Get started with OpenCart
OpenCart is free, open-source software for running an online store. It includes a product catalog, customer accounts, checkout and order management, and it can be extended with extensions and themes. Its admin area is fairly compact, which suits smaller stores and owners who want a straightforward setup. This guide covers installing OpenCart, securing it and preparing the store for real orders.
Install OpenCart
If your host offers a one-click installer for OpenCart, use it. Otherwise, install it with the official web installer:
- Download OpenCart from the official OpenCart website.
- Unzip it on your computer and read the install instructions included in the download. They say which folder's contents to upload and whether any configuration files need renaming first.
- Upload the files to your site's web folder over SFTP. See Upload files with SFTP.
- Create a database and a database user in your hosting control panel. See Databases explained.
- Open your domain in a browser and follow the installer: accept the licence, let it check your server, then enter the database details and your administrator account.
Secure the installation
Remove the install folder
Once the installer finishes, delete the install folder from your web folder. OpenCart tells you to do this, and the store is not safe to use until it is gone.
Move the storage folder outside the web root
OpenCart keeps logs, cache files, uploads and other private data in a folder called storage. If that folder is inside the web root (the folder your domain serves files from), people may be able to request those files from a browser.
After you sign in to the admin area for the first time, OpenCart shows a security notice recommending that you move storage outside the web root, and it offers to do it for you. Follow that notice, and choose a location that sits above your public web folder. If you move it by hand, update the storage path in both configuration files as the OpenCart documentation explains.
The same notice may suggest other hardening, such as renaming the admin folder. Note the new admin address somewhere safe if you change it.
Set up the store
Payment and shipping extensions
Payment methods and shipping methods are extensions in OpenCart. In the admin area, open the extensions list, choose the payment or shipping type, then install, edit and enable the ones you need. Extensions for many payment providers are available from the OpenCart marketplace or from the providers themselves.
Use your payment provider's test mode (sandbox) while you set up. Make sure every country you sell to is covered by a shipping method.
Taxes, store details and legal pages
Set your store address, currency, tax classes and order emails. Add pages for terms of sale, shipping and returns, and privacy. Requirements vary by country, so check what applies to you.
Place test orders
Place test orders for each payment and shipping method. Check the confirmation emails, the order status in the admin area and the stock levels. Switch payments to live mode only when everything works.
Keep OpenCart updated and backed up
Back up the files, the storage folder and the database before every update, and regularly in between. See Backups and restores.
Updates between OpenCart versions can change file layouts and break extensions or themes written for older versions. Check that your extensions support the new version, follow the upgrade instructions in the official documentation, and try the upgrade on a copy of the store first. After updating, place a test order.
You can choose OpenCart when you order DomainPilot web hosting so it is installed when your account is set up. DomainPilot also offers dedicated OpenCart hosting.
Where to get help
- The official documentation at docs.opencart.com covers installation and store setup.
- The OpenCart community forum is the place for questions from other store owners.
- For a paid extension or theme, contact its developer.
Busy stores can outgrow shared hosting. See Web hosting, VPS or cloud.