OpenCart is the lightest of the three shop platforms in the installer. It goes up in a minute, needs no extra PHP extension at all, and holds up well on a shared plan. For a shop with dozens or a few hundred products, it is the sensible choice.
The installer carries several series. Series 4 is current and wants PHP 8.1 or newer; the older ones are there only for existing shops.
Installing, step by step
| 3 |
Under Software, open the Softaculous Apps Installer, search for OpenCart and pick series 4.
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Address: protocol https, the shop domain, empty directory for the root.
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Shop name, administrator username and password, and an e-mail address you read. Use the password generator.
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Under Advanced Options, switch on automatic backups, then click Install.
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Keep both addresses at the end: the shop, and the panel, which in OpenCart sits at /admin.
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If the panel warns that the install directory still exists, delete it in cPanel File Manager. It is the setup wizard, and left behind it is an open door.
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What to configure before the first sale
| What |
Why |
| Currency and locale |
Set the currency you will sell in and the shop country. Changing the base currency after orders exist is painful. |
| Tax |
Create the tax class that applies to your sales and decide whether the prices you type already include it. |
| Shipping |
OpenCart ships with several delivery methods switched off. Enable and configure at least one before you open, or the basket never completes. |
| Payments |
Enable bank transfer, which comes built in, and add the modules of whatever services you sign up for. See an online shop with local payment methods. |
| Shop e-mail |
Place an order with yourself and confirm the confirmation e-mail goes out. If it does not, see why your e-mail is not sending. |
Protecting the panel
The OpenCart panel sits at a predictable address, which makes it a target for automated login attempts. Two things close most of that: a long password, and renaming the panel directory (which means adjusting one line in the panel configuration). If you would rather not touch files, https://www.meu.mozout.co.mz/submitticket.php and we will do it with you.
Also make sure the shop answers only over https: redirecting HTTP to HTTPS. A shop that accepts http shows warnings in customers browsers and loses sales to them.
Keeping it
In the Softaculous installations list, OpenCart offers clone, backup and change admin password. To compare it with the others, see PrestaShop and Magento, and for what every installation has in common, installing a ready-made platform.
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Shop installed but the basket will not complete? It is nearly always the shipping method. Tell us and we will look.
Open a support ticket
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