How do I get an email alert every time someone places an order?
The Order Alert Email field decides who is told about a new order. Here is how it falls back to your support email and what is not offered.
When an order comes in, you want to hear about it quickly, not discover it two days later while scrolling the admin. Varchas sends you an email for every new order. The only question is which inbox it goes to, and that is what the Order Alert Email field is for.
Where the field is
Open Admin, then Settings, then the Analytics and alerts tab. The fourth row in the card is Order Alert Email, with the hint "who hears about new orders, leave blank to use the SUPPORT EMAIL". Type the address you want and press Save Settings.
The form checks that it looks like an email address, meaning something before an at sign and a domain after it. If it does not, the save stops with a message that the order alert email is not a valid address.
Who gets the alert if you leave it blank
The code looks for a recipient in a fixed order:
- First, the Order Alert Email, if you filled it in.
- If that is empty, the Support Email from your Store details tab.
- Only if both are empty does it fall back to a platform-level address.
Because most stores fill in a support email during setup, a blank alert field usually just means the alerts land in your support inbox. You only need to fill in this field when you want alerts somewhere different, for example a personal address, or a shared mailbox that the whole packing team can see.
When alerts are sent
The alert goes out when an order is placed, and when a payment is confirmed. The idea is that you only hear about orders you actually have to go and pack. Status updates sent to the customer, such as shipped or delivered, are a separate set of emails to your buyer, described in do customers get emails on status updates. The alert you receive is your own copy of the order.
Why a separate address is worth considering
Sellers often use one address for everything and then miss orders under customer queries and newsletters. A dedicated alert inbox, even a free one, keeps order mail in one place. You can add a filter or a phone notification for that inbox without touching your main one.
Another useful arrangement is a small team: put the address of whoever packs orders in this field, and keep customer replies going to your support email.
What is not available
Alerts are email only. There is no SMS or WhatsApp alert setting in this card. The SMS row on the same tab is marked Not connected, and the SMS post explains why. If you need a faster nudge than email, set up your phone to give a loud notification for mail from that one address.
Test it
After saving, place a test order on your own store and see where the alert lands. Check your spam folder too, particularly if your alert address is on a different provider from your support email. If a mail does not arrive in a few minutes, double-check the address character by character.
For the other emails your store sends, invoices and order emails done for you gives the full picture.