Description
4WP Notifications delivers a unified in-app notification inbox for logged-in WordPress users: a header bell with unread badge, a full notifications page, optional WooCommerce order alerts, and tools for developers to fire notifications from custom code.
A plugin by 4wp.dev. 4WP is our project brand; the letters “WP” appear only as part of that brand name, not as a reference to WordPress. This plugin is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by WordPress.
Source code: github.com/4wpdev/4wp-notifications
Key features
- Notifications Bell block — dropdown with unread count; add inside a Navigation block (header menu)
- Notifications List block — full inbox page with mark read/unread and live polling
- Shortcodes —
[forwp_notifications_bell]and[forwp_notifications]for classic themes - Direct notifications — admins broadcast to roles and/or individual users
- WooCommerce — optional alerts for new orders and status changes
- Developer hooks —
forwp_notification_event/4wp_notification_eventfrom PHP - REST API — list, unread count, mark read/unread, and send notifications (authenticated)
Privacy
Notifications are stored in your WordPress database and shown only to the logged-in recipient. Read endpoints require an authenticated user session. Send endpoints require administrator capability (default: manage_options). No data is sent to 4wp.dev.
Development
Human-readable PHP source is in the public GitHub repository above. No npm build step — block editor scripts ship as plain JS in assets/blocks/.
Run tests: composer install && composer test && composer run lint
Blocks
This plugin provides 2 blocks.
- 4WP Notifications Bell (
forwp/notifications-bell) — bell icon and recent notifications dropdown (Navigation child block). - 4WP Notifications List (
forwp/notifications) — full notification list for a page.
Blocks
This plugin provides 2 blocks.
- 4WP Notifications List Display the full in-app notifications list for the logged-in user.
- 4WP Notifications Bell Bell icon with a dropdown of recent notifications. Add inside a Navigation block (header menu).
Installation
- Upload the plugin to
/wp-content/plugins/4wp-notifications/or install from the Plugins screen. - Activate 4WP Notifications.
- Open 4WP Notifications Display and choose the page for “View all notifications”.
- Add the Notifications List block to that page (or save Display settings to auto-insert it).
- Add the Notifications Bell block inside your header Navigation block.
- Optional: enable WooCommerce notification types under Notification types.
FAQ
-
Do visitors see notifications?
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No. The bell and list render only for logged-in users.
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Can I send a message to all customers?
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Yes. Use Direct notifications, select the Customer role (or any role), and send.
-
Can developers send notifications from custom code?
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Yes. Use the PHP hook
forwp_notification_eventor POST to/wp-json/forwp/v1/notifications(requiresmanage_optionsby default). See Documentation in the admin app. -
Does WooCommerce require extra setup?
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Install WooCommerce, then enable event types under Notification types.
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Are shortcodes still supported?
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Yes. Blocks are recommended for block themes; shortcodes remain for classic content and menus.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“4WP Notifications” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “4WP Notifications” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.2.0
- REST API POST — send notifications to
user_idoruser_ids(default capability:manage_options). - Developer hooks:
forwp_notification_eventand legacy4wp_notification_event. - Block editor assets for Bell and List blocks (inserter visibility and previews).
- Auto-insert Notifications List block on the configured page.
- Bell dropdown list refreshes on poll and when opening the menu.
1.1.0
- Unified admin app (Display, Direct, Types, Documentation) aligned with 4WP Drive / Weather.
- Notifications Bell block (
forwp/notifications-bell) for headers and navigation. - Shared frontend renderers for blocks and shortcodes.
- Role-based recipient targeting for direct admin notifications.
- WooCommerce notification type toggles in settings.
1.0.4
- Tabbed settings shell and notification type cards.
1.0.0
- Initial release: shortcodes, list block, WooCommerce adapter, REST read API.