special Launch Price: $XX.XX</strong> (Regular: $YY.YY)</p>

<p><a href="https://yourstore.com/product-link">View Product</a></p>

Example 2: Abandoned Cart Recovery

To: Specific Customers (with abandoned carts) Subject: “You left something behind… Plus 10% off to complete your order”

<h2>Complete Your Order & Save 10%</h2>

<p>Hi [Name],</p>

<p>We noticed you didn't complete your purchase. Good news - your items are still available!</p>

<p>Use code <strong>COMPLETE10</strong> for 10% off when you complete your order in the next 24 hours.</p>

<p><a href="https://yourstore.com/cart">Return to Cart</a></p>

Example 3: Customer Win-Back Campaign

To: Customers who haven’t purchased in 90+ days Subject: “We miss you! Here’s 20% off your next order”

<h2>Come Back & Save 20%</h2>

<p>Hi [Name],</p>

<p>It's been a while since your last visit. We've added lots of new products you might love!</p>

<p>As a welcome back gift, enjoy <strong>20% off your next order</strong> with code: <strong>WELCOME20</strong></p>

<p>This offer expires in 7 days.</p>

<p><a href="https://yourstore.com">Start Shopping</a></p>

Example 4: Product Replenishment Reminder

To: Product Purchasers (consumable items bought 30+ days ago) Subject: “Time to restock your [Product Name]?”

<h2>Running Low on [Product Name]?</h2>

<p>Hi [Name],</p>

<p>You purchased [Product Name] about a month ago. If you're running low, we wanted to make reordering easy!</p>

<p><a href="https://yourstore.com/product-link">Reorder Now</a></p>

<p>Plus, save 15% when you subscribe to auto-delivery.</p>

Example 5: Affiliate Update

To: All Affiliates Subject: “New Products + Increased Commissions for Q2”

<h2>Affiliate Program Update - April 2024</h2>

<p>Hi Affiliate Partner,</p>

<p>We have exciting news to share:</p>

<ul>
  <li><strong>New Products:</strong> 25 new items added this month</li>
  <li><strong>Commission Increase:</strong> Now earning 12% (up from 10%)</li>
  <li><strong>New Marketing Materials:</strong> Updated banners available</li>
</ul>

<p><a href="https://yourstore.com/affiliate-resources">View Resources</a></p>

<p>Thank you for promoting our store!</p>

Email Deliverability Tips

Improve delivery rates:

Use a verified sender domain: Configure SPF and DKIM records
Warm up your IP: Start with small batches and increase gradually
Clean your list: Remove invalid email addresses regularly
Include unsubscribe link: Always provide an easy opt-out
Avoid spam triggers: Don’t use ALL CAPS, excessive exclamation marks!!!, or spam words
Test before sending: Send a test email to yourself first
Monitor bounce rates: High bounces can hurt your sender reputation

Legal Compliance

Email marketing compliance:

CAN-SPAM (USA): Include physical address, clear unsubscribe option
GDPR (EU): Require explicit consent, honor unsubscribe requests within 30 days
CASL (Canada): Get express consent before sending commercial emails

Always consult with legal counsel to ensure compliance with applicable laws.

Technical Reference

Email Queue System

Emails are queued in the task system (oc_task table) for reliable background processing:

Task Code: mail_affiliate or mail_customer
Action: task/system/mail
Processing: Background cron job processes queued emails
Status Tracking: Monitor in System > Tasks

Sender Configuration

Email sender details are pulled from store settings:

From Address: config_email from store settings
From Name: config_name (store name)
Reply-To: Same as from address unless configured otherwise

Controller Methods

Key methods in /upload/admin/controller/marketing/contact.php:

index(): Display email campaign form
send(): Process and queue emails (line 67)
Recipient filtering logic (lines 135-235)

Database Tables

Recipients: Pulled from oc_customer or oc_customer_affiliate
Queue: Stored in oc_task table
Newsletter Flag: newsletter field in oc_customer

Integration with CKEditor

The message field uses CKEditor for rich text formatting:

// Controller: upload/admin/controller/marketing/contact.php:19
$this->document->addScript('view/javascript/ckeditor/ckeditor.js');
$this->document->addScript('view/javascript/ckeditor/adapters/jquery.js');

Features:

Visual HTML editor
Format text (bold, italic, lists)
Insert images and links
HTML source editing

Troubleshooting

Emails not sending

Check:

SMTP settings in Settings > Store > Mail
PHP mail() function is enabled on server
Email addresses are valid
Task queue is processing (check System > Tasks)

Solution: Test email settings by sending a test order confirmation.

Emails going to spam

Causes:

No SPF/DKIM records
Spammy subject line or content
High bounce rate
Sending from shared hosting IP

Solutions:

Set up proper DNS records
Use a dedicated email sending service (SendGrid, Mailgun)
Clean recipient list
Avoid spam trigger words

Batch processing stopped

Cause: Server timeout or error during batch processing.Solution: Check the task queue in System > Tasks. Delete failed tasks and try sending again with smaller batches.

Cannot select customers

Cause: JavaScript not loading or customer search autocomplete issue.Solution: Clear browser cache and ensure JavaScript is enabled. Check browser console for errors.

Advanced Strategies

Segmentation Strategy

Lifecycle Emails: Send different messages based on customer journey stage
- New customers: Welcome series
- Active customers: Loyalty rewards
- Inactive customers: Win-back campaigns
Purchase-Based Segmentation: Use product purchaser targeting
- Category-specific promotions
- Complementary product suggestions
- Replenishment reminders
Customer Group Targeting: Leverage customer groups
- Wholesale: Bulk discounts, new supplier terms
- Retail: Sales and promotions
- VIP: Exclusive early access

Campaign Calendar

Create a consistent email schedule:

Weekly: Newsletter subscribers (product highlights, blog posts)
Monthly: All customers (major promotions, new arrivals)
Quarterly: Affiliates (program updates, new materials)
Triggered: Product purchasers (based on purchase behavior)

Consistency builds trust. Establish a regular sending schedule so subscribers know when to expect your emails.

Get Started

Store Management

Design & Layout

Extensions

Configuration

Marketing

Newsletter & Email Marketing

Accessing Email Marketing

Creating an Email Campaign

Recipient Types Explained

Email Content Best Practices

Subject Lines

Message Body

Batch Processing

Practical Email Campaign Examples

Example 1: New Product Announcement

Example 2: Abandoned Cart Recovery

Example 3: Customer Win-Back Campaign

Example 4: Product Replenishment Reminder

Example 5: Affiliate Update

Email Deliverability Tips

Legal Compliance

Technical Reference

Email Queue System

Sender Configuration

Controller Methods

Database Tables

Integration with CKEditor

Troubleshooting

Advanced Strategies

Segmentation Strategy

Campaign Calendar

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Store Management

Design & Layout

Extensions

Configuration

Marketing

​Accessing Email Marketing

​Creating an Email Campaign

​Recipient Types Explained

​Email Content Best Practices

​Subject Lines

​Message Body

​Batch Processing

​Practical Email Campaign Examples

​Example 1: New Product Announcement

​Example 2: Abandoned Cart Recovery

​Example 3: Customer Win-Back Campaign

​Example 4: Product Replenishment Reminder

​Example 5: Affiliate Update

​Email Deliverability Tips

​Legal Compliance

​Technical Reference

​Email Queue System

​Sender Configuration

​Controller Methods

​Database Tables

​Integration with CKEditor

​Troubleshooting

​Advanced Strategies

​Segmentation Strategy

​Campaign Calendar

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Accessing Email Marketing

Creating an Email Campaign

Recipient Types Explained

Email Content Best Practices

Subject Lines

Message Body

Batch Processing

Practical Email Campaign Examples

Example 1: New Product Announcement

Example 2: Abandoned Cart Recovery

Example 3: Customer Win-Back Campaign

Example 4: Product Replenishment Reminder

Example 5: Affiliate Update

Email Deliverability Tips

Legal Compliance

Technical Reference

Email Queue System

Sender Configuration

Controller Methods

Database Tables

Integration with CKEditor

Troubleshooting

Advanced Strategies

Segmentation Strategy

Campaign Calendar