Order Departments for WooCommerce enables large organizations to automatically route orders to the appropriate departments based on the products or the categories of the products in each order. For each department, a quick access menu is created below the WooCommerce. The built in WooCommerce order
PricingFree downloadThe WordPress.org download is free. Pro versions, add-ons or external services may cost extra.
CompatibilityRequires WordPress 6.3 and PHP 7.4.
SourceWordPress plugins · Oct 22, 2026
01 / Source details
Aboutthistool.
Order Departments for WooCommerce enables large organizations to automatically route orders to the appropriate departments based on the products or the categories of the products in each order.
For each department, a quick access menu is created below the WooCommerce.
The built in WooCommerce order emails can be re-routed so that only the relevant dept gets the order notification thats relevant to them.
The AutomateWoo integration then allows for further workflow automation based on department assignments.
Features
Automatic Department Assignment : Orders are automatically assigned to departments based on products/categories
Email Routing : Route order emails to department-specific email addresses
Admin Filtering : Filter orders by department in WooCommerce admin
Quick Access Menus : Direct links to orders for each department
AutomateWoo Integration : Complete set of actions, triggers, rules, and variables for workflow automation
Department Variables : Access department data in AutomateWoo workflows (names, emails, counts)
HPOS Compatible : Full support for WooCommerce High-Performance Order Storage
AutomateWoo Integration
This plugin provides complete AutomateWoo integration, allowing you to create sophisticated workflows based on department assignments. The integration includes custom actions, triggers, rules, and variables specifically designed for department-based automation.
Department Assignment Timing Tip : This plugin assigns departments immediately during order processing using the product/category rules you configure in the taxonomy screens. This happens early enough to affect WooCommerce’s core systems like email sending. AutomateWoo workflows run later in the process, so relying solely on AutomateWoo actions for department assignment would be too late to override WooCommerce’s built-in emails and other core functionality.
Using AutomateWoo for Email Handling : If you prefer to handle all emails through AutomateWoo workflows instead of the built-in email routing:
02Use AutomateWoo’s email actions with department triggers for full control
This approach gives you the flexibility to use AutomateWoo’s advanced email features (templates, conditions, delays, etc.) while still benefiting from automatic department assignment.
Actions
Set Order Department : Replace all existing departments with one department
Add Order Department : Add a department while keeping existing ones
Remove Order Department : Remove a specific department from an order
Clear Order Departments : Remove all departments from an order
Triggers
Order Department Added : Fires when a department is added to an order
Order Department Removed : Fires when a department is removed from an order
Order Department Changed : Fires when departments are modified in any way
Rules
Order Has Department : Check if order has specific department(s)
Order Department Count : Check the number of departments assigned
Order Department Is : Check if order’s departments exactly match a set
Variables
Collection Variables (all departments): * {{ order.departments_names }} : List of all department names assigned to the order * {{ order.departments_emails }} : List of all department email addresses (automatically deduplicated)
Per-Department Variables (flexible access): * {{ order.department_names }} : Department names with index/all/count options * {{ order.department_emails }} : Department emails with index/all/count options * {{ order.department_count }} : Number of departments assigned to the order
Per-Department Variables support mode , index , separator , prefix , and suffix parameters:
Mode Options: * {{ order.department_names }} → First department name (default mode: index) * {{ order.department_names | mode: 'all' }} → All department names * {{ order.department_names | mode: 'count' }} → Number of departments
Index Access: * {{ order.department_names | index: '1' }} → First department name * {{ order.department_names | index: '2' }} → Second department name * {{ order.department_emails | index: '1' }} → All emails from first department
Sales & Technical Support : Route orders containing software to Technical, hardware to Sales Use {{ order.departments_emails }} to automatically send order notifications to the right team
Create conditional workflows based on {{ order.department_count }} for mixed orders
Multi-location Fulfillment : Route orders to appropriate warehouses/locations
Include {{ order.departments_names }} in fulfillment emails to specify handling location
Use department variables in webhook payloads to external fulfillment systems
Specialized Teams : Route complex products to specialist departments
Send detailed instructions using {{ order.department_names }} for single-department orders
Create escalation workflows when {{ order.department_names | mode: 'count' }} exceeds normal thresholds
CRM Integration : Trigger department-specific workflows in external systems
Pass {{ order.departments_names }} to CRM systems for proper lead assignment
Use {{ order.departments_emails }} for automated follow-up sequences
Developer Filters
The plugin provides filters to customize email handling behavior:
Email ID Filters
runthings_wc_order_departments_customer_email_ids
Customize which customer-facing email IDs have their reply-to headers modified by department emails.
add_filter('runthings_wc_order_departments_customer_email_ids', function($email_ids) { // Add custom customer email ID $email_ids[] = 'custom_customer_email'; // Remove an email ID if you don't want it modified $key = array_search('customer_new_account', $email_ids); if ($key !== false) { unset($email_ids[$key]); } return $email_ids; });
Custom Email Types : Add support for emails from other plugins or custom implementations
Selective Email Routing : Exclude specific email types from department-based routing
Third-party Integration : Ensure compatibility with other email-related plugins
Configuration
Setting Up Departments
03Navigate to WooCommerce > Order Departments
04Add new departments with: Department name
05Email addresses (semicolon-separated)
06Associated product categories
07Specific products
Email Routing
The plugin provides two types of email routing:
Admin Email Routing
Admin emails (new order notifications, etc.) are automatically routed to department email addresses when departments are assigned to orders.
Customer Email Reply-To Override
Customer emails can have their reply-to headers modified based on department assignments. Configure this at Settings > Order Departments :
Override reply-to with department emails : Enable/disable the reply-to override feature
For multi-department orders : Choose behavior when multiple unique email addresses are involved: Use all department emails : Add all unique department emails to reply-to header
Skip override – fall back to WooCommerce default : Use WooCommerce’s default reply-to setting
Email routing behavior :
Single department orders : Always use that department’s email for reply-to (when override enabled)
Multi-department orders with same email : Treated as single department
Multi-department orders with different emails : Behavior depends on settings choice
If the order’s assigned departments have NO email addresses : The plugin does not attempt to override emails and WooCommerce emails work normally
If WooCommerce emails are disabled : No emails will be sent regardless of department email configuration
Notes :
Each department can have multiple email addresses (semicolon-separated)
You can simply set the default WooCommerce admin email address in each department to maintain the same recipient while enabling department-based routing
Email routing is determined per-order based on that order’s specific department assignments
If the same email address is listed in multiple departments assigned to an order, only one email will be sent to that address (duplicates are automatically removed)
AutomateWoo Workflows
Create workflows using the department triggers, rules, and variables to:
Send notifications to external systems using department email variables
Create tickets in support systems with department information
Update CRM records with department assignments
Trigger fulfillment processes based on department rules
Route emails to department-specific addresses using {{ order.departments_emails }}
Include department context in communications using {{ order.departments_names }}
Requirements
WordPress 6.3+
WooCommerce 8.2+
PHP 7.4+
AutomateWoo (optional, for workflow automation)
Additional Notes
Built by Matthew Harris of runthings.dev, copyright 2025.
Visit runthings.dev for more Word
See it in action
Screenshots & previews.
Department taxonomy management screen - Main interface for managing departments, viewing assigned orders, and configuring department settings.Custom department menus - Quick access menus in WooCommerce admin for filtering orders by department.Department meta box on order screen - View and manage department assignments directly from individual order pages.Edit department screen - Configure department email addresses, product categories, and specific product assignments.
02 / Source details
Gettingstarted.
01Upload the plugin files to /wp-content/plugins/runthings-wc-order-departments/
02Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
03Go to WooCommerce > Order Departments to configure departments
04Assign products/categories to departments
05Set up email addresses for each department (optional)
03 / Source details
Frequently asked questions.
How does automatic department assignment work?
Orders are automatically assigned to departments based on the products and categories in the order. The plugin checks each order item against the configured department rules and assigns the appropriate departments.
Can an order be assigned to multiple departments?
Yes, orders can be assigned to multiple departments if they contain products from different department categories or have specific products assigned to different departments.
Do I need AutomateWoo for this plugin to work?
No, AutomateWoo is optional. The core functionality (automatic assignment, email routing, admin filtering) works without AutomateWoo. The AutomateWoo integration provides additional workflow automation capabilities.
Is this compatible with WooCommerce HPOS?
Yes, this plugin is fully compatible with WooCommerce High-Performance Order Storage (HPOS) and will work with both traditional and HPOS order storage methods.
Can I manually assign departments to orders?
Yes, you can manually assign or modify department assignments from the order edit screen in WooCommerce admin.
What happens to existing orders when I install the plugin?
Existing orders will not be automatically assigned to departments. Only new orders (or manually updated existing orders) will have department assignments based on your configuration. You can set up a manual workflow in AutomateWoo to backfill department assignments for existing orders if needed.
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