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WP Admin Automations

How to Send an Email When the Active WordPress Theme Is Changed

Switching the active theme changes the whole look of a site in one click, and it should never happen by accident. Zapify emails you the moment the active theme is changed, showing the old theme, the new theme and who did it. It uses the free The active theme is switched trigger and the Send an email action.

What this automation does

The automation is one trigger plus one action:

  • Trigger: The active theme is switched (WPADMIN_THEME_SWITCHED, WP Admin)
  • Action: Send an email (WP_SEND_EMAIL, WordPress)

When the site switches to a different theme, Zapify emails the address you set with the names of both themes and the username of the person who did it.

It fires when a theme is made the active one, from Appearance → Themes, the Customizer or a command-line tool. Updating a theme is a separate trigger.

Before you start

  • A working email setup on your site.

No other plugin needed

WP Admin is built into Zapify and uses WordPress itself, so there is nothing to install. It is a free integration.

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 Tell me when the theme is changed.

Create a new automation

Step 2: Add the "The active theme is switched" trigger

  1. Click Add Trigger.
  2. Choose WP Admin as the app.
  3. Select the trigger The active theme is switched.
  4. In the Theme switched to field, pick a theme to be told only when the site switches to it, or leave it on Any theme.

Add a trigger

Select WP Admin as the trigger

Select The active theme is switched

Step 3: Add the "Send an email" action

  1. Click Add Action.
  2. Choose WordPress as the app.
  3. Select Send an email.

Add an action

Select WordPress as the action

Select Send an email

Step 4: Write the email

Use the {} token button beside any field to insert the details of the event.

Select the email recipient

Field Required What it does
To Yes Type the address that should get the alert. Separate several addresses with commas.
Subject Yes The subject line. Tokens are allowed.
Format Yes HTML (default) or Plain text.
Body Yes The message. Tokens are allowed.
Cc / Bcc No Extra recipients.
From name / From email No Override the sender.
Reply to No Where replies go.

For example:

  • To: you@example.com
  • Subject: Theme changed to {New theme name}
  • Body: {Actor username} switched the site theme from {Old theme name} to {New theme name}.

Complete the Send an Email Action

Step 5: Set the steps Live and save

  1. Set both the trigger and the action to Live. A new automation starts as Draft and will not run until its steps are Live.
  2. Click Save.

Set the automation live

Tokens you can use

Token What it holds
New theme name The theme the site switched to.
New theme directory Its folder name.
Old theme name The theme the site switched from.
Old theme directory Its folder name.
Actor user ID / Actor username The logged-in person who did it. Empty (and 0) when nobody was logged in, as with an automatic update.

How to test it

  1. Open Appearance → Themes, activate a different theme, then switch back.
  2. You should get two emails, one for each switch.
  3. If nothing arrives, open Zapify → Logs to see whether the run fired.

Conclusion

With the free The active theme is switched trigger and the Send an email action, a theme change on your site always leaves a trail. To also be told about version changes, see emailing when a theme is updated.

FAQs

Can I be told only when one particular theme becomes active?

Yes, and it is free. Set the trigger's Theme switched to field to that theme. Leave it on Any theme to hear about every switch.

Does it tell me who changed the theme?

Yes. Actor username and Actor user ID hold the logged-in person who made the switch. They are empty when nobody was logged in, such as a switch made by a command-line tool.

Does it fire when a theme is updated?

No. Updating a theme does not change which theme is active. Use the A theme is updated trigger for that.

Is this feature free?

Yes. WP Admin is a free Zapify integration, and both the trigger and the Send an email action are included in the free plan.

Why didn't the email arrive?

Open Zapify → Logs. If the run succeeded but no email arrived, the cause is usually the site's mail configuration. An SMTP plugin resolves most delivery problems. Check the spam folder too.

Do I need to write any code?

No. Everything is configured in the Zapify visual builder.

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