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The Hack Repair Guy’s Post Update Email Notifier

The Hack Repair Guy’s Post Update Email Notifier

Want a simple way to keep your team or clients in the loop when content changes? The Hack Repair Guy’s Post Update Email Notifier sends branded HTML emails to selected roles whenever posts or pages are updated.

WordPress doesn’t email on content updates by default. This plugin fills that gap with a clean, configurable, and privacy‑friendly approach.

The Hack Repair Guy’s Post Update Email Notifier banner

Plugin Description

Send branded HTML emails to selected roles whenever a published post or page is updated. You can choose who receives alerts, customise the subject and message templates, and set your own From/Reply‑To addresses. A Test Email preview runs over AJAX to show success or failure inline. Recent versions also add a per‑post “Don’t send” checkbox to skip the next notification on a specific post, a Reset to Defaults action to restore all plugin settings, and a bulk test feature to send multiple previews at once. Optional logging with CSV export records every send (including when a notification is intentionally skipped) and the plugin displays a guidance notice after repeated mail failures. Works great with SMTP plugins for improved deliverability.

Why did you create this plugin?

Teams and clients need “change visibility” without logging into WordPress. This plugin makes update notifications reliable, readable and configurable — no bloat, just the essentials.

Why use The Hack Repair Guy’s Post Update Email Notifier?

  • Branded HTML emails: customise the header text, colour and footer; branding fields support placeholders such as [year]
  • Role‑based notifications: choose which roles receive update alerts
  • Post‑type filter: limit notifications to specific post types
  • Exclude updater: optionally skip the person who made the change
  • Per‑post “Don’t send” checkbox: skip the next notification on a specific post; the flag clears itself automatically
  • Email Identity: custom From Name/Email + Reply‑To (works seamlessly with SMTP plugins)
  • Placeholders: [post_title], [post_url], [editor_name], [site_name], [post_type], [updated_at], [author_name], [post_edit_url], [year]
  • Optional logging: recent email log (50/200/1000), CSV export and clear log; logs record success, failure and “Not sent” when updates are intentionally skipped
  • Test Email & Bulk Test: one‑click preview via AJAX shows success/failure inline; an optional bulk test mode sends multiple preview messages (using plus‑aliases) to help test deliverability
  • Update Status (Cacheless) & Reset: on‑demand check for new versions and a single click to restore default settings
  • Developer hooks: customise recipients, subject, HTML, headers and placeholders
  • SMTP guidance: shows an “SMTP Active” status chip and, after repeated failures, provides tips for configuring an SMTP plugin

BRILLIANT!!! With Post Update Email Notifier, your team stays informed — no extra workflows or logins required.

Where to find it in WordPress: Settings → Post Update Notifier with sections for Notifications, Branding, Email Identity, Test Email, Logging, Bulk Test, and Update Status/Reset.

Installation

The quickest method for installing Post Update Email Notifier is:

If you prefer to install manually:

  • Upload the hackrepair-post-update-email-notifier folder to /wp-content/plugins/
  • Extract the .zip file (if needed)
  • Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu

Notifications settings (roles, post types, exclude updater)
Notifications (roles, post types, exclude updater)

Test Email card
Test Email (inline success/failure)

Recent Email Log with CSV export
Plugin Updates, Bulk Testing & Logs

Support and Updates

Have a question or a feature request? Join the support thread on Reddit. I’ll post updates and handle Q&A there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pause notifications?
Yes. Uncheck all roles or post types to pause notifications; they’ll stay off until you turn them back on.

Does this work with custom post types?
Yes. Leave “Post Types to Notify” empty to notify on all types, or check specific types to limit.

How do I improve deliverability?
Use a domain‑aligned From Email and an SMTP plugin (e.g., WP Mail SMTP). This reduces spam/junk placement.

Where do I manage email identity?
Settings → Email Identity: From Name (supports placeholders), From Email, and Reply‑To.

What placeholders are available?
[post_title], [post_url], [editor_name], [site_name], [post_type], [updated_at], [author_name], [post_edit_url], [year].

Can I export logs?
Yes. Enable Logging in Settings, then use CSV export in the Recent Email Log section.

Requirements
WordPress 6.6+ and PHP 7.4+.

Buy Jim a Cup of Coffee?


If you find The Hack Repair Guy’s Post Update Email Notifier useful, please consider donating a cup of coffee
.

The Silent World of WordPress Post Updates | And How to Fix It!

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The Silent World of WordPress Post Updates (And How to Fix It!)Have you ever noticed how quiet WordPress can be?

You update a post, hit Publish, and then… nothing. No alert. No “Hey team, I made a change.” Just silence.

That’s how WordPress works out of the box. It doesn’t tell anyone when something is updated. That might have worked back when one person ran a site, but not now.

If you work with clients or a team, or you just want a clear trail of changes, that silence can cause confusion. “Who changed this?” “When was that updated?”

The way it used to be

In the early days of the web, keeping up with changes was a pain. You checked pages by hand or hoped someone saw a tiny “Last Updated” note in the footer.

Later, tools like Mind-it tried to track changes, and RSS feeds helped people follow sites, but they often dumped too much info at once.

WordPress made publishing easier, but it didn’t fix this communication gap. Updates still stay hidden unless you add something extra.

A simple fix: Post Update Email Notifier

This plugin ends the silence. It sends quick, branded email alerts when a post or page is updated, so the right people know what changed without extra work.

No more “Did you see my edit?” messages. No more guessing who changed what.

What makes it handy

  • Looks professional: Add your logo, colors, and custom footer so emails match your brand.
  • You control who gets them: Notify admins, editors, or specific roles, whatever fits your workflow.
  • Filter what matters: Only send alerts for posts, pages, or custom types you choose.
  • Skip yourself: Don’t send alerts to the person who made the change.
  • Smart placeholders: Use [post_title], [editor_name], and [post_url] to auto-fill details.

Everything runs on your site. No external calls. You get built-in logging, SMTP support for better delivery, and strong privacy by default.

Other options out there

Plenty of plugins handle notifications, but they do different jobs:

  • Better Notifications for WP –  many options, more setup time.
  • MailPoet – great for newsletters, not private team updates.
  • WP Activity Log – detailed tracking, less client-friendly emails.
  • Notification (BracketSpace) – very powerful, can feel heavy.

My plugin keeps it simple: one focused job, send update emails to the right people at the right time.

Tips before you start

  • Don’t overdo it: Too many emails get ignored. Pick the key post types and roles.
  • Stay silent when you want to: Just disable the post types in “Settings” you don’t need.
  • Use your favorite SMTP plugin: An SMTP plugin helps keep alerts out of spam.
  • Keep it updated: Regular updates keep things secure.
  • Mind privacy: All data stays on your site.

Final thought

WordPress is quiet by default. Your site doesn’t have to be.

With the Post Update Email Notifier, you can keep everyone in the loop, cleanly, securely, and automatically.

Silence is nice. Clear communication is better.

 

Enjoy!
Jim

The Hack Repair Guy’s Smart Embed Plugin (Currently Beta Testing)

The Hack Repair Guy’s Smart Embed Plugin

Have you ever wished for a safe, flexible way to embed custom HTML, forms, or widgets anywhere on your WordPress site? The Hack Repair Guy’s Smart Embed plugin makes that possible.
Smart Embed isn’t currently hosted on WordPress.org—it’s a free plugin we created to simplify secure embedding for our clients and friends. Feel free to try it out and see how easy it is to manage your own embeds!

The Hack Repair Guy’s Smart Embed Plugin banner

Plugin Description

A powerful and intuitive tool that lets you embed custom HTML or third‑party widgets exactly where you need them on your WordPress site. Smart Embed streamlines the process of managing shortcodes and keeps your embeds reusable, tidy, and safe.

Why did you create this plugin?

I was looking for a safe and simple way to embed HTML or third‑party widgets in my websites without clutter or risk. Smart Embed is all about being safe, speedy, and easy to use.

Why use The Hack Repair Guy’s Smart Embed plugin?

  • Reusable embeds with a simple copy‑and‑paste shortcode
  • Responsive wrapper toggle with optional max‑width to keep embeds tidy
  • Optional wrapper CSS class for easy layout tweaks
  • Copy Shortcode button in the admin list for quick access
  • Gutenberg compatible and works with the Classic Editor
  • Optional URL embeds: load an external JavaScript by URL (HTTPS only; allowlisted domains set in Settings — defaults include cdn.jsdelivr.net, cdn.tailwindcss.com, cdnjs.cloudflare.com, and html2canvas.hertzen.com)
  • Canvas helper: insert a canvas placeholder (ID + width/height) with optional full‑width styling for animation scripts
  • Built by The Hack Repair Guy and trusted by site owners for security and clarity

BRILLIANT!!! With The Hack Repair Guy’s Smart Embed plugin, you can now embed custom code exactly where your team needs it. It’s just that easy…

Where to find it in WordPress: Smart Embeds → List Smart Embeds (manage and copy shortcodes), Add New Smart Embed (create), and Settings (global options with tabs for Settings | Smart Embeds | Author Notes). From the editor, the top‑left “W” returns to the List Smart Embeds view.

Installation

The quickest method for installing The Hack Repair Guy’s Smart Embed plugin is:

If you would prefer to manually install The Hack Repair Guy’s Smart Embed plugin, follow these instructions:

  • Upload the hackrepair-smart-embed folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
  • Extract the .zip file.
  • Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress.
Smart Embeds list with shortcode column
Smart Embeds list with shortcode column
Add a new Smart Embed
Add a new Smart Embed
Embed block in a post using the shortcode
Embed block in a post using the shortcode

Support and Updates

If you want to receive notifications about updates or leave feedback on the plugin, subscribe to the official support thread.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I customize the appearance of my embeds?
Use the Responsive wrapper toggle and optional Max Width setting in the Smart Embed editor. You can also add your own CSS class to the wrapper for precise styling.

What’s the difference between embedding by ID and slug?
Embedding by ID (e.g., [smart_embed id="123"]) references the unique post ID, while embedding by slug (e.g., [smart_embed slug="my-embed"]) uses a human‑friendly slug you assign. Both work the same; choose whichever is easier to remember.

Can I edit multiple Smart Embeds at once?
Not yet. The native Bulk Edit only updates core fields (e.g., status). Smart Embed options (responsive wrapper, max‑width, wrapper class, External Script URL) are edited per‑embed.

My external script isn’t loading.
Turn on “Enable URL embeds” in Settings, and add the script’s host to the allowlist (HTTPS only). Defaults include cdn.jsdelivr.net, cdn.tailwindcss.com, cdnjs.cloudflare.com, and html2canvas.hertzen.com. The external file should contain JavaScript only (no <script> tags).

My embed is not showing anywhere.
Double‑check that you have published your Smart Embed and that you’re using the correct shortcode in a location where WordPress processes shortcodes (posts, pages, or compatible widgets).

How does the Wrapper CSS class work and how do I use it?
The wrapper adds a custom CSS class around your embed so you can target it with your own styles.
Enable “Responsive wrapper” in the Smart Embed editor, enter a class name (e.g., my-embed),
then style it in your CSS—like setting max width, padding, or background to fit your design.

Is this plugin compatible with the latest version of WordPress?
Yes, we regularly update the plugin to ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress version.

Buy Jim a Cup of Coffee?

If you find The Hack Repair Guy’s Smart Embed plugin useful, please consider donating a cup of coffee .