How are Different Emails Triggered in the circuly operations backend?

Published on
January 27, 2022
Written by
written by Garima Singh
TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction

circuly provides a comprehensive set of transactional email templates triggered by specific subscription lifecycle actions such as orders, payments, subscriptions, and returns. These emails are operational (not promotional) and can be customised to reflect your branding. Each email template is linked to a specific event, and when that event occurs, the email is automatically sent from the Circuly operations backend.

⚠️ Important: circuly supports only transactional emails. For promotional content (like offers, discounts, or vouchers), use a marketing automation tool.

Email Template Categories and TriggersAll email templates in Circuly fall under four categories: Orders, Payments, Subscriptions, and Returns. A few templates fall outside these categories but are still essential.

For a detailed guide on how the email templates are triggered, review this Miro board

Email Template Categories and TriggersAll email templates in Circuly fall under four categories: Orders, Payments, Subscriptions, and Returns. A few templates fall outside these categories but are still essential.

📦 Category: Orders

Order Confirmation

  • Trigger: When a customer places an order via the Circuly checkout.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
  • Note: Skip this email if your shop system already sends an order confirmation.

One-Time Password

  • Trigger: When a customer requests login access to the Customer Portal.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications

Order Fulfilment Completed

  • Trigger: When an order is manually marked as completed in the Circuly backend.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications

Order Cancellation

  • Trigger: When an order is manually cancelled.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
  • Note: If "Fully refund this order" is checked, the customer will also receive the Transaction Refund and Refund Invoice.

One-Time Transaction

  • Trigger: When a one-time transaction is charged.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
  • Note: Sent with the "Your Invoice" email and includes the invoice as a PDF.

Order Offer

  • Trigger: When a draft order is created manually from the Circuly Hub.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
  • Note: Email sent to the customer with a PDF attachment summarizing the order.

Order Offer PDF

  • Attachment: Sent with the "Order Offer" email.
  • Content: Includes order details, product, pricing, and subscription terms.

Buyout Order Confirmation

  • Trigger: When a customer chooses to buy out their subscribed product.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
  • Note: Confirms the transaction to the customer.

💳 Category: Payments

Your Invoice

  • Trigger: When a recurring or one-time payment is initiated (before charge).
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
  • PDF Attachments: "Invoice" or "One-Time Transaction"
  • Legal Note (Germany): Include the variable {{current_period}} to show the "Leistungszeitraum" (service period). Use:
{% if initial_invoice == false %}
<p>Service period: {{current_period}}</p>
{% endif %}

Payment was Successful

  • Trigger: After a payment is successfully charged.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications

Payment has Failed

  • Trigger: When a payment attempt fails.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
  • Note: Payment retries are configurable in Settings > Recurring Payments. You can define retry attempts and intervals, and whether to send a failed email for each or just the final attempt.

Transaction Refund

  • Trigger: When a refund is manually processed.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
  • Note: Sent together with the "Refund Invoice" email.

Refund Invoice

  • Trigger: When a refund is processed, especially when "Fully refund this order" is checked during cancellation.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications

Return Unpaid Product

  • Trigger: After two full failed payment cycles.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
  • Note: Configure payment retry logic in Settings > Recurring Payments > Payment Tries & Intervals.

🔁 Category: Subscriptions

Subscription Activated

  • Trigger: On the subscription start date.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
  • Note: Separate from Order Confirmation because fulfillment and start can be days/weeks apart.

Subscription Ended

  • Trigger: When the product is marked as returned.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications

Subscription is Almost Over

  • Trigger: X days before the end date (customisable).
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
  • Advanced Options:
    • Email only sends if auto-renew is OFF.
    • To send for short subscriptions (≤1 month), enable "Subscription is almost over for 1-month subscriptions".
    • To send even if auto-renew is ON, enable "Subscription is almost over also if auto-renew is active".

Subscription Pending Return

  • Trigger: When marked manually as "Pending Return" or when a customer cancels via the portal and auto-cancel is enabled.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications

Swap Confirmation

  • Trigger: When a swap is initiated (manually or via the customer portal).
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications

🔄 Category: Returns

Return Instruction

  • Trigger: Sent manually by support or automatically after a cancellation request from the Customer Portal.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications > Return instructions

✉️ Other Emails

Refer a Friend

  • Trigger: When an existing customer uses the refer-a-friend feature via the Customer Portal and sends referral codes.
  • Settings: Not tied to the categories above but can be enabled in the Emails tab.
  • Note: Email is sent to the referred person when email addresses are added in the referral input field.

How to enable email templates

  1. Go to Settings > Emails
  2. Select the relevant tab: Orders, Payments, Subscriptions, or Returns
  3. Enable the switches for the email types you wish to activate

How to edit email templates

Follow this guide to learn more about setting up email templates.

circuly’s transactional email system ensures customers are notified clearly and promptly at each step of their subscription journey. With full template customisation and precise triggers, you maintain control over your brand voice while meeting compliance standards like invoice formatting.

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How are Different Emails Triggered in the circuly operations backend?

Introduction

circuly provides a comprehensive set of transactional email templates triggered by specific subscription lifecycle actions such as orders, payments, subscriptions, and returns. These emails are operational (not promotional) and can be customised to reflect your branding. Each email template is linked to a specific event, and when that event occurs, the email is automatically sent from the Circuly operations backend.

⚠️ Important: circuly supports only transactional emails. For promotional content (like offers, discounts, or vouchers), use a marketing automation tool.

Email Template Categories and TriggersAll email templates in Circuly fall under four categories: Orders, Payments, Subscriptions, and Returns. A few templates fall outside these categories but are still essential.

For a detailed guide on how the email templates are triggered, review this Miro board

Email Template Categories and TriggersAll email templates in Circuly fall under four categories: Orders, Payments, Subscriptions, and Returns. A few templates fall outside these categories but are still essential.

📦 Category: Orders

Order Confirmation

  • Trigger: When a customer places an order via the Circuly checkout.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
  • Note: Skip this email if your shop system already sends an order confirmation.

One-Time Password

  • Trigger: When a customer requests login access to the Customer Portal.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications

Order Fulfilment Completed

  • Trigger: When an order is manually marked as completed in the Circuly backend.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications

Order Cancellation

  • Trigger: When an order is manually cancelled.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
  • Note: If "Fully refund this order" is checked, the customer will also receive the Transaction Refund and Refund Invoice.

One-Time Transaction

  • Trigger: When a one-time transaction is charged.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
  • Note: Sent with the "Your Invoice" email and includes the invoice as a PDF.

Order Offer

  • Trigger: When a draft order is created manually from the Circuly Hub.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
  • Note: Email sent to the customer with a PDF attachment summarizing the order.

Order Offer PDF

  • Attachment: Sent with the "Order Offer" email.
  • Content: Includes order details, product, pricing, and subscription terms.

Buyout Order Confirmation

  • Trigger: When a customer chooses to buy out their subscribed product.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
  • Note: Confirms the transaction to the customer.

💳 Category: Payments

Your Invoice

  • Trigger: When a recurring or one-time payment is initiated (before charge).
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
  • PDF Attachments: "Invoice" or "One-Time Transaction"
  • Legal Note (Germany): Include the variable {{current_period}} to show the "Leistungszeitraum" (service period). Use:
{% if initial_invoice == false %}
<p>Service period: {{current_period}}</p>
{% endif %}

Payment was Successful

  • Trigger: After a payment is successfully charged.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications

Payment has Failed

  • Trigger: When a payment attempt fails.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
  • Note: Payment retries are configurable in Settings > Recurring Payments. You can define retry attempts and intervals, and whether to send a failed email for each or just the final attempt.

Transaction Refund

  • Trigger: When a refund is manually processed.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
  • Note: Sent together with the "Refund Invoice" email.

Refund Invoice

  • Trigger: When a refund is processed, especially when "Fully refund this order" is checked during cancellation.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications

Return Unpaid Product

  • Trigger: After two full failed payment cycles.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
  • Note: Configure payment retry logic in Settings > Recurring Payments > Payment Tries & Intervals.

🔁 Category: Subscriptions

Subscription Activated

  • Trigger: On the subscription start date.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
  • Note: Separate from Order Confirmation because fulfillment and start can be days/weeks apart.

Subscription Ended

  • Trigger: When the product is marked as returned.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications

Subscription is Almost Over

  • Trigger: X days before the end date (customisable).
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
  • Advanced Options:
    • Email only sends if auto-renew is OFF.
    • To send for short subscriptions (≤1 month), enable "Subscription is almost over for 1-month subscriptions".
    • To send even if auto-renew is ON, enable "Subscription is almost over also if auto-renew is active".

Subscription Pending Return

  • Trigger: When marked manually as "Pending Return" or when a customer cancels via the portal and auto-cancel is enabled.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications

Swap Confirmation

  • Trigger: When a swap is initiated (manually or via the customer portal).
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications

🔄 Category: Returns

Return Instruction

  • Trigger: Sent manually by support or automatically after a cancellation request from the Customer Portal.
  • Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications > Return instructions

✉️ Other Emails

Refer a Friend

  • Trigger: When an existing customer uses the refer-a-friend feature via the Customer Portal and sends referral codes.
  • Settings: Not tied to the categories above but can be enabled in the Emails tab.
  • Note: Email is sent to the referred person when email addresses are added in the referral input field.

How to enable email templates

  1. Go to Settings > Emails
  2. Select the relevant tab: Orders, Payments, Subscriptions, or Returns
  3. Enable the switches for the email types you wish to activate

How to edit email templates

Follow this guide to learn more about setting up email templates.

circuly’s transactional email system ensures customers are notified clearly and promptly at each step of their subscription journey. With full template customisation and precise triggers, you maintain control over your brand voice while meeting compliance standards like invoice formatting.