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How to Get Email Notification for Post Changes in WordPress – WPBeginner

How to Get Email Notification for Post Changes in WordPress

As a WordPress expert with over 15 years of experience, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is to stay informed about changes happening on your website, especially if you run a multi-author blog or have a team working on your site. Imagine the chaos of content being updated without your knowledge! Thankfully, WordPress offers several ways to get email notifications whenever someone edits a post, ensuring you’re always in the loop.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore two powerful methods for setting up post change notifications: using the WP Activity Log plugin and utilizing the Better Notifications for WP plugin. We’ll also delve into the importance of email deliverability, how to revise and undo post changes, and provide expert tips for managing a WordPress publication.

Why Set Up Email Notifications for Post Changes in WordPress?

You might be wondering, why bother with post change notifications? Well, let’s think about the benefits:

Accountability: When you have multiple authors, notifications help ensure everyone is responsible for their content updates and edits.
Quality Control: You can quickly catch any errors or unwanted changes before they become major issues.
Collaboration: Notifications keep everyone informed about what’s happening with the site, fostering a smoother collaborative workflow.
Security: If you suspect any unauthorized activity, post change notifications can help you identify potential security threats.

In a nutshell, post change notifications provide peace of mind and a sense of control, especially when managing a dynamic WordPress website.

Getting Notifications for Post Changes Using WP Activity Log

This method is our top recommendation as it’s user-friendly, powerful, and incredibly flexible. Here’s how to get started:

Install and Activate WP Activity Log: Begin by installing and activating the WP Activity Log plugin from the WordPress Plugin Directory. You can find a detailed guide on how to install a WordPress plugin here.
Enter License Key: After activation, you’ll be prompted to enter your license key. You can find this information in your account on the WP Activity Log website.
Run the Setup Wizard (Optional): The plugin offers a setup wizard to quickly configure essential monitoring and logging features. You can always adjust these settings later in the plugin settings.
Configure Email Notifications: Navigate to **WP Activity Log » Email & SMS Notifications** and switch to the ‘Content Changes’ tab. Choose the specific events that trigger notifications (e.g., post published, post updated, post deleted).
Enter Email Addresses: Next to each event, enter the email address where you want notifications to be sent. This can be your site’s admin email or a list of email addresses for multiple recipients.
Set Up SMS Notifications (Optional): WP Activity Log offers the option to receive SMS notifications as well. This requires a Twilio account and a phone number. You can find the detailed instructions on setting up SMS notifications in the next section.
Save Your Settings: Click on the ‘Save Notifications’ button to store your changes.

Setting Up SMS Notifications for Post Changes in WordPress

WP Activity Log allows you to receive SMS notifications for post changes and other WordPress activities. This feature is powered by Twilio, a paid service with a pay-as-you-go pricing model for SMS messages. You’ll need to create a Twilio account and purchase a virtual phone number.

Create a Twilio Account: Visit the Twilio website and sign up for a free trial account.
Access the Twilio Console: After setting up your account, you’ll be taken to the Twilio Console.
Copy Credentials: In the Twilio Console, you’ll find your Account SID, Auth Token, and you can get a trial phone number. Copy and paste these values to a text editor or keep this browser tab open.
Configure SMS Provider in WP Activity Log: Switch back to your WordPress admin area and go to **WP Activity Log » Settings**. Select the ‘SMS Provider’ tab and enter your Twilio Account SID, Auth Token, and phone number.
Save Changes: Don’t forget to click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.
Add a Mobile Phone Number: Return to **WP Activity Log » Email & SMS Notifications** and go to the ‘Content Changes’ tab. Here, you can add a mobile phone number to receive SMS notifications for post changes.

Testing Post Change Notifications with WP Activity Log

WP Activity Log makes testing your post change notifications easy.

Go to the ‘Content Changes’ Tab: Make sure you’re on the ‘Content Changes’ tab of the **WP Activity Log » Notifications** page.
Click ‘Test Notifications’: Scroll down and click the ‘Test Notifications’ button.
Enter Test Details: A popup window will appear where you can enter an email address and a mobile phone number to send test notifications.
Check Your Inbox: WP Activity Log will send test notifications. If you don’t receive an email notification right away, refer to the troubleshooting section below. If you fail to receive SMS notifications, verify your Twilio credentials are correct.

Getting Notifications for Post Changes With Better Notifications for WP

The Better Notifications for WP plugin provides an alternative method, offering straightforward customization but without ready-made templates for post changes. This means you’ll have to craft your own notification messages.

Install and Activate Better Notifications for WP: Install and activate the Customize WordPress Emails and Alerts – Better Notifications for WP plugin from the WordPress Plugin Directory.
Create a New Notification: Navigate to **Notifications » Add New** to create your first custom notification.
Provide a Title: Give your notification a descriptive title (e.g., ‘Post Updated Notification’).
Select the Trigger Event: Choose the ‘Notification For’ option from the dropdown menu. This is the event that will trigger the notification (e.g., ‘Post Updated’).
Customize Email Fields (Optional): Check the ‘Additional Email Fields’ box to enter custom email addresses for the sender, CC, and other fields. If unchecked, the plugin will use your default WordPress email settings.
Define Recipients: Select the users or user roles that should receive the notification under the ‘Send To’ option.
Write the Email Subject and Message: Enter the email subject and the notification message. Since Better Notifications for WP doesn’t provide a template for post changes, you’ll need to write your own email message.
Use Shortcodes: The plugin provides a set of shortcodes for customization. You can view them by clicking the ‘Find Shortcodes’ button.
Save the Notification: Click the ‘Save’ button to store your email notification. Once saved, you can click the ‘Send Me a Test Email’ button to verify it’s working.

Remember, Better Notifications for WP isn’t an activity monitoring plugin. You’ll need to set up multiple notifications to cover different content changes, like ‘Post Published’ or ‘Category/Tag Changed’. The plugin also allows you to create custom notifications or modify default WordPress notifications.

Revising and Undoing Post Changes in WordPress

Once you receive an email notification about post changes, you might want to see what changes were made, who made them, and when. WordPress has a built-in revision management system that keeps track of all changes made to an article.

Edit the Post or Page: Open the post or page you want to review.
Go to the ‘Revisions’ Tab: Click on the ‘Revisions’ tab under the ‘Post’ settings in the right column.
Compare Revisions: The ‘Revisions’ screen will appear. Check the ‘Compare any two revisions’ box and move the slider below to compare the changes.
View Changes: Scroll down the post to see the changes between the revisions highlighted in red and green.
Restore a Revision: If you don’t like the changes, click the ‘Restore This Revision’ button to undo them and revert to the previous version.

You can find a more detailed guide on how to undo changes in WordPress with post revisions here.

Troubleshooting Email Notifications in WordPress

A common issue with WordPress email notifications is deliverability. WordPress, by default, uses the PHP mail() function to send emails. This function lacks proper authentication, making it susceptible to spam filters that often mark emails as spam or block them entirely.

The solution is to use a reliable SMTP service provider. There are even free SMTP servers like SendLayer, Gmail, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), Sendgrid, and more that you can integrate with WordPress.

Here’s how to set up SMTP using the WP Mail SMTP plugin:

Install and Activate WP Mail SMTP: Install and activate the WP Mail SMTP plugin from the WordPress Plugin Directory.
Configure WP Mail SMTP: Go to **WP Mail SMTP » Settings** in your WordPress admin area.
Enter License Key: Enter your license key, which you can find in your account on the WP Mail SMTP website.
Select Your SMTP Provider: Scroll down to the ‘Mailer’ section and choose your SMTP service provider from the list. WP Mail SMTP will show all top SMTP providers. Click on your provider and enter the necessary information (usually an API key).
Use ‘Other SMTP’ (If Needed): If your provider isn’t listed, select the ‘Other SMTP’ option and manually enter the required information.

You can learn more about fixing WordPress email issues in our tutorial on how to fix WordPress not sending email here.

Expert Guides on Managing a WordPress Publication

Now that you’ve learned how to receive email notifications for post changes, here are some additional resources for managing your WordPress publication effectively:

Conclusion

Staying informed about post changes on your WordPress website is crucial for maintaining quality control, accountability, and a smooth workflow. By implementing either the WP Activity Log plugin or Better Notifications for WP, you can easily set up email notifications whenever a post is modified. Remember to use a reliable SMTP service provider to ensure email deliverability. Armed with these tools and strategies, you’ll have a greater sense of control over your WordPress publication and can confidently manage your content updates.

FAQs

How do I get email notifications for post changes in WordPress?

You can use plugins like WP Activity Log or Better Notifications for WP. These plugins allow you to set up email notifications for specific events, such as post updates, post publications, and more.

What is the best plugin for post change notifications?

Both WP Activity Log and Better Notifications for WP are excellent options. WP Activity Log is more comprehensive and offers features like SMS notifications, while Better Notifications for WP is simpler and more customizable.

Why are my WordPress email notifications not working?

This is often due to poor email deliverability. WordPress, by default, uses the PHP mail() function, which lacks proper authentication. To fix this, use an SMTP service provider and configure it in your WordPress settings.

How do I send test notifications for post changes?

Both plugins allow you to send test notifications. Simply go to the plugin’s notification settings and look for a ‘Test Notifications’ button. Enter an email address and send a test email to verify it’s working.

Can I get SMS notifications for post changes?

Yes, WP Activity Log allows you to receive SMS notifications. You’ll need a Twilio account and a virtual phone number to enable this feature.

How do I undo post changes in WordPress?

WordPress has a built-in revision management system. Go to the ‘Revisions’ tab when editing a post to view past revisions and restore any changes you want to undo.

What if I don’t want to receive notifications for every post change?

You can customize the notification settings to specify the events that trigger notifications. For example, you can choose to receive notifications only for new post publications or for posts edited by specific authors.

How do I prevent authors from making changes to specific posts?

You can control user roles and permissions in WordPress. You can restrict specific authors from editing certain posts or categories by assigning them different roles with limited editing capabilities.

Is it possible to get post change notifications for specific posts only?

While not a direct feature of WP Activity Log, you can customize notifications with Better Notifications for WP by creating specific rules for each post. You can define triggers based on post IDs or other parameters.

Where can I find more information about managing a WordPress publication?

WPBeginner has a wealth of resources on managing a WordPress website. You can find articles on various topics related to multi-author blogs, content management, SEO, and more.

If you’re interested in learning more about tech news, feel free to visit my website: www.naveedahmed.me.

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how to get email notification for post changes in wordpress