How to Fix Magento 2 Custom Emails Displaying Admin URL Instead of Store URL

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Understanding the Problem
  3. The Role of Environment Emulation in Magento 2
  4. Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing the Issue
  5. Summary
  6. Conclusion
  7. FAQ
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Introduction

Ever receive a Magento 2 email with an odd URL in the logo link? If you're managing a Magento 2 store, you might have encountered an issue where custom emails display the admin URL instead of the store URL. This can be frustrating, as it creates a poor experience for your customers and can give them the wrong impression about your store.

In this blog post, we'll delve deep into the root cause of this issue and provide a step-by-step guide on how to fix it. We'll discuss the importance of environment emulation in Magento and demonstrate how you can implement it to ensure your custom emails use the correct store URL.

The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive solution for addressing this issue, while also giving insights into the underlying mechanisms of Magento 2 email functionalities. By the end of this post, you will have a clear understanding of how to manage URL issues in your Magento 2 store emails, and you'll be equipped with the knowledge to tackle similar problems in the future.

Understanding the Problem

Before diving into the solution, it's essential to understand why this issue occurs. In Magento 2, email templates can be customized to match your store's branding and messaging. However, there are underlying differences between default and custom email templates, especially in how they handle URLs.

Why Default Emails Work Fine

Default email templates in Magento 2 are pre-configured to use the store URL based on your settings. These templates have been tested rigorously to ensure they pull the correct information, such as store logo links, directly from the store configurations.

The Issue with Custom Emails

Custom emails, however, may not always inherit these settings correctly, particularly when dealing with links in logos. This discrepancy arises because the custom email templates might not be fully integrated with Magento's environment settings, leading them to sometimes pull the admin URL instead of the store URL.

For example, you might set up your email header to use the following link:

<a class="logo" href="{{store url=""}}">

Instead of displaying www.example.com/us, the URL might show www.example.com/admin, which is not ideal for emails sent to customers.

The Role of Environment Emulation in Magento 2

One of the most effective ways to address this problem is by using Magento's environment emulation. Environment emulation is a feature in Magento that allows you to mimic the store's environment programmatically during specific operations, such as sending emails. This ensures that any settings specific to that store view or website are applied correctly.

What is Environment Emulation?

Environment emulation in Magento 2 is handled by the Magento\Store\Model\App\Emulation class. This class allows developers to emulate a particular store's settings to ensure that all configurations and frontend features work as expected, even when performing backend operations.

Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing the Issue

Now that we have a good understanding of the problem and the solution, let's walk through the steps to fix it.

Step 1: Identify Where to Implement Environment Emulation

First, you need to identify the part of your email sending code where environment emulation should be applied. Typically, this would be around the area where the email content is being generated or just before the email is dispatched.

Step 2: Implement Environment Emulation

To start environment emulation, you need to inject the App\Emulation class into your custom code. Here's an example of how to do this:

namespace Vendor\Module\Model;

use Magento\Store\Model\App\Emulation;

class CustomEmail
{
    protected $appEmulation;

    public function __construct(
        Emulation $appEmulation
    ) {
        $this->appEmulation = $appEmulation;
    }

    public function sendCustomEmail($storeId)
    {
        // Start environment emulation
        $initialEnvironmentInfo = $this->appEmulation->startEnvironmentEmulation($storeId);

        // Your email sending logic here

        // Stop environment emulation
        $this->appEmulation->stopEnvironmentEmulation($initialEnvironmentInfo);
    }
}

Step 3: Apply Emulation in Your Email Sending Logic

Before sending the email, start the environment emulation using the startEnvironmentEmulation method and provide the $storeId as a parameter. After the email has been sent, stop the environment emulation using the stopEnvironmentEmulation method.

This ensures that while the email content is being generated, it adheres to the specific store view settings, including URLs, logos, and other configurations.

Step 4: Verify the Fix

After implementing the environment emulation, it's crucial to test the emails thoroughly. Send test emails to yourself and check the URLs in the email's logo link. Ensure that they reflect the store URLs correctly and not the admin URL.

Summary

Environment emulation is a powerful feature in Magento 2 that allows custom emails to be sent with the correct store URL, maintaining consistency and professionalism in your brand communication. By implementing Magento\Store\Model\App\Emulation in your email sending logic, you can fix any issues related to incorrect URLs in custom emails.

Conclusion

Managing an eCommerce store involves juggling many aspects, and ensuring that your email communication is accurate and professional is paramount. In this post, we explored how to fix custom emails in Magento 2 displaying the admin URL instead of the store URL by using environment emulation. This method not only resolves the issue but also gives you a deeper understanding of Magento's capabilities.

By following this guide, you can enhance your store's email functionality, providing a better experience for your customers and maintaining the credibility of your brand.

FAQ

Q: What is environment emulation in Magento 2? A: Environment emulation allows you to mimic the store's settings programmatically, ensuring that backend operations, such as sending emails, respect the store configurations.

Q: Why do custom emails in Magento 2 sometimes display the admin URL? A: Custom emails might not fully integrate with Magento's environment settings, leading to the admin URL being used instead of the store URL.

Q: How can I implement environment emulation in my custom email code? A: You can implement environment emulation by using the Magento\Store\Model\App\Emulation class. Start the emulation before generating the email content and stop it afterward.

Q: What steps should I take to verify the fix? A: Send test emails and check the URLs in the logo link. Ensure they reflect the correct store URL and not the admin URL.