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Getting started

Install, first settings, sample products, launch order, and update basics.

Recommended setup order

Start with Store Settings so the public store name, support email, currency, Site URL, and logo are correct before customers see the store.
Next configure Design and Content so the storefront, policy pages, footer links, and site notice match the store.
Add products and categories before payment and shipping testing. Checkout testing is easier when the catalog includes a physical product, a digital product, and a product with options or variants.
Configure tax, shipping, and payment settings last, then place test orders from the storefront as if you were a customer.

For a new store, upload the release zip, point the web server to the public folder, open install.php, and follow the installer.
For an existing store, keep .env, storage, public/uploads, storage/downloads, and the database. Upload the new code over the old code, then open Admin > Production and run the database update.
Do not rerun the installer on a live store unless you intentionally want a fresh install. The installed.lock file exists to prevent accidental reinstall.
After launch, delete or block public/install.php so nobody can reach the installer directly.

Sample products are useful when learning because they show physical products, digital downloads, variants, options, images, and sample files.
Skip samples for a clean production catalog. Install samples only when you want a demonstration store or training data.
If samples were skipped during install, they can be added later from the command line with php bin/seed-sample-catalog.php.