Set Up Your Store in Zen Cart

What is Zen Cart?

Zen Cart is free software for running an online shop. You install it on your hosting and use an admin area to manage it. After installation, you need to tell it who you are and how you sell.

Step 1: Remove the installer

The installer folder is a risk if it stays. Delete it.

1. Log in to the client area and open your hosting control panel.
2. Open File Manager and go to your Zen Cart folder.
3. Right-click the folder zc_install and choose Delete.
4. Find the file includes/configure.php. Right-click it, choose Change Permissions and set it to 444 so nobody can change it. Do the same for the configure.php file inside your admin folder.

Step 2: Log in to the admin area

1. Open your admin address in a browser. The admin folder name was chosen at install time. It may not be admin.
2. Log in with the username and password you made during setup.

Step 3: Set your store details

1. Click Configuration in the top menu.
2. Click My Store.
3. Click each item you want to change, then click edit in the box on the right. Set these first: Store Name, Store Owner, Store Owner Email Address, Country and Zone.
4. Click update after each change.

Step 4: Check other settings

Under Configuration you will find more pages. The most useful ones are:

• Minimum Values and Maximum Values: limits for names, addresses and passwords.
• Images: sizes of product pictures.
• E-Mail Options: how the store sends email.
• Shipping/Packaging: package weights and handling fees.

Step 5: Turn on payment and shipping

1. Click Modules, then Payment.
2. Pick a method, click Install, then fill in its settings and click update.
3. Repeat for Shipping and Order Total.

Quick recap

• Delete zc_install and make the config files read only.
• Log in to the admin area.
• Set your store details under Configuration, My Store.
• Check the other settings pages.
• Install payment and shipping modules, then test.