Hi friends! In this tutorial, we will learn how to install PrestaShop on Localhost XAMPP in Windows. But first, let’s take a step back and understand what PrestaShop is.

What is PrestaShop?

PrestaShop is an eCommerce solution that helps you create an online store. It’s free to download and use and available in 65 different languages. It is a freely accessible open-source eCommerce platform which is one of the best open-source eCommerce platforms with out-of-the-box features that make it even stronger.

It works on PHP and can help business merchants to build comprehensive eCommerce websites coupled with amazing functionality. There are currently around 300,000 online stores powered by PrestaShop around the globe. It has thousands of developers and 250+ agencies who innovate and actively participate in the growth of the PrestaShop.

Once you have PrestaShop installed, you’ll be able to create a fully-functional online store in minutes. So let’s get started with the installation!

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How to Install PrestaShop on Localhost XAMPP

Prerequisite

To Install PrestaShop on localhost using XAMPP, we need the following pieces of software in our System.

1. PrestaShop
2. XAMPP 

XAMPP is a free and open-source software package that provides an easy way to install and configure the Apache HTTP server, MySQL database server, PHP programming language, and other components on a local computer. The name XAMPP stands for Cross-Platform (X), Apache (A), MySQL (M), PHP (P), and Perl (P), which are the main components that it includes.

XAMPP is primarily used for web development and testing purposes, allowing developers to create and test dynamic websites and web applications on their local machines before publishing them to a live server.

Installing XAMPP

• To download XAMPP go to the link https://www.apachefriends.org/download.html and here you can download the latest version of the XAMPP as shown in the figure below.

• Now locate the folder where you downloaded the XAMPP installer and double-click on it to start the installation process.
• The XAMPP setup wizard will open, and you’ll need to install the software like any other software you install on your system. To do this, click the Next buttons and finish the installation.

Downloading PrestaShop

• In the next step, we need to download the PrestaShop. To download, go to this link https://www.prestashop.com/en/download then select a profile from the drop-down menu, and click on the continue button as shown in the figure below.

• The next step is to sign in to your account. If you already have an account, fill in the details and click the sign-in button. Otherwise, click on create a new account or connect with google to sign up for PrestaShop.

• After successfully signing up, the file will start to download.

Extracting PrestaShop ZIP Archive

• Now Locate the folder where you have downloaded the Zip file and then extract it.

• Next, open the extracted folder.

• Now extract the Zip file named “prestashop.zip”.

• Now copy the extracted folder (prestashop) and then paste it into XAMPP>htdocs folder.

• Now, wait for a few minutes till all the files get copied.

Creating Database on PhpMyAdmin

• Next, we need to create a Database on PhpMyAdmin. For this, open XAMPP and start Apache and MySQL.

• Now open any Browser and type http://localhost/phpmyadmin/ on the address bar.
• Now click on the new button to create a new database.

• Now give the name of your database, in this example (prestashop), and then click on the create button.

Installing Prestashop

• Now open a new tab on your browser and type the address http://localhost/prestashop/  to start installing the PrestaShop.
• Choose your language from the drop-down menu and click on the Next Button, as shown in the figure below.

• Next, accept the terms and conditions and click on the Next Button.

• Next, it will check for the system compatibility. If everything is fine, you will get the message “PrestaShop compatibility with your system environment has been verified!” Then you can click on the Next Button to proceed with the installation.

If you see any System Compatibility Error, you must first resolve that issue to proceed further.

• Next, you have to enter the details of your Store and your Account and then click on the Next Button to proceed further.

• Next, you need to give the name of the database we created earlier and click on the button “ Test your database connection now” to check whether the database is connected.
• If your database successfully connects, it will show the message database is connected, and then you can click on the Next button to proceed further.

Note that I am using the 3307 port number for MySQL, so I have explicitly added the port number at the end of the server’s address. If you are using the 3306 port, then you don’t have to change anything.

• Next, wait for a few minutes till the store installs successfully.

Deleting Install Folder

• After successful installation, you will get the message, “For security purposes, you must delete the “install” folder.

• Navigate to folder C:\xampp\htdocs\prestashop and then delete the install folder.

• After deleting the folder, again go to the installation page, and you can see that there are two options on the page after successful installation. Back office and Front Office.

• Front Office is the Front End of Your online store which is the User Interface, and your customer will see this. To view the store click on the button “Discover your store“.

• The back office is the Backend of your store, which you will use to manage your orders, customers, etc.
• To log in to the Back office, click the Manage your Store button.

• Enter your Email Address and password you provided during the installation process to log in to the Backend of your store.
• After successfully logging in to your account, you can see an interface like this where you can manage your orders and customer, add products and modules, change themes etc.

So this was all from this tutorial in which we have learned step by step how to install PrestaShop on localhost XAMPP. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.