How to get PrestaShop running from cPanel
PrintIn short: open Softaculous Apps Installer in cPanel, pick PrestaShop under E-commerce, fill in the store address and the admin account, and click Install. The database is created for you. Write down the admin address shown at the end, because it is unique to your store.
PrestaShop is a free, dedicated shop application with products, orders, customers and payment modules built in. It suits small and medium stores that want a real store system rather than a website with a shop plugin added.
Six steps to a working store
- Sign in to cPanel.
- In the Software section, click Softaculous Apps Installer.
- From the left-hand list, choose E-commerce and then PrestaShop.
- Click Install.
- Fill in the form using the table below.
- Click Install at the bottom and wait for the success message.
The form, field by field
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Choose Protocol | https:// if SSL is already issued for the domain (see Automatic issuance of SSL) |
| Choose Domain | The store's domain, from the domains on your account |
| In Directory | Leave empty to run the store at the root of the domain; enter a folder only if you want an address like example.md/shop |
| Shop Name | The name customers see; you can change it later |
| Admin E-mail | An address you check, since it is your login and receives password resets |
| Admin Password | A long password you do not use anywhere else |
| Select Language | The install language; more languages can be added inside PrestaShop |
Field names may differ slightly between Softaculous versions, but the order stays the same.
Finding the back office
For security, PrestaShop avoids a guessable admin address. Its admin folder gets a unique name, for example example.md/admin123abc. Softaculous shows the exact address in the final message and in your list of installations. Bookmark it or keep it in your password manager.
Settings worth doing on day one
- SSL everywhere: in the back office, go to Shop Parameters, then General, and enable SSL if it is still off.
- Friendly URLs: under Shop Parameters, then Traffic & SEO, switch on Friendly URL. PrestaShop writes the rules into
.htaccessitself. - Currency and countries: under International, check the default currency and the countries you ship to.
- Trusted modules only: get modules from PrestaShop Addons or well-known developers.
A common slip
Installing on top of an existing site. If the chosen folder already holds files, Softaculous warns you. Do not tick the overwrite option without a backup; it is safer to use a new folder or to save and move the old site first.
If the installer reports an error, open a ticket and paste the message.
