Is ShopMagic working retroactively

Can I run automations for past orders and existing customers?#

Publishing an automation does not automatically run it for existing orders or replay events that occurred before it was published. For example, an Order Completed automation does not run simply because an order already has the Completed status.

You can run actions for existing records using the Manual Actions add-on. In the free version, a new status change on an existing order can also trigger a matching automation.

Use ShopMagic Manual Actions — PRO#

The ShopMagic Manual Actions add-on lets you run automations for existing records without changing order statuses.

Choose the event according to the data you need:

• Order Manual Trigger — runs actions for matching orders, including orders placed before ShopMagic was installed. Use this event when your messages need order data.
• Customer Manual Trigger — runs actions for existing customers. Use this event for customer-based messages that do not require a specific order.

How to run a manual automation#

1. Install and activate ShopMagic Manual Actions.
2. Go to ShopMagic → Automations and create an automation.
3. Select Order Manual Trigger or Customer Manual Trigger.
4. Configure the actions and add filters to narrow down the matching records. Available filters depend on the selected event and active add-ons. Manual Actions includes an Order - ID filter for targeting specific orders.
5. Save the automation, then click Preview and run actions.
6. Review the matching records and the actions that will run.
7. Click Run actions to queue the automation for the displayed records.

The preview checks which records match; it does not send messages. Clicking Run actions starts actual processing in the background.

Note: Order Manual Trigger runs once for each matching order. If one customer has several matching orders, they may receive several emails. Choose Customer Manual Trigger when you want to target customers instead of individual orders.

Trigger an existing order through a status change — free version#

In ShopMagic free, an existing order can trigger an automation when a new event occurs after the automation has been published.

For example, if an order is currently Processing and you legitimately change it to Completed, a published Order Completed automation can run for that order, provided its filters and other execution conditions are met. This also applies to orders placed before ShopMagic was installed.

ShopMagic responds to the status-change event; it does not treat the existing order as a newly created order. Saving an order that is already Completed without changing its status does not generate a new completion event.

Important: Changing a status can also trigger WooCommerce emails, other automations, and integrations. Avoid switching statuses back and forth solely to resend an email. Use Manual Actions when you need to process past orders while preserving their current statuses.