Unzip & Upload

After purchasing CartWa, you will receive a ZIP file called store.zip. Follow these steps to install it on your hosting:

1
Unzip the file — Extract store.zip on your computer. You will see a folder with all the store files inside.
2
Upload via FTP — Connect to your hosting using any FTP client (FileZilla, Cyberduck, etc.) and upload all the contents of the unzipped folder to the root directory of your website (usually public_html, htdocs, or www).
3
Or use File Manager — If your hosting has cPanel, Plesk, or a web file manager, you can upload the ZIP file directly and extract it there.
Important: Upload the contents of the folder, not the folder itself. Your hosting root should contain index.php, admin/, includes/, etc.

File Permissions

For CartWa to work correctly, certain folders need write permissions. This allows the store to upload images and create its database.

Directories: 755 (or 775 if needed)
Files: 644 (or 664 if needed)
Writable folders: data/ and uploads/
If you see errors after uploading, try setting data/ and uploads/ to 777. Most hostings work with 755 for directories and 644 for files.

Setup Wizard

Once the files are uploaded with correct permissions, open your browser and go to:

https://yourdomain.com/admin/

You will be automatically redirected to the Setup Wizard, where you can configure your store in 5 simple steps:

1
Language — Choose your store language. All admin panels and the storefront will use this language.
2
Admin Account — Create your admin email and password. Use a strong password with at least 8 characters, one uppercase, one lowercase, and one number.
3
Store Info — Enter your store name, WhatsApp number, country code, currency, and price format.
4
Appearance — Choose your header color, upload your store logo, and enable PWA if you want customers to install your store as an app.
5
Finish — Review your settings and click "Start Selling". Your store is ready!
After completing the wizard, log in with your admin email and password at /admin/. The wizard will never appear again — you can change any setting later from the Settings page.

Managing Products

Go to Products in the admin sidebar. Here you can:

  • Add: Click "New Product", fill name, description, price, category, stock, and upload up to 5 images.
  • Variants: Enable size, number, weight, or liter options. Enter values separated by commas.
  • Sale price: Set an optional sale price. Products on sale show an "OFFER" badge and crossed-out original price.
  • Featured: Mark up to 5 products as featured. They appear first in the store hero section.
  • Long description: Use the rich text editor for detailed product information with formatting.
  • Duplicate: Clone a product with all its data, images, and variants.
  • Activate/Deactivate: Toggle products on or off without deleting them.

Managing Categories

Go to Categories in the admin sidebar. Categories organize your products on the storefront.

  • Create, edit, and delete categories. The name and slug (URL-friendly name) are set automatically.
  • Reorder categories by dragging and dropping. On mobile, use the ▲▼ arrows.
  • Renaming a category automatically updates all products assigned to it.
  • You cannot delete a category that has products assigned to it.

Managing Orders

Go to Orders in the admin sidebar. All customer orders appear here.

  • View: Click "View" to see order details, items, customer info, and internal notes.
  • Status: Change order status to Pending, Shipped, Delivered, or Cancelled.
  • Notify: After changing status, you can notify the customer via WhatsApp with one click.
  • Notes: Add internal notes to each order (only visible to you).
  • Edit: Update customer name, phone, address, status, or delivery method.
  • Export: Download all orders as a CSV file.
  • Search: Find orders by ID, customer name, phone, address, or product name.

Managing Customers

Go to Customers in the admin sidebar. All customers who have placed orders are grouped by phone number.

  • View customer details: name, phone, address, total orders, and total spent.
  • Send message: Open WhatsApp directly with a custom message to any customer.
  • Edit: Update customer name, phone, and address. All their orders are updated automatically.
  • Delete: Remove a customer and all their orders (blocked if pending orders exist).
  • Export: Download all customers as a CSV file.
  • Search: Find customers by name, phone, or address.

Settings

Go to Settings in the admin sidebar. Here you can customize everything:

  • Store: Name, WhatsApp number, country code, currency, currency position, price format, admin email, store address, store phone.
  • Language: Change the store language anytime. 7 languages available.
  • Appearance: Header color with visual picker, store logo (auto-converted to WebP).
  • PWA: Enable Progressive Web App for installable store experience on mobile.
  • Social: Add Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube links. They appear in the store footer.
  • Credentials: Change your admin username and/or password.

PWA — Progressive Web App

CartWa supports PWA. When enabled, customers can install your store on their phone home screen like a native app.

  • Enable or disable from Settings → PWA toggle.
  • Android: A banner appears at the bottom. Customers tap "Install" to add your store to their home screen.
  • iOS: Customers tap the Share button in Safari and select "Add to Home Screen". A banner explains the steps.
  • The store icon is auto-generated from your logo at 192×192 and 512×512 pixels.

Languages

CartWa is fully translated into 7 languages. The admin selects the language in Settings.

  • English, Español, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, Svenska, Nederlands
  • The entire interface changes: frontend store, admin panel, buttons, forms, toasts, and validation messages.
  • Products and categories are entered in your own language. They are not auto-translated.
  • Change language anytime from Settings — all content remains intact.

WhatsApp Orders

CartWa is built around WhatsApp. The entire purchase flow ends with a WhatsApp message to the store owner.

  • Customer browses the store, adds products to cart, fills in their details, and clicks "Send Order".
  • The order is saved in your database and WhatsApp opens automatically with a pre-formatted summary.
  • Home delivery or Pickup: Customer chooses on checkout. Pickup orders don't require an address.
  • Manual notify: From Orders, change status and click to notify the customer via WhatsApp with a custom message.
  • Customer messaging: From Customers, send a WhatsApp message to any customer directly.
  • WhatsApp messages include: order items with quantities and prices, customer name, phone, address, and delivery method.