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Preparations

The PrestaShop e-commerce engine requires a MySQL database to store data. Prior to installing PrestaShop, please make sure you have already created a MySQL database. This can be done through your hosting control panel using the phpMyAdmin tool.

Please check the detailed tutorial on how to create a MySQL database. If any issues occur, please contact your hosting provider for further assistance.

While installing your MySQL database, you will need to specify the database name, username, password and the database server. Remember these details as you will need them for PrestaShop installation.

PrestaShop engine installation

1. Server requirements

Please make sure your hosting server meets thePrestaShop requirements:

  1. System: Unix, Linux or Windows. Unix is highly recommended.
  2. Web server: Apache Web server 1.3 or later, Microsoft's IIS Web server 6.0 or later, and nginx 1.0 or later.
  3. PHP 5.2* or later.
  4. MySQL 5.0 or later.
  5. At least 32 Mb of RAM on your server (64 Mb is comfortable, the more the better).
PrestaShop will work with PHP 5.1 or later, but the versions lower than 5.2 have bugs which might prevent some functions from working as expected (like invalid date timezone).

2. Downloading

To install PrestaShop, you need to download the PrestaShop engine package from the official website at www.prestashop.com/en/downloads

Just insert your name and e-mail into the Download box input and click the 'Download' button.

Please make sure your version of PrestaShop engine matches the template requirements. All versions of PrestaShop are available at SourceForge.

3. Extracting Files

Once the PrestaShop engine package is downloaded, you will need to extract its files and folders from the archive.

This can be done with any archive manager like WinZip(PC), StuffitExpander(MAC), etc.

Please check the following tutorials on how to extract files from the archives with WinZip(PC) and StuffitExpander(MAC).

Please note: if your hosting control panel has the option to 'Extract' files, you can use it to extract the files directly on your server after the .zip file is uploaded.

5. PrestaShop engine installation

When you are done with the files upload, you can start the PrestaShop engine installation. Open your web browser and type in the 'domain name/path to your PrestaShop directory' in the address bar, then reload the current page. You should see the welcome screen. Please follow the instructions below to install PrestaShop.

Step 1: Installation Assistant (Choose your language)

Please select the installation language

Please note: the installation language option will not affect your store language. By default PrestaShop is offered in English. You can install additional localization packages to change the store language.

When you are done, click the 'Next' button.

Step 2: Installation Assistant (License agreements)

Please check the license agreement.

When you are done, click the 'Next' button.

Step 3: System Compatibility

Check the PHP settings and directory permissions. In case of any errors, please contact your hosting provider for further assistance.

If everything is correct, click the 'Next' button.

Step 4: Shop configuration

This step requires you to enter the store settings like Shop name, activity, country, timezone, etc.

All these settings can be changed later in your PrestaShop administration panel.

Step 5: System Configuration

if you already have a MySQL database, please enter the database details into the appropriate fields below.

Otherwise, you can get the database details from your hosting control panel or by contacting hosting provider.

When you are done, click the 'Next' button.

Step 6: Installation is complete

This is the final step of the installation.

For security reasons you need to delete the /install/ directory on your hosting server.
Starting with version 1.5.4, PrestaShop takes care of renaming the administration folder for you: it becomes the word "admin" followed by 4 random digits, i.e. "admin8814." The renaming happens as soon as you reach the "admin" folder for the first time: PrestaShop renames it, then correctly accesses the renamed folder.

Log in to the PrestaShop back office by going to your newly renamed "admin" folder, and start filling your catalog with your data.

If you face any difficulties, please check the official PrestaShop installation manual.

PrestaShop Template installation

If you don't want to spend your time installing the template, don't hesitate to order installation service using our live-chat.

1. Import theme

Note: this method does not provide sample data installation.

1. Template preparation.

Before you proceed, please make sure you have already downloaded the template and extracted the files from the template package. You can check detailed tutorials on how to extract files from the template package using WinZip and StuffitExpander.

When the files are extracted, you can proceed to uploading the template.

2. Installation.

Login to your Prestashop admin panel and navigate to Preferences -> Themes. At the top of the page click the Add new theme button.

Click the Add file button in Import from your computer section. Navigate to previously unzipped template package and open themeinstallator folder:

Select your theme .zip file and click Save

The uploading process will be started. You will see the message that the theme has been successfully uploaded. Your new theme preview will appear in the list of installed themes.

In order to activate the theme, rollover cursor at the theme preview icon and click Use this theme.

You should see the screen with the information of the modules used in the theme, the number of modules that are turned on and off. Click Save in order to continue.

After this you will see the pop-up with the message about successful theme activation: the theme has been installed successfully, images have been re-generated up to the defined in theme dimensions. To finish installation click Finish button.

2. Installing template without sample data

If you don't want to spend your time installing the template, don't hesitate to order installation service using our live-chat.

This installation method will suit you in case you are planing to change the store theme. This method will not harm your existing files or products database.

1. Uploading files and theme activation

Before you proceed, please make sure you have already downloaded the template and extracted the files from the template package. You can check detailed tutorials on how to extract files from the template package using WinZip and StuffitExpander.

When the files are extracted, you can proceed to uploading the template.

You can check a detailed video tutorial on how to upload files to server using FTP manager and how to upload files to a server using cPanel (WebHost Manager, WHM).

  1. Open the template package.
  2. Then go to the /theme/ folder.
  3. Upload /img/, /modules/ and /themes/ folders to the PrestaShop root directory.
  4. When you are done, open the PrestaShop admin panel.
  5. Select Preferences > Themes from the main menu.
  6. Select your template in the Themes section and click the Save button.

Your new theme should be active now. You need to configure the modules.

2. Installing and configuring modules

Each template is provided with some specific module settings. To make the modules appear as on the template preview, you will need to configure them. All modules can be configured in the PrestaShop admin panel.

1. In your PrestaShop admin panel, select Modules > Modules from the main menu.

On the Modules page you can see the list of available PrestaShop modules. You may need to install some of them.

To install a module, locate it in the list and click the 'Install' button:

Using the module links you can activate modules (Enable|Disable links), reset their settings to default (Reset link), delete a module (Delete link) or configure it (Configure link).

2. After activating all the necessary modules you need to assign them to correct positions.

In PrestaShop admin panel, select Modules > Positions from the top menu. To place a module in the required position, just drag it to the position section of the modules list.

In some cases, after changing image dimensions you may need to regenerate the images. This can be done through the Regenerate thumbnails section.

3. Template installation with sample data

If you don't want to spend your time installing the template, don't hesitate to order installation service using our live-chat.

After installing the Sample data, you'll get your PrestaShop store to look like the template preview page. It will contain all sample products, store settings, modules settings, etc.

Please, do not use the sample data for your running website! This will replace all your store products and store settings.

1. Uploading template files

To upload the template to your server:

  1. Open the template package.
  2. Then go to the /theme/ folder.
  3. Upload /img/, /modules/ and /themes/ folders to PrestaShop root directory.

You can check the detailed video tutorial on how to upload files to server using FTP manager and how to upload files to a server using cPanel (WebHost Manager, WHM).

2. Installing Sample data

Sample data is provided as an .SQL file. It is located in the root of the template package and is called dump.sql.

The dump.sql file can be installed using the phpMyAdmin tool or some other database management tool in your hosting control panel. This detailed tutorial on how to install SQL files can help you.

Before you proceed, please back up your database. You can check the detailed video tutorial on how to back up a database.

Please, make sure your version of PrestaShop engine matches the template requirements. Otherwise, the database will be damaged.

When you are done with installing the dump.sql file, you will need to activate the template.

From the PrestaShop admin panel, go to Preferences > Themes, choose your template in the Themes section and click Save.

3. Adding languages to online store.

After the multi-language template has been installed, you will be able to add all languages provided with it (English, French, Spanish, German, Russian) to the online store platform. It can be done this way:

Go to 'Localization > Translations' in the admin panel, find 'Translation exchange' and add languages by choosing them from the drop-down menu and clicking the 'Add or update a language' button.

If you do not want to add some languages, you can delete them or turn them off in the 'Localization > Languages' menu.

4. Installing template over existing store

If you don't want to spend your time installing the template, don't hesitate to order installation service using our live-chat.

You can use this method of installation if you have a running PrestaShop website and just want to install a new template.

1. Uploading template files and theme activation

  1. Open the template package.
  2. Then go to the /theme/ folder.
  3. Upload /modules/ and /themes/ folders to PrestaShop root directory.
  4. Open the /img/ folder from the template package and upload the logo.jpg and favicon.ico files to the /img/ folder of your PrestaShop installation.
  5. From the PrestaShop admin panel go to Preferences > Themes, choose your template in the Themes section and click Save.

You can check the detailed video tutorial on how to upload files to server using FTP manager and how to upload files to a server using cPanel (WebHost Manager, WHM).

2. Modules installation

Open the PrestaShop admin panel and configure modules as described in the Installing template without sample data ->Installing and configuring modules section of this manual.

Do not use sample data if you have a running website as it will replace all your store products and store settings.

3. Configuring images

Open your PrestaShop admin panel and configure the images as described in the Installing template without sample data ->Configuring images section of this manual.

Basic tutorials

1. How to change store name

In order to change your store title, open the PrestaShop admin panel and go to Preferences > Store Contacts, the Contact details section.

In the Shop name field, type in your store name and click the Save button to save your changes.

2. How to edit slider

To edit slider images, find the Image slider for your homepage module on the Modules page of your PrestaShop store. It is located in the Front Office Features modules section. Click the Configure button to edit the module.

On the module settings page you can change the slider options (such as width, speed, etc.) and edit slides (slide images, URLs, descriptions, etc.).

Cookies Policy

Following the Cookie Law conditions, you should add appropriate modules to your website that will display a warning message about the cookies used on your website. We can recommend the following ones:

Conclusion

Useful resources