The MultiStore feature lets you run several stores from a single OpenCart admin: different domains, designs and prices, but a shared product and order base. It saves time and resources when you have several brands or markets.
When MultiStore makes sense
- several brands sharing one range;
- separate storefronts for wholesale and retail;
- different domains per region or language;
- a test storefront alongside the live one.
What can differ between stores
- domain and design (theme);
- prices and customer groups;
- which categories and products are shown;
- languages, currencies, payment and shipping methods.
How it works technically
Each store has its own store_id. Products, modules and settings are bound to particular stores. At server level the domains are configured to point at one engine, with the right base URLs.
The pitfalls
The usual mistakes: wrong base URLs (which break the cart and images), module layouts getting mixed up between stores, and duplicate content for SEO. All of it is solved with careful configuration and canonicals.
The stages
- store structure and shared data planned;
- domains and stores configured on the server;
- themes, prices and modules configured per store;
- isolation and shared data tested.
Common questions
Will orders be shared?
Yes, all orders sit in one admin, tagged with their store.
Different prices per store?
Yes, through customer groups and store settings.
Will duplicates hurt SEO?
Canonicals and unique meta tags are configured for each store.
Planning several storefronts? I will set up MultiStore so you manage them all from one admin.
