Documentation

WWU Withdrawal Button brings WooCommerce, FluentCart, and Easy Digital Downloads into compliance with the online cancellation button Required by EU Directive 2023/2673 (Art. 54-bis of the Consumer Code). Statutory button, two-step form, receipt on a durable medium, tamper-proof log, and timestamp. Free and open source (GPLv3).

How It Works (in Practice)

It's very simple for the customer—just four steps:

1. Click the button. The customer opens their order and clicks «Cancel the contract here»—from the account area, from the link in the order email, or from the public page (without an account: search for the order using the order number and email address). The wording is as follows: exact amount prescribed by law for each language.
2. Two-step form. Review what you're canceling (you can only select certain products — partial withdrawal), then confirm. No mandatory reason, no dark pattern.
3. Receipt on a durable medium. As soon as they confirm, they receive email + PDF + verifiable permanent link the reason for the cancellation and the exact date and time. The order status changes to «cancellation requested,» and you receive a notification.
4. Unalterable evidence. Each step is logged append-only with a hash chain and timestamp (certified date). You then manage the refund as always — also recorded as proof of compliance with the 14-day requirement.

The rest of the plugin is designed to make this workflow correct, easy to manage, and defensible. In summary, here's what it includes (each item has its own section below):

• For the customer: Multilingual Statutory Button wherever needed (account, email, public page with guest lookup, shortcode, block), step-by-step guide regarding timing and reimbursement, note: «because it is exempt» when the button is, as it should be, missing, legible verification certificate on the receipt, partial return of a product.
• For you (merchant): onboarding dashboard with one-click checklists and Email Delivery Test, request management (processed/refunded, chain integrity badge, receipt resubmitted, refund recorded), page Compliance with a countdown, active labels, and pre-written clauses; received as a genuine WooCommerce email with a preview, field Custom CSS.
• Smart Legal Management: subscriptions (one license per contract; button on the initial order), Exemptions under Article 59 including consent collection at checkout and confirmation on a durable medium, scope of applicability by country (EU/EEA or worldwide), and B2B management.
• Testing, timestamps, and integrity: Immutable log with a hash chain + free mooring OpenTimestamps (Bitcoin) or eIDAS RFC 3161 Certified (free Sectigo or national QTSP), automatic retry of certificates, logged refund.
• Privacy & GDPR: IP anonymized in the hash, the full IP address can be deleted after a configurable retention period (default: 10 years), consent register Can be exported to CSV; two ready-made privacy clauses (legitimate interest).
• Documents & Compliance: generator of the Standard Form (Annex I-B) and the clauses For pre-contractual / Terms and Conditions / Privacy Policy (to be pasted in) — with a reminder that simply installing the button isn't enough; you also need to update your Terms and Conditions.
• Automation & Developers: Read-only REST API + signed (HMAC) webhook + 33 documented hooks for Zapier/Make/n8n/CRM/helpdesk, privacy-first (the customer's IP address is never exposed).
• Platforms & Compatibility: WooCommerce (HPOS + legacy), FluentCart, and Easy Digital Downloads with a single plugin; compatible with Complianz, TranslatePress and cache plugins (WP Rocket / LiteSpeed / W3TC).

Requirements

Installation

1. From the WordPress.org directory (recommended): In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New, search «WWU Right of Withdrawal» → Install Now. From here, you'll receive the automatic updates. Page on WordPress.org →
2. Alternatively (manual zip): download wwu-withdrawal-button.zip from GitHub release (includes the PDF library), then Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin → Select the ZIP file → Install Now (If it already exists, select «Replace the current one with the uploaded one»).
3. Active. The plugin automatically creates the «Right of Withdrawal» public page and the log tables.

Configuration

Go to Withdrawal Button → Settings and work from top to bottom. The Dashboard It has a checklist that turns completely green when you're all set.

1. Enable the right of withdrawal.
2. Where it applies — «EU/EEA only» (legal minimum) or «Always show»; optional B2B exclusion (VAT ID).
3. Consumer Guidance — a cancellation window in days (minimum 14; you can allow more) and, if you wish, a custom message.
4. Receipt & Evidence — attach PDF, notification email, timestamp (Free OpenTimestamps, or RFC 3161), retention, account card slug.
5. Email Delivery — Configure SMTP, run a test, then «Preview the acknowledgment email».

All Settings

Update your legal documents (required)

Install the button That's not enough to comply with the law. The Consumer Rights Directive (Art. 6) requires that consumers be informed about how Exercise your right of withdrawal: With the introduction of the button, your Terms and Conditions of Sale and the Pre-contractual information must be updated in the'article on withdrawal to enable the new button-based mode. The plugin adds the button, but It does not modify your published documents.

To put it simply, the plugin generates ready-to-paste clauses — you can find them in Withdrawal Button → Compliance (and via shortcode [webwakeupwdb_info type="precontractual|terms|privacy"]):

• Pre-Contractual Information — the «Right of Withdrawal» clause, which explicitly mentions the «Withdraw from the contract here» button, in addition to the standard form (Annex I-B), which remains mandatory.
• Terms and Conditions of Sale — the «Withdrawal Procedure» clause: The consumer may withdraw from the contract by clicking the online button or filling out the standard form, with acknowledgment of receipt on a durable medium and a requirement that the withdrawal process not be made more difficult than the purchase process.
• Privacy — the provisions regarding the opt-out registry and proof of consent to exemptions.

From the 1.2.1 you can edit these texts directly from the admin panel, without code: Withdrawal Button → Settings → «Legal Terms». Type your text and save: your text will replace the template everywhere (Compliance page + shortcode [webwakeupwdb_info]) and the «sample text» note disappears. Leave a blank field to keep the default template (there's also a «Show default» option so you can copy it as a starting point). For developers, there's also the filter webwakeupwdb_clause_text.

From the 1.3.0, in addition to the individual clauses, the plugin automatically generates an'«Full Notice on the Right of Withdrawal» based on your settings and the exceptions you selected under Art. 59. You can manage this from Compliance → «Notice Regarding the Right of Withdrawal»: preview, Create/open the page (can be recreated with a single click), «freeze» in static HTML, or download it at PDF. You can also publish it using the shortcode [webwakeupwdb_policy]. Optional: two toggles in Settings → Compliance Documents They attach the same clauses to the Privacy Policy and to the Terms and Conditions Managed by Complianz (EU only, opt-in, off by default, with preview). Here as well: complements — does not replace your lyrics.

From the 1.4.0, the Standard Form (Annex I-B) automatically fills in the «Recipient» field with the your business data — name, physical address, and email address — that you enter in Withdrawal button → Settings → «Seller details». The rest of the form consists of the official text of the law, which cannot be modified. If you leave a field blank, the line will default to the website name and the administrator's email address; the physical address must be entered (as required by the law governing the form).

Where the button appears

• WooCommerce — Customer Area: Order List, Order Details, «Right of Withdrawal» page; + link added automatically in WooCommerce order emails (for guests).
• FluentCart — Customer portal: «Right of Withdrawal» page, menu item, banner, and button on the individual order page. For emails: FluentCart does not allow plugins to automatically add content, so Settings → FluentCart shows a Optional one-time guide to insert the merge tag {{wwu.recesso_url}} in the receipt template (3 steps).
• Easy Digital Downloads — button on the purchase receipt and in the purchase history entries; + link added automatically in the EDD receipt email.
• On every platform: public page using the guest lookup (order number + email), and anywhere using the shortcode or the Gutenberg block.

Shortcode & Block

Editor block: «Withdrawal — Self-Service» (dynamic, server-rendered) to place the surface anywhere in the block editor.

Customer Experience

1. The customer opens their order and clicks the status button. In the first step of the form, a Optional checklist Order items: You may select only the products to be returned (partial withdrawal, permitted under EU law — Annex I-B: «the following goods»). If you leave the selection blank, the withdrawal applies to the entire order. This choice never prevents you from withdrawing from the order.
2. Two-step form (review → confirmation), no dark patterns, no reason required.
3. Upon confirmation, you will immediately receive an acknowledgment of receipt via email (including a PDF and a verifiable link), along with a list of the selected items; the order status will change to «return requested.».

Request Management

In Withdrawal Button → Requests: each request with status (Open / Processed / Refunded), blockchain integrity badge, and actions:

• Mark processed — Mark as handled (logged).
• Resend email — Resend the receipt (useful after configuring SMTP).
• Refund Order — This opens the WooCommerce refund screen. The refund is recorded in the log as proof that the 14-day period has been met.

Time Stamps

Choose from Receipt & evidence → Trusted timestamp:

Exemptions (Art. 59)

Certain products/services are not eligible for return (custom-made items, perishable goods, opened sealed items, tickets for events with a set date, digital content available immediately upon consent, services already performed…). In Settings → Exemptions Tag products/categories by specific statutory ground, each with a legal reference and an explanation in plain language. The right of withdrawal remains the default (including digital products).

When an order is fully exempt, the cancellation button does not appear—but the customer is not left without an explanation. From the 1.0.0-alpha.43, a a brief and accurate note It lists the specific exception applied along with the relevant legal reference (e.g., «Digital content with immediate access — Art. 16(1)(m) CRD / Art. 59(1)(o) Consumer Code»). The note is displayed on the withdrawal form, on the WooCommerce and EDD account pages, and in the FluentCart portal. The text can be edited in Settings → Consumer Guide. Appears only on orders that are actually exempt, never on ordinary orders; the button's visibility does not change.

Subscriptions

EU law provides for just one 14-day right of withdrawal by contract, which begins upon the conclusion of the contract (Art. 9 of Directive 2011/83/EU = Art. 52 of the Consumer Code). A Renewal won't get it going again: This is a continuation of the same contract, not a new distance contract. Therefore:

• The button appears only on the initial order of the subscription (within its 14-day window).
• On renewal orders The button is hidden — A single check automatically covers all surfaces (customer area, portal, email, shortcode, block).
• Works with WooCommerce Subscriptions, subscriptions FluentCart e EDD Recurring. The recognition of the renewal is conservative and fail-safe: If the status cannot be determined, the button remains visible (never hidden by mistake).

In Settings → Subscriptions There are two switches, both disabled By default:

FAQ

Is installing the button enough to comply with regulations? No. You need to update it. also Your Terms of Sale and pre-contractual information in the section on withdrawal, to include the new button-based procedure (Article 6 of the Consumer Rights Directive). The plugin generates ready-to-paste clauses — see Update your legal documents.

Can I give more than 14 days? Yes — set the «Withdrawal period» to your desired value (≥14). The text displayed will update.

How do subscriptions work? The button appears on the'initial order and disappears into the renewals (only one 14-day right per contract). Withdrawal is not the same as cancellation: the customer can always stop future renewals from their account, but withdrawal is the 14-day right to a refund. See the section Subscriptions.

Is the email not sending? Set up an SMTP plugin and use «Send test email.» It’s not the PDF library.

Does it work with block-based themes / FSE? Yes: The WooCommerce "My Account" page is still rendered using the classic shortcode, the hooks work, and there's also a Gutenberg block.

Does the law apply to digital products (plugins, software, downloads)? Yes. The button requirement applies to the professional that sells online to EU consumers—not just individual products—even a store selling plugins or digital content falls within the scope. Digital products are subject to the 14-day right of withdrawal by default; the right is revoked only with express consent + acknowledgment + confirmation on a durable medium (Art. 59(o)), which the plugin captures at checkout. Sales B2B (with a VAT number) and to consumers non-EU They're out of scope.

Is this legal advice? No, it's a technical tool to help ensure compliance. Have a lawyer review your documents.

For Developers

The plugin exposes 34 documented public hooks (action and filter) to customize the cancellation workflow, the text, the button's visibility logic, the receipt, and the log—without modifying the plugin's core.

REST API & Webhooks (Automation)

From the 1.0.0-alpha.44 The plugin offers a'Read-Only REST API (namespace webwakeupwdb/v1, authentication with Application Password (from WordPress) to list return requests and check the status of an order, plus a Signed Outbound Webhook (HMAC-SHA256) that notifies your endpoint as soon as a cancellation is confirmed—ready for Zapier, Make, n8n, a CRM, or a help desk. Privacy-first: the customer's IP address is not never exposed (only a row hash for integrity verification). By design, there is no endpoint for create a withdrawal (which is the consumer's legal declaration). Once a dedicated security check before release.

Change Log

Keep this section aligned with the docs/changelog/wwu-wb-CHANGELOG.md from the repository.