WooCommerce order status SMS: a paste-ready PHP snippet

What you need

• WooCommerce on WordPress with access to wp-config.php (SFTP or hosting file manager).
• Somewhere to put code: the Code Snippets plugin or a child theme functions.php.
• A smsportal account with an Android phone and SIM card connected.
• An API key from the smsportal dashboard (API Keys → Generate API Key).

How to send order SMS from WooCommerce

1. 1

   Put the key in wp-config.php

   Above the line /* That's all, stop editing! */ add define( 'SMSPORTAL_API_KEY', 'your_api_key' );. The key stays out of the database, snippet exports and your theme repository.

2. 2

   Paste the snippet

   In Code Snippets add a new PHP snippet and let it run everywhere. Without the plugin, paste it at the end of your child theme functions.php (the file already starts with <?php). Set your country code in the smsportal_normalize_phone call: 1 for US/Canada, 44 for the UK.

   PHP snippet: SMS on processing and completedCopy

   // Order status SMS through smsportal.
   // Keep the API key in wp-config.php, not here:
   // define( 'SMSPORTAL_API_KEY', 'your_api_key' );
   
   add_action( 'woocommerce_order_status_processing', function ( $order_id, $order ) {
   	smsportal_order_sms( $order, 'processing', 'Order #{number} received. Thank you, {name}! Example Store' );
   }, 10, 2 );
   
   add_action( 'woocommerce_order_status_completed', function ( $order_id, $order ) {
   	smsportal_order_sms( $order, 'completed', 'Order #{number} has shipped. Example Store' );
   }, 10, 2 );
   
   function smsportal_order_sms( $order, $status, $template ) {
   	if ( ! defined( 'SMSPORTAL_API_KEY' ) ) {
   		return;
   	}
   	$flag = '_smsportal_sms_' . $status;
   	if ( $order->get_meta( $flag ) ) {
   		return; // this text already went out, do not send it twice
   	}
   	// Your country code without the plus: 1 for US/Canada, 44 for the UK.
   	$phone = smsportal_normalize_phone( $order->get_billing_phone(), '1' );
   	if ( '' === $phone ) {
   		$order->add_order_note( 'SMS not sent: no valid phone number.' );
   		return;
   	}
   	$message = strtr( $template, array(
   		'{number}' => $order->get_order_number(),
   		'{name}'   => $order->get_billing_first_name(),
   	) );
   
   	$response = wp_remote_post( 'https://smsportal.app/api/v1/gateway/send-sms', array(
   		'timeout' => 5,
   		'headers' => array(
   			'x-api-key'    => SMSPORTAL_API_KEY,
   			'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
   		),
   		'body'    => wp_json_encode( array(
   			'recipients' => array( $phone ),
   			'message'    => $message,
   		) ),
   	) );
   
   	if ( is_wp_error( $response ) ) {
   		$order->add_order_note( 'SMS not sent: ' . $response->get_error_message() );
   		return;
   	}
   	$code = (int) wp_remote_retrieve_response_code( $response );
   	$body = wp_remote_retrieve_body( $response );
   	if ( $code < 200 || $code >= 300 ) {
   		$order->add_order_note( sprintf( 'SMS rejected (HTTP %d): %s', $code, substr( $body, 0, 200 ) ) );
   		return;
   	}
   
   	$order->update_meta_data( $flag, current_time( 'mysql' ) );
   	$order->save_meta_data();
   	$json  = json_decode( $body, true );
   	$batch = isset( $json['data']['smsBatchId'] ) ? ' (batch ' . $json['data']['smsBatchId'] . ')' : '';
   	$order->add_order_note( 'SMS queued to ' . $phone . $batch . ': ' . $message );
   }
   
   // (415) 555-0123 -> +14155550123. Numbers starting with + or 00 are kept.
   function smsportal_normalize_phone( $raw, $country_code ) {
   	$raw    = trim( (string) $raw );
   	$digits = preg_replace( '/\D+/', '', $raw );
   	if ( '' === $digits ) {
   		return '';
   	}
   	if ( 0 === strpos( $raw, '+' ) ) {
   		// already international
   	} elseif ( 0 === strpos( $digits, '00' ) ) {
   		$digits = substr( $digits, 2 );
   	} elseif ( ! ( 0 === strpos( $digits, $country_code ) && strlen( $digits ) > 10 ) ) {
   		$digits = $country_code . ltrim( $digits, '0' );
   	}
   	$length = strlen( $digits );
   	return ( $length >= 8 && $length <= 15 ) ? '+' . $digits : '';
   }

3. 3

   Choose statuses and texts

   Each status is its own hook, woocommerce_order_status_<status> (slug without the wc- prefix). The templates support {number} and {name}. Keep them under 160 plain characters so each one is a single SMS part.

4. 4

   Test with your own number

   Place an order with your phone typed the way customers do, without the country code, then change its status in the admin. The order notes show "SMS queued" or the reason it failed. Setting the same status again does not send a second text.

Ready-made scenarios

• Order shipped, with tracking number

  The woocommerce_order_status_completed hook sends "Order has shipped". Tracking is not a core WooCommerce field: read it with $order->get_meta() from the field your tracking plugin writes, and add it to strtr as {tracking}.

• Failed payment

  Add a third hook, woocommerce_order_status_failed, with a text like "Payment for #{number} did not go through, you can finish it in the store". The link from $order->get_checkout_payment_url() is long, so that SMS will take several parts.

• Ready for pickup

  A "Ready for pickup" status added by a plugin has its own slug, for example ready-pickup. The hook is then woocommerce_order_status_ready-pickup, and the text gives the pickup hours.

Errors and fixes

Order note "SMS rejected (HTTP 401)"

Cause: A wrong key, or an Authorization header instead of x-api-key.

Fix: Check the SMSPORTAL_API_KEY constant in wp-config.php and generate a new key if the old one was deleted.

Order note "SMS rejected (HTTP 400)"

Cause: No enabled phone on the account, or the account email is not verified.

Fix: In the dashboard check that the phone is connected and enabled, and confirm your email address.

Order note "SMS rejected (HTTP 429)"

Cause: The SMS limit of your plan is used up.

Fix: The response text in the note says which limit ran out. Change plans or wait for the allowance to renew.

No SMS note at all

Cause: The SMSPORTAL_API_KEY constant is missing, the snippet is inactive, or the status has no hook.

Fix: Check that the snippet is active and that the constant is defined before require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php'.

Note says "SMS queued" but nothing arrives

Cause: The phone is offline or Android puts the app to sleep.

Fix: Check signal, internet and the phone status in the dashboard. Queued messages wait up to 72 hours, then expire.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. WooCommerce: WC_Order source (status hooks)
2. WooCommerce: HPOS recipe book (order metadata)
3. WooCommerce: Webhooks
4. WordPress: WP_Http::request (timeout, blocking)
5. Code Snippets in the WordPress plugin directory
6. smsportal API documentation

More in the guides

• Send SMS from Python, Node.js and PHP
• n8n SMS: send and receive
• Receive SMS with a webhook