In-App Notification System

WP Sell Services includes an in-app notification system that displays alerts directly within the WordPress dashboard. Users receive real-time notifications for orders, messages, deliveries, and other events.

Overview

The in-app notification system stores notifications in the database and displays them in a notification center. Notifications appear regardless of email settings and provide quick access to relevant actions.

Key Features

• Notification Center – Centralized hub for all notifications
• Unread Badge – Visual indicator of new notifications
• Real-Time Updates – Notifications appear immediately when events occur
• Persistent Storage – Notifications saved in database table
• Auto-Cleanup – Old notifications automatically deleted after 90 days (read only)

Database Table

Table Name: wpwpssnotifications

Columns:

• id – Notification ID
• user_id – Recipient user ID
• type – Notification type constant
• title – Notification title
• message – Notification message (HTML)
• data – Additional data (JSON)
• is_read – Read status (0/1)
• created_at – Creation timestamp

Accessing Notifications

Admin Notification Center

Location: WordPress Admin → WP Sell Services → Notifications

What It Shows:

• List of all notifications for current user
• Unread count badge
• Notification type icons
• Timestamps
• Mark as read/delete actions

Notification List Features

Columns Displayed:

• Icon – Notification type indicator
• Message – Notification title and preview
• Date – Relative time (e.g., “2 minutes ago”)
• Actions – View, Mark Read, Delete

Filtering:

• All notifications
• Unread only
• By notification type

Sorting:

• Newest first (default)
• Oldest first

Notification Types

The system creates in-app notifications for these event types:

Type	Constant	Description
Order Created	TYPEORDERCREATED	Vendor receives new order
Order Status	TYPEORDERSTATUS	Order status changes
New Message	TYPENEWMESSAGE	Message received in conversation
Delivery Submitted	TYPEDELIVERYSUBMITTED	Vendor submits delivery
Delivery Accepted	TYPEDELIVERYACCEPTED	Buyer accepts delivery
Revision Requested	TYPEREVISIONREQUESTED	Buyer requests revision
Review Received	TYPEREVIEWRECEIVED	Vendor receives review
Dispute Opened	TYPEDISPUTEOPENED	Dispute is opened
Dispute Resolved	TYPEDISPUTERESOLVED	Dispute is resolved

Managing Notifications

Viewing Notifications

1. Go to WP Sell Services → Notifications in admin menu
2. View list of notifications
3. Click notification title to view full details
4. Click “View Order” to go to related order

Marking as Read

Single Notification:

1. Hover over notification
2. Click “Mark as Read” link
3. Notification marked as read (badge decreases)

All Notifications:

1. Click “Mark All as Read” button at top
2. All notifications for current user marked as read
3. Unread badge clears

Deleting Notifications

Single Notification:

1. Hover over notification
2. Click “Delete” link
3. Notification permanently removed

Note: There is no bulk delete function in the current version. Notifications are deleted individually or automatically after 90 days (read notifications only).

Notification Service Class

Location: src/Services/NotificationService.php

Creating Notifications

/**
 * Create notification.
 *
 * @param int    $user_id User to notify.
 * @param string $type    Notification type.
 * @param string $title   Notification title.
 * @param string $message Notification message.
 * @param array  $data    Additional data.
 * @return int|false Notification ID or false on failure.
 */
public function create( $user_id, $type, $title, $message, $data = array() )

Example:

$notification_service = new NotificationService();
$notification_service->create(
    $vendor_id,
    NotificationService::TYPE_ORDER_CREATED,
    'New Order Received',
    'You have received a new order from Sarah Williams.',
    array(
        'order_id' => 12345,
        'order_number' => 'ORD-12345'
    )
);

Getting Notifications

/**
 * Get notifications for user.
 *
 * @param int   $user_id User ID.
 * @param array $args    Query args (unread_only, limit, offset).
 * @return array Array of notification objects.
 */
public function get_user_notifications( $user_id, $args = array() )

Example:

// Get 20 most recent notifications
$notifications = $notification_service->get_user_notifications(
    get_current_user_id(),
    array(
        'limit' => 20,
        'offset' => 0
    )
);

// Get only unread notifications
$unread = $notification_service->get_user_notifications(
    get_current_user_id(),
    array(
        'unread_only' => true
    )
);

Getting Unread Count

/**
 * Get unread count with caching.
 *
 * @param int $user_id User ID.
 * @return int Unread notification count.
 */
public function get_unread_count( $user_id )

Caching:

• Unread count cached for 1 hour
• Cache invalidated when notification read/deleted
• Cache key: wpssunreadnotifications{userid}

Marking as Read

/**
 * Mark notification as read.
 *
 * @param int $notification_id Notification ID.
 * @return bool Success status.
 */
public function mark_as_read( $notification_id )

/**
 * Mark all notifications as read.
 *
 * @param int $user_id User ID.
 * @return bool Success status.
 */
public function mark_all_as_read( $user_id )

Auto-Cleanup

Default Behavior:

• Read Notifications: Deleted after 90 days
• Unread Notifications: Kept indefinitely
• Cleanup Schedule: Daily at 2:00 AM (WordPress cron)

Important Notifications Never Deleted:

• Dispute notifications
• Order completion notifications
• Any notification less than 90 days old

Manual Cleanup: Admins can manually delete individual notifications at any time through the notification center.

Developer Hooks

Action: Notification Created

/**
 * Fires when notification is created.
 *
 * @since 1.0.0
 *
 * @param int    $notification_id Notification ID.
 * @param int    $user_id         User ID.
 * @param string $type            Notification type.
 * @param array  $data            Notification data.
 */
do_action( 'wpss_notification_created', $notification_id, $user_id, $type, $data );

Example Usage:

add_action( 'wpss_notification_created', function( $notification_id, $user_id, $type, $data ) {
    // Send push notification
    // Log to external system
    // Trigger webhook
}, 10, 4 );

Notification vs Email

In-App Notifications:

• Always created for all events
• Stored in database
• Accessible through dashboard
• User must log in to see them
• Can be marked as read/unread

Email Notifications:

• Only sent if admin enables the notification type
• Delivered to user’s email
• Visible without logging in
• Cannot be marked as read
• Subject to email deliverability issues

Both Are Independent:

• Disabling email notification does NOT disable in-app notification
• In-app notifications created even if email fails
• Users can receive both or just in-app (admin controls email)

Troubleshooting

Notifications Not Appearing

Problem: User doesn’t see notifications in notification center

Solutions:

1. Check if user has correct WordPress user ID
2. Verify notifications table exists (run activation)
3. Check for database errors in debug log
4. Clear object cache if using caching plugin
5. Verify user has permission to view notifications

Unread Count Wrong

Problem: Badge shows incorrect unread count

Solutions:

1. Clear object cache
2. Check wpssunreadnotifications{userid} cache key
3. Manually mark all as read and test
4. Verify is_read column values in database

Old Notifications Not Deleted

Problem: Notifications older than 90 days still present

Solutions:

1. Verify WordPress cron is running
2. Check auto-cleanup cron job registered
3. Manually delete old notifications from database
4. Ensure notification is marked as read (unread kept indefinitely)

Limitations

Current Version Does Not Include:

• Browser push notifications
• Desktop notifications
• Sound alerts
• User-configurable notification preferences
• Notification grouping
• SMS notifications
• Mobile app push notifications

These features may be available in the PRO version or future updates.

Next Steps

• Email Types – Learn about email notifications
• Email Configuration – Configure email settings
• Order Management – Understand order workflow

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Documentation based on plugin version 1.0.0