Data Privacy Manager

Data Privacy Manager for WooCommerce allows your WooCommerce store to offer customer-facing privacy request workflows from My Account and manage related settings, emails, and delete account requests from WooCommerce Admin.

Customers can request a personal data export, request erasure of eligible stored information, and start a delete account workflow from My Account. Store teams can configure which actions are available, manage privacy email templates, review delete account requests, and control access for staff who handle privacy workflows.

Data Privacy Manager for WooCommerce helps support GDPR-style privacy request workflows. Review your own privacy obligations, store policies, and legal requirements before using any privacy workflow.

Setup and Configuration

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Getting started

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After activation, go to WooCommerce > Data Privacy.

Use the tabs on this page to configure:

1. General Settings
2. Email Settings
3. Requests

General Setting

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Go to WooCommerce > Data Privacy > General Settings.

General Settings control the main privacy workflows available to customers and staff. The settings are grouped into sections for privacy team access, export requests, erasure requests, delete account behavior, policy/support pages, and frontend styling.

Privacy Team Access

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Privacy Team Access controls who can manage privacy workflows and receive internal privacy notifications.

Available settings:

1. Allow Shop Managers to manage privacy requests: When this is enabled, users with the Shop Manager role can access the extension’s privacy-management tools and handle privacy request workflows from WooCommerce Admin. Turn it off if only administrators or explicitly assigned staff should manage privacy requests.
2. Send privacy notifications to the WordPress Administration Email Address: Assigned privacy users receive internal privacy alerts automatically. Enable this option when the main WordPress Administration Email Address, configured in Settings > General, should also receive those internal privacy notifications.
3. Assign privacy access to specific staff users: Use this field to grant privacy-management access to selected staff members without changing their main WordPress role. The user picker only includes users who already have WooCommerce admin-level access: administrators, shop managers, or custom staff roles with `manage_options`, `manage_woocommerce`, or `edit_others_shop_orders` capability. Search by name or email and select an eligible staff user. Assigned users can help manage privacy workflows and receive related privacy notification emails.

Use these settings to give authorized administrators and privacy staff access to the relevant privacy workflow tools. Assigned users should already have access to the WooCommerce admin area.

Export request settings

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Go to WooCommerce > Data Privacy > General Settings and review the Export Requests section.

Export request settings control whether customers can request a personal data export and how long completed export download links remain available.

1. Enable export requests: Shows the Download my data option in My Account so logged-in customers can ask for a copy of their stored personal information. Default: enabled.
2. Keep download links available for a selected number of days: Sets how long a completed export file can be downloaded after it is ready. After the link expires, the customer must submit a new export request if they still need the file. Default: 3 days.

When a customer requests an export, WordPress sends a confirmation email before the export request can be processed. Completed export links are available from My Account when the export archive is ready.

Export contents depend on the privacy exporters registered by WordPress, WooCommerce, and compatible extensions.

Export request settings

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Go to WooCommerce > Data Privacy > General Settings and review the Erase Settings section.

Erasure request settings control whether customers can request erasure, whether staff approval is required, and how WooCommerce order/download erasure settings are applied.

1. Enable erasure requests: Shows the Erase stored info option in My Account so logged-in customers can ask for eligible stored information to be erased. Default: enabled.
2. Require admin approval before customer can run erasure: Keeps the request waiting for staff review after the customer confirms it by email. The customer can continue only after an authorized staff member approves the request. Default: enabled.
3. Remove personal data from orders on request: Controls whether personal details inside past orders should be removed when an erasure request is handled. This uses the same store setting that WooCommerce uses for account erasure requests. Default: disabled.
4. Remove access to downloads on request: Controls whether downloadable product access and download logs should be cleared during an erasure request. This also follows the related WooCommerce account erasure setting. Default: disabled.
5. Minimum wait between erasure requests: Sets how many days a customer must wait before submitting another erasure request. Use this to avoid duplicate requests while staff are still handling a previous one. Default: 0 days, so there is no extra wait.

When a customer requests erasure, WordPress sends a confirmation email before the request can be processed. If admin approval is required, the request remains pending until authorized staff approve it.

Erasure behavior depends on registered WordPress/WooCommerce erasers and your store settings. Do not assume every item of customer data can or should be erased in every case.

Policy and support page settings

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Go to WooCommerce > Data Privacy > General Settings and review the Policy & Support Pages section.

Use the preview to check how the customer privacy area will appear before saving your changes.

Use this section to select:

1. Support/contact page: Choose the page customers should visit if they need help with a privacy request, cancellation, or store support question. Default: no page selected.
2. Privacy policy page: Choose the page that explains how your store handles customer information, retention, and privacy rights. Default: no page selected.

These links help customers find relevant support and policy information during privacy request workflows.

Frontend style settings

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Go to WooCommerce > Data Privacy > General Settings and review the Frontend Style section.

Frontend Style settings affect the customer-facing Data Privacy screens in My Account.

Available controls:

1. Theme preset: Start with a ready-made style for the customer-facing Data Privacy area. Default: Privacy Calm.
2. Primary color: Choose the color used for main buttons, links, progress indicators, and key actions. Default: uses the selected preset color.
3. Card background color: Choose the background color used for cards, tables, and soft content areas. Default: uses the selected preset color.
4. Text color: Choose the color used for headings and body text in the customer-facing screens. Default: uses the selected preset color.
5. Preview: Check how the selected colors and preset will look before saving changes. Default: shows the current saved style.

Email Settings

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Go to WooCommerce > Data Privacy > Email Settings.

Email Settings let you review and customize plugin-managed privacy emails for customers and staff. You can edit the subject, preview text, and body content for each available template.

By default, each email template uses the extension’s built-in content until you customize it.

Email template controls include:

1. Template: Shows the email name and a short description of when it is sent.
2. Status: Shows whether the template is still using the default content, has been customized, or has unsaved changes.
3. Edit: Opens the selected template so you can update the subject line, preview text, and message body.
4. Restore defaults: Reverts the selected template back to the extension’s original content. Use this if a customized template needs to be reset.
5. Preview: Lets you check the email content with sample customer details before saving.

Note: WordPress core privacy confirmation emails for export and erasure requests still come from WordPress privacy tools.

Customer email templates

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Customer email templates are sent during customer-facing privacy workflows.

Available customer templates include:

1. Erasure request approved: Sent after staff approve an erasure request, so the customer knows they can return to My Account and continue.
2. Account closure verification code: Sent when a customer starts the Close my account flow. The email includes the one-time code they must enter before the request can continue.
3. Account scheduled for deletion: Sent when the account closure request enters the hold period and the customer needs to know when deletion is scheduled.
4. Account closure pending review: Sent when staff approval is required, so the customer knows the request is waiting for review.
5. Account closure canceled: Sent when the closure request is canceled and the account will remain open.
6. Account closure complete: Sent after the account deletion process finishes.
7. Account closure message to customer: Sent when staff add a customer-visible update from the request details screen.

Use these templates to keep customers informed during erasure approval and delete account workflows.

Admin alert email templates

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Admin alert email templates notify authorized staff about account closure activity and customer replies.

Available admin templates include:

1. Account closure admin alert: Sent to the privacy team when an account closure request changes status or needs staff attention.
2. Account closure customer reply alert: Sent to the privacy team when a customer replies in the account closure conversation.

Use these templates to keep your privacy team informed when customer action or staff review is needed.

Email placeholders

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Available placeholders include:

1. Customer name: Use {{customer_name}} to add the customer’s display name.
2. Site URL: Use {{site_url}} to add your store homepage URL.
3. Verification code: Use {{otp_code}} to add the one-time code used for account closure confirmation.
4. Support URL: Use {{support_url}} to add the support or contact page selected in General Settings.
5. Privacy request URL: Use {{privacy_request_url}} to add a direct link to My Account > Data Privacy.
6. Site title: Use {{site_title}} to add the store name from WordPress settings.
7. Hold expiration: Use {{hold_until}} to add the date and time when the account deletion hold period ends.
8. Customer reason: Use {{reason}} to add the reason the customer entered when closing their account, if a reason was provided.
9. Status label: Use {{status_label}} to add the current readable request status, such as pending review, completed, or canceled.
10. Dashboard URL: Use {{dashboard_url}} to add a link to the WooCommerce > Data Privacy requests workspace for staff.
11. Privacy policy URL: Use {{privacy_policy_url}} to add a link to the privacy policy page selected in General Settings.
12. Message body: Use {{message_body}} to add the message written by staff or the customer in an account closure conversation.

Use only placeholders shown in the template editor. Different templates may support different placeholders.

Requests History

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Go to WooCommerce > Data Privacy > Requests.

The Requests tab is used for delete account request review and communication.

By default, the requests table shows 25 rows per page and includes all account closure request statuses until staff search or filter the list.

Store staff can:

1. View delete account requests: See account closure requests in one workspace, including customer details, request status, and timing information.
2. Search and filter requests: Search by customer name or email, and filter by status such as pending confirmation, pending review, on hold, completed, or canceled.
3. Review request status and next milestone: Understand what is waiting next, such as customer verification, staff approval, hold-period expiry, completion, or cancellation.
4. Open request details: View the full request panel with customer information, reason, notes, messages, and available actions.
5. Approve pending closure requests when available: Move a reviewed request into the deletion hold period when staff approval is required.
6. Cancel requests with an optional reason: Stop an active closure request and record why it was canceled.
7. Resend verification code emails when available: Send a new one-time code if the customer is still in the confirmation step.
8. Add customer-visible messages or internal notes: Send updates the customer can see, or save staff-only notes for the privacy team.

Available actions depend on the request status and store settings.

Reviewing delete account requests

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The request details panel can show:

1. Customer information: Shows the customer name and email connected to the request.
2. Request status: Shows whether the request is waiting for customer confirmation, waiting for staff review, on hold, completed, or canceled.
3. Customer reason: Shows the reason entered by the customer when that field is enabled.
4. Timeline or next milestone: Shows important dates or next steps, such as when the hold period ends.
5. Customer-visible messages: Shows updates or questions that staff sent to the customer, plus customer replies.
6. Internal notes: Shows staff-only notes that are not visible to the customer.
7. Available admin actions: Shows actions that match the current request state, such as Approve deletion, Resend OTP, or Cancel request.

Available actions depend on the request status and store settings.

Reviewing delete account requests

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Usage: My Account Data Privacy area

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Customers can open My Account > Data Privacy to view available privacy actions.

This screen works as the customer’s privacy center. It shows the actions your store has enabled, explains what each action is for, and keeps customers inside My Account while they submit and follow privacy requests. If an action is turned off in General Settings, that card is not shown to customers.

Available actions can include:

1. Download my data: Lets customers request a downloadable copy of eligible personal information stored by WordPress, WooCommerce, and compatible extensions.
2. Erase stored info: Lets customers request erasure of eligible stored information, subject to WordPress, WooCommerce, extension, and store retention behavior.
3. Close my account: Lets customers request account deletion through a verification-code flow, optional staff review, and hold period based on your settings.

The actions shown to customers depend on the settings enabled by the store. Each action opens a detail screen with status information, request history, and the available next step.

Download my data workflow

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The Download my data action lets logged-in customers request a copy of their personal data.

On the Download my data screen, customers can review the current request status, see which data exporters may be included, and submit a new export request when allowed. The export is not created immediately after the button is clicked; WordPress first sends a confirmation email to make sure the request belongs to the customer.

Customer flow:

1. The customer opens My Account > Data Privacy.
2. The customer selects Download my data.
3. The customer submits the export request.
4. WordPress sends a confirmation email.
5. After confirmation and processing, the request history shows the current status.
6. When an export archive is ready, the customer can download it from My Account.

Important behavior:

1. Export requests use WordPress core privacy request records.
2. Export data comes from registered WordPress and WooCommerce privacy exporters.
3. Completed export links expire after the configured retention period.
4. Customers must wait until an active export link expires before submitting another export request.

When the export is ready, the request history shows a download action in the Next steps column. If the download link has expired, the customer will need to start a new request. This protects old export files from remaining available longer than the store allows.

Erase stored info workflow

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The Erase stored info action lets logged-in customers submit a personal data erasure request.

On the Erase stored info screen, customers can ask the store to erase eligible information connected to their account. The screen also shows the current request state, so customers know whether they need to confirm the request, wait for staff approval, or complete the final erasure step from My Account.

Customer flow:

1. The customer opens My Account > Data Privacy.
2. The customer selects Erase stored info.
3. The customer submits the erasure request.
4. WordPress sends a confirmation email.
5. If admin approval is required, the request waits for staff approval.
6. When approved and ready, the customer can complete erasure from My Account.
7. The request history shows the current status and next step.

Important behavior:

• Erasure requests use WordPress core privacy request records.
• Erasure depends on registered WordPress/WooCommerce privacy erasers.
• WooCommerce order and download erasure behavior depends on the store settings.
• Completed, pending, or failed erasure requests appear in the request history table.

Erasure does not always remove every piece of information. Some data may remain because of store retention settings, order records, legal obligations, or how another extension handles its own data. The request history gives customers a clear status while the store’s configured erasure tools process the request.

Delete account workflow

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The Close my account action lets customers start a delete account workflow.

The Close my account screen is separate from export and erasure requests because account deletion is a higher-impact action. The customer may be asked to provide a reason, then must confirm the request with a verification code sent by email. Depending on your settings, staff may also need to approve the request before the hold period begins.

Customer flow:

1. The customer opens My Account > Data Privacy.
2. The customer selects Close my account.
3. If required, the customer enters a reason.
4. The customer submits the request.
5. The plugin sends a verification code email.
6. The customer enters the verification code in My Account.
7. Depending on settings, the request either waits for admin approval or starts the hold period.
8. During the hold period, the customer can view the current status.
9. After the hold period expires, the account deletion task runs.

The first account closure screenshot shows the customer-facing Close my account card. Use this screen to confirm that the action text, reason field, and submit button are clear before enabling account closure on a live store.

Delete Account OTP confirmation

Delete account verification code email

Delete account verification code email

How the plugin works with WordPress privacy tools

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Data Privacy Manager for WooCommerce uses the privacy tools already built into WordPress for data export and erasure requests. This means export and erasure requests follow the same privacy request system that WordPress, WooCommerce, and compatible extensions use.

Important details:

1. Data export requests: WordPress creates and tracks the request, then collects export data from WordPress, WooCommerce, and compatible extensions.
2. Data erasure requests: WordPress and WooCommerce erasers handle the eligible information that can be removed, based on your store settings and extension behavior.
3. Export downloads: Completed export files follow WordPress privacy export behavior and expire based on the retention setting configured in this plugin.
4. Delete account workflow: The Close my account flow is provided by Data Privacy Manager for WooCommerce. It adds the customer-facing request screen, verification code, optional staff review, hold period, cancellation options, admin requests tab, and related emails.
5. WooCommerce Admin tools: The plugin adds settings, staff access controls, email template management, request review, and customer-visible privacy team messages.
6. No duplicate export/erasure storage: The plugin does not create a separate copy of export or erasure request records. It works with the existing WordPress privacy request system.

Recommended testing checklist

Testing checklist

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After setup, test the main workflows before using the extension on a live store.

Recommended tests:

• Confirm My Account > Data Privacy appears for a logged-in customer.
• Submit a Download my data request.
• Confirm the WordPress privacy confirmation email is delivered.
• Confirm a completed export can be downloaded when ready.
• Submit an Erase stored info request.
• Confirm admin approval behavior matches your settings.
• Start a Close my account request.
• Confirm the verification code email is delivered.
• Confirm staff can review requests in WooCommerce > Data Privacy > Requests.
• Confirm customer-visible messages appear in My Account.
• Confirm email templates render correctly.
• Confirm privacy team access settings work as expected.

FAQs

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Help customers by answering commonly asked questions.