Add a WooCommerce Order Note When the Status Changes

Want a note recorded on an order every time it reaches a certain status? Zapify does it automatically. Combine the free An order changes status trigger with the free Add an order note action, and Zapify writes the note you specify — kept private for staff or emailed to the customer — the moment the status changes. No code, both steps in the free plugin.

What this automation does

The automation is one trigger plus one action:

• Trigger: An order changes status (WC_ORDER_STATUS_CHANGED, WooCommerce)
• Action: Add an order note (WC_ADD_ORDER_NOTE, WooCommerce)

When an order reaches the status you watch for, Zapify adds the note you wrote to that order.

Before you start

• WooCommerce must be installed and active. If it is missing, Zapify offers to install it from the trigger picker.
• Decide the note text, and whether the customer should receive it (see Private note or customer note).
• Both the trigger and the action are free.

How to build the automation

Step 1: Create a new automation

1. In the WordPress admin, go to Zapify → Automations.
2. Click Add New to open the builder.
3. Name it clearly, such as Note staff when order is processing.

Step 2: Add the "An order changes status" trigger

1. Click Add Trigger.

2. Choose WooCommerce as the app.

3. Select the trigger An order changes status.

4. Set the two fields that decide when it fires. Both default to Any, and setting them is part of the free trigger.

Field	What it does	Default
New status	The status the order moves to that starts the automation.	Any
Previous status	The status the order moved from. Leave as Any unless the transition itself matters.	Any

For example, set New status to Processing, and optionally Previous status to Pending payment to respond only to that transition.

Step 3: Add the "Add an order note" action

1. Click Add Action.

2. Choose WooCommerce as the app.

3. Select Add an order note.

Step 4: Configure the action

Fill in the fields. Use the {} token button beside a field to insert live values from the order that triggered the automation.

Field	Required	What it does
Order	Yes	The order to note. Insert the Order ID token from the trigger so the note lands on the order that fired the automation.
Note	Yes	The note text. Tokens are allowed, so you can include order details.
Email this note to the customer	No	Checkbox, off by default. Off keeps the note private to shop staff; on sends it to the customer as a WooCommerce customer note.

For example:

• Order: the Order ID token
• Note: type Order , insert the Order number token, type is now, insert the New status token, then type — pack and ship within 24 hours. Use the {} button for each token rather than typing it by hand.

Tick Email this note to the customer only if the customer should receive the note.

Step 5: Set the steps Live and save

Each step has its own switch: Live, Off, or Draft. A new automation starts as a Draft and does nothing until its steps are Live.

1. Set both the trigger and the action to Live.
2. Click Save.

Private note or customer note

The Email this note to the customer checkbox decides who sees the note:

• Off (default) — a private note, visible only to staff on the order screen. Good for fulfillment instructions and internal records.
• On — a customer note, which WooCommerce also emails to the customer. Good for status updates the customer should receive, such as "Your order is being prepared for shipment."

Tokens you can use

The trigger exposes order tokens you can insert into the Order and Note fields with the {} button.

Token	Value
Order ID	Numeric order ID — use this in the Order field
Order number	The order number shown to customers
Order status	Current order status
Previous status / New status	The statuses the order moved from and to
Order total / Currency	Order value and currency
Billing first name / last name	Customer name
Billing email	Customer billing email
Order admin link	Link to the order in wp-admin

How to test it

1. Open a test order in WooCommerce → Orders whose status matches the trigger's Previous status (or any status if you left it on Any).
2. Change the order to the trigger's New status — for example Processing — and click Update.
3. Reload the order and look at the Order notes box on the right. Your note should appear there; customer notes are highlighted differently from private ones.
4. If the note is missing, open Zapify → Logs to see whether the automation fired and what the action reported.

Conclusion

With Zapify's free An order changes status trigger and Add an order note action, every status change leaves a clear record on the order — internal or customer-facing. To move the order forward at the same time, pair it with changing the order status, or email the customer directly.

FAQs

Is adding an order note on a status change free in Zapify?

Yes. The An order changes status trigger and the Add an order note action are both free, and WooCommerce is a free Zapify integration. You can build and run this on the free plugin. Only automation-level Conditions — filtering beyond the trigger's own from/to status — require Zapify PRO.

How do I add the note to the order that triggered the automation?

In the action's Order field, insert the Order ID token from the trigger with the {} token menu. Zapify fills in the triggering order's ID at run time, so the note is added to the correct order automatically rather than one you name by hand.

Can the note be emailed to the customer?

Yes. Enable Email this note to the customer in the action. WooCommerce then adds it as a customer note and emails it to the customer. Leave the checkbox off — the default — to keep the note private to shop staff, visible only on the order screen.

What is the difference between a private note and a customer note?

A private note is internal: it appears on the order in wp-admin but is never sent to the customer. A customer note is emailed to the customer by WooCommerce and also shown on their order. The Email this note to the customer checkbox switches between the two, and it is off by default.

Can I include order details in the note text?

Yes. The Note field accepts tokens. Open the token menu and insert values like Order number, New status, Order total, or Billing first name, and Zapify replaces each with the real value from the order that triggered the automation.

Why didn't the note appear on the order?

Check that both the trigger and the action are set to Live (a Draft automation never runs), that the order's new status matches the trigger's New status, and that the Order field contains the Order ID token. Then open Zapify → Logs to see the run and the reason the action reported.

Do I need to write any code?

No. The trigger, the action, and every field are configured visually in the Zapify builder. Once the steps are Live, Zapify and WooCommerce add the note for you.