Choose notification coverage, exclusions, and copy method
Decide which WordPress emails are eligible and whether the fallback address is added by BCC, CC, or To.
Written By Kelsey
Last updated About 1 month ago
Go to Always Alert → Settings to choose which messages Always Alert treats as eligible and how it adds the fallback recipient.
Form Notification Mode
Form Notification Mode is the recommended starting point. It targets likely form notifications using:
direct integrations and known form-plugin headers;
recognised page-builder submission context;
notification-style subjects such as contact, enquiry, lead, booking, quote, or request;
developer filters added for a specific site.
Use this mode when your goal is form assurance and you want to avoid copying unrelated WordPress email.
Because WordPress plugins produce mail in different ways, detection is pragmatic rather than a complete audit of every form configuration. Test each important form after setup and after major form-plugin changes.
Universal wp_mail Mode
Universal mode covers most outgoing mail that passes through WordPress wp_mail, subject to enabled exclusions.
Use it when:
an important form is not detected reliably in Form Notification Mode;
the site has custom notification code;
broader temporary oversight is genuinely required.
Universal mode may copy substantially more mail. Review privacy, recipient access, mailbox volume, and the activity log before leaving it enabled.
It still cannot see mail that bypasses WordPress wp_mail entirely.
Exclusions
The recommended exclusion setting skips common:
password reset and password changed messages;
new-user and account credential messages;
email and administrator email change messages;
WordPress update notices;
comment moderation notifications;
detectable WooCommerce emails.
This reduces noise and prevents account, store, and system messages from looking like form-notification activity.
Exclusions are pattern- and header-based. A custom or heavily modified message may not match. Review logs when a site has unusual mail flows.
BCC, CC, or To
BCC — recommended
The fallback address receives a copy but is normally hidden from other recipients. This is the safest default for routine oversight.
CC
The fallback address is visible to other recipients. Use CC only when visibility is intentional and appropriate.
To
The fallback address becomes an additional primary recipient. Use it for workflows that explicitly require the oversight address in the To list.
Changing the method does not change the responsibility of the downstream mail provider.
Duplicate prevention
Always Alert checks the To, CC, and BCC recipient lists before adding its address. If the effective fallback recipient is already present, it does not add another copy.
That means an eligible message can be observed without increasing the “fallback copies added” total.
Validate any change
After changing mode, exclusions, copy method, or fallback recipient:
Save Settings.
Submit each critical form.
Confirm normal and fallback inbox behaviour.
Review Always Alert → Logs for source, status, method, and reason.
Confirm no unrelated sensitive messages are being copied.