WordPress Automations
Send an Email When a User's Custom Field Is Updated
Membership plugins, form builders, and profile fields all store data in WordPress user meta — a subscription tier, a verification flag, an address. When one particular field matters enough to act on, Zapify can watch it directly with the A user's custom field is updated trigger and the Send an email action — both free.
What this automation does
The automation is one trigger plus one action:
- Trigger: A user's custom field is updated (
WP_USER_META_UPDATED, WordPress) - Action: Send an email (
WP_SEND_EMAIL, WordPress)
When the meta key you specify is written for any user — filled in for the first time or changed later — Zapify fills the email's tokens with the new value and sends it.
You must name the exact key
There is no Any field option here on purpose. WordPress writes user meta constantly for reasons that have nothing to do with your users — session tokens, dismissed admin notices, screen options — and watching all of it would fire this trigger dozens of times per admin request. Name the exact meta key, such as billing_city or subscription_status.
Before you start
- You need the exact meta key you want to watch. Check your membership or form plugin's documentation, or inspect the user's custom fields in the database if you're not sure of the key name.
- Both the trigger and the action are free.
How to build the automation
Step 1: Create a new automation
- In the WordPress admin, go to Zapify → Automations.
- Click Add New to open the builder.
- Name it clearly, such as Notify on subscription status change.
Step 2: Add the "A user's custom field is updated" trigger
- Click Add Trigger.
- Choose WordPress as the app.
- Select the trigger A user's custom field is updated.
- In the Meta key field, type the exact key to watch, for example
subscription_status.
Step 3: Add the "Send an email" action
- Click Add Action.
- Choose WordPress as the app.
- Select Send an email.
Step 4: Configure the email
For example, watching subscription_status:
- To:
billing@example.com - Subject:
Subscription status changed for {{trigger:USER_DISPLAY_NAME}} - Body:
New value: {{trigger:META_VALUE}}
Step 5: Set the steps Live and save
- Set both the trigger and the action to Live.
- Click Save.
Tokens you can use
| Token | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Meta key | The field name you configured. |
| New value | The value that was just written. |
| User tokens (User email, User display name, etc.) | The user whose field changed. |
How to test it
- Update the meta key for a test user — through the plugin that manages it, or directly from the user's profile if the field is exposed there.
- Check the recipient inbox for the email.
- If nothing arrives, open Zapify → Logs and double-check the Meta key field matches the exact key name the other plugin uses — this is the most common reason the trigger stays silent.
Conclusion
With the A user's custom field is updated trigger and the Send an email action, Zapify reacts to changes buried in user meta that WordPress itself has no event for. Next, react to a role change instead of a meta field with an email when a user is added to a role, or see the full picture in triggers and actions.
FAQs
Does this fire the first time a field is filled in, or only on later changes?
Both. The trigger fires whether the meta key is being written for the first time or updated afterwards.
Can I watch more than one field?
Yes, but as separate automations — add one trigger per meta key you want to watch, each in its own automation (or as extra triggers on the same automation set to Any, if they should all lead to the same action).
Is this feature free?
Yes. Both the trigger and the Send an email action are free.
Do I need to write any code?
No. Everything is configured in the Zapify visual builder — you just need to know the meta key name.