Installation Wizard

The Shop Craft installer is an 11-step wizard that guides you through the entire setup process. No technical knowledge is required — just follow each step and fill in the information as prompted.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

• [ ] A web hosting account that meets the server requirements
• [ ] A MySQL database created with its credentials ready
• [ ] Your purchase code and email address from your order confirmation
• [ ] Your payment gateway API keys (if you plan to accept online payments)

Starting the Installer

1. Upload and extract the Shop Craft ZIP to your web hosting
2. Point your domain to the public/ folder
3. Open your domain in a web browser — the installer starts automatically

First-Time Only

The installer only runs once. After installation is complete, visiting your domain will show your storefront instead. The installer cannot be re-run unless you perform a fresh install.

---

Step 1: Welcome & System Checks

The first step checks that your server meets all the requirements to run Shop Craft. Click the Check Requirements button and the installer will verify:

• PHP version (8.1 or higher required)
• All required PHP extensions are installed
• Required folders are writable (storage/, bootstrap/cache/)

Each requirement will show a green checkmark if it passes or a red X if there's a problem.

All Checks Must Pass

You cannot proceed to the next step until all requirements show green checkmarks. If any check fails, see Server Requirements or File Permissions for help.

Once all checks pass, the Next button will become active. Click it to continue.

---

Step 2: License Verification

Enter your license details to verify your purchase:

• Purchase Code — The license key you received when you purchased Shop Craft
• Email Address — The email address associated with your purchase

Click Verify License and the system will check your license with the Shop Craft license server.

Purchase code formats:

Format	Used For
SC-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX	Production licenses (live stores)
DEV-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX	Development / testing licenses

Where to Find Your Purchase Code

Your purchase code was sent to your email when you bought Shop Craft. Check your inbox (and spam folder) for the order confirmation email. The code looks like SC-A1B2-C3D4-E5F6-G7H8.

License Is Bound to Your Domain

When you verify your license during installation, it becomes permanently linked to your domain. Each license can only be used on one domain. If you need to move your store to a different domain, contact support.

Once your license is verified, click Next to continue.

---

Step 3: Database Setup

Enter the credentials for the MySQL database you created earlier. If you haven't created a database yet, follow the Creating a Database guide first.

Fill in the following fields:

Field	Description	Example
Database Host	Usually localhost on shared hosting	localhost
Database Port	Usually 3306 (the default MySQL port)	3306
Database Name	The name of the database you created	shopcraft
Database Username	The database user you created	shopcraft_user
Database Password	The password for that user	your_secure_password
Table Prefix	Optional — adds a prefix to all table names	sc_

Click Test Connection to make sure the credentials are correct. If the connection succeeds, the Next button will become active.

Table Prefix

The table prefix is optional but useful if you want to share one database between multiple applications. For example, with prefix sc_, a table called products would become sc_products. If you are using a dedicated database for Shop Craft, you can leave this blank.

Connection Failed?

If the database connection test fails, double-check your credentials. The most common issues are:

• Database name is misspelled
• Username or password is incorrect
• The user hasn't been assigned to the database (see Creating a Database)

---

Step 4: Store Configuration

Set up the basic details for your store:

Field	Description	Example
Store Name	Your business name (shown to customers)	My Awesome Store
Currency Code	Three-letter ISO currency code	USD, INR, EUR, GBP
Currency Symbol	The symbol shown with prices	$, ₹, €, £
Timezone	Your local timezone for order timestamps	Asia/Kolkata, America/New_York
Language	Store language	English

You Can Change These Later

All of these settings can be modified later from the admin panel under Settings. Don't worry about getting everything perfect right now.

Click Next to continue.

---

Step 5: Email Setup (Optional)

Configure your SMTP email settings so your store can send emails to customers. This includes order confirmation emails, password reset emails, and other notifications.

Field	Description	Example
SMTP Host	Your email provider's SMTP server	smtp.gmail.com, smtp.hostinger.com
SMTP Port	Usually 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)	587
SMTP Username	Your email address or login	noreply@yourstore.com
SMTP Password	Your email password or app password	your_email_password
From Email	The "from" address on outgoing emails	noreply@yourstore.com
From Name	The sender name on outgoing emails	My Awesome Store

Common SMTP Settings

Here are SMTP settings for popular email providers:

Provider	SMTP Host	Port
Gmail	smtp.gmail.com	587
Outlook / Hotmail	smtp.office365.com	587
Yahoo	smtp.mail.yahoo.com	587
Hostinger	smtp.hostinger.com	587
Your Hosting	Usually mail.yourdomain.com	587

For Gmail, you will need to generate an App Password instead of using your regular password.

Skipping This Step

You can click Skip if you don't have your SMTP details ready. However, your store will not be able to send emails until you configure mail settings later in the .env file. This means no order confirmations, no password reset emails, and no notifications to customers.

Click Next to continue, or Skip to set up email later.

---

Step 6: Theme Upload (Optional)

Shop Craft comes with a default theme pre-installed. If you purchased additional premium themes, you can upload them here.

To upload a theme:

1. Click Choose Theme ZIP
2. Select the theme .zip file from your computer
3. Wait for the upload to complete
4. The theme name will appear in the "Uploaded Themes" list

You can upload multiple themes by repeating these steps.

Skip if Using the Default Theme

If you only want to use the included default theme, click Skip to move on. You can always upload additional themes later from the admin panel.

Valid Theme ZIP Required

The ZIP file must contain a valid Shop Craft theme with a theme.json file inside it. If the upload fails, make sure you are uploading the original theme ZIP file as provided — do not repackage or modify it.

Click Next or Skip to continue.

---

Step 7: Plugin Upload (Optional)

Shop Craft's base package does not include any plugins. If you purchased plugins separately (such as Google Analytics, WhatsApp Notifications, or shipping integrations), upload them here.

To upload a plugin:

1. Click Choose Plugin ZIP
2. Select the plugin .zip file from your computer
3. Wait for the upload to complete
4. The plugin name will appear in the "Uploaded Plugins" list

You can upload multiple plugins by repeating these steps.

Skip if You Have No Plugins

If you did not purchase any plugins, click Skip to move on. You can always upload and install plugins later from the admin panel.

Valid Plugin ZIP Required

The ZIP file must contain a valid Shop Craft plugin with a plugin.json file inside it. If the upload fails, make sure you are uploading the original plugin ZIP file as provided.

Click Next or Skip to continue.

---

Step 8: Payment Gateways

Configure how your store will accept payments. You must enable at least one payment gateway to proceed.

Available Gateways

Razorpay

Toggle Razorpay on and enter:

• Key ID — From your Razorpay Dashboard under Settings > API Keys
• Key Secret — From the same API Keys page

Popular in India

Razorpay is the most popular payment gateway for Indian businesses. It supports UPI, credit/debit cards, net banking, and wallets.

Stripe

Toggle Stripe on and enter:

• Publishable Key — From your Stripe Dashboard (starts with pk_)
• Secret Key — From the same page (starts with sk_)

PayPal

Toggle PayPal on and enter:

• Client ID — From PayPal Developer
• Client Secret — From the same page
• Mode — Choose Sandbox for testing or Live for real payments

Use Live Keys for Real Stores

Make sure you use live API keys (not test/sandbox keys) when your store is ready to accept real payments. Test keys will not process actual transactions.

Cash on Delivery

Toggle COD on — no configuration needed. Customers will be able to place orders and pay when the items are delivered.

---

After enabling at least one gateway and entering the required credentials, click Next to continue.

---

Step 9: Admin Account

Create the administrator account that you will use to manage your store.

Field	Description
Full Name	Your name (displayed in the admin panel)
Email	Your login email address
Password	At least 8 characters — choose something strong
Confirm Password	Re-enter the same password

Remember Your Credentials

Write down your admin email and password. You will need them to log in to the admin panel at https://yourdomain.com/admin/login.

Click Install Now to start the installation.

---

Step 10: Installing

Sit back and wait while Shop Craft sets up your store. You will see a progress bar and status updates as each step completes:

1. Writing configuration file — Saves your settings to the server
2. Generating application key — Creates a unique security key for your store
3. Running database migrations — Creates all the database tables
4. Seeding default data — Adds default pages, settings, and sample content
5. Creating admin account — Sets up your admin login
6. Activating license — Registers your license with the Shop Craft server
7. Finalizing installation — Final cleanup and setup

Do Not Close the Browser

Do not close the browser tab, refresh the page, or navigate away during installation. This process usually takes less than a minute, but interrupting it could leave your store in a broken state.

If an error occurs, an error message will appear with a Retry button. Click it to try again. If the error persists, check the Troubleshooting section.

---

Step 11: Installation Complete

Congratulations — your store is installed and ready to go! You will see two buttons:

• Go to Admin Panel — Opens the admin dashboard where you can add products, configure settings, and manage your store
• View Storefront — Opens your live storefront that customers will see

Your Links

Page	URL
Admin Panel	https://yourdomain.com/admin/login
Storefront	https://yourdomain.com

Recommended Next Steps

After installation, here are the things you should do first:

1. Add your logo and favicon — Go to Admin > Settings > Branding
2. Add your products — Go to Admin > Products > Add Product
3. Set up shipping — Go to Admin > Settings > Shipping
4. Configure webhooks — Set up payment webhooks for reliable order processing (see below)
5. Set up a cron job — For automatic license verification and background tasks (see Cron Setup)

Payment Webhooks

For payment notifications to work reliably, configure webhooks in your payment provider's dashboard:

Razorpay:  https://yourdomain.com/webhooks/razorpay
Stripe:    https://yourdomain.com/webhooks/stripe
PayPal:    https://yourdomain.com/webhooks/paypal

Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name.

Webhooks Are Important

Webhooks ensure that your store is notified when a payment succeeds or fails, even if the customer's browser disconnects during checkout. Without webhooks, some orders may not be recorded correctly.