Install a PrestaShop store locally on your computer

1. Introduction :

Whether it is to discover PrestaShop without having to subscribe to hosting, to train yourself, or to do tests for your online store, it is interesting to know how to install a PrestaShop store locally on your computer. This article will guide you through this process.

2. Prerequisites :

2.1. Skills :

You do not need development skills to install a PrestaShop store locally. This article will guide you step by step and is accessible even if you do not have technical skills.

2.2. Technical environment :

To install a local PrestaShop store, you will just need :

• A computer with a macOS or Windows operating system
• An Internet connection
• A web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge, Brave, Safari, Arc…)
• At least 3GB of free space on your storage space

3. Steps :

To install a local store, you will have to perform the following steps :

• Install local server app
• Download PrestaShop installation zip
• Paste the 3 files contained in this zip in a folder on your local server
• Start the servers and launch the installation of the store from your web browser
• Create a database from the management web application for database management systems (included with your local server application) and link it to your store
• Rename or remove the install folder from the folder containing your store files

Here are the details of these steps:

3.1. Install a local server app :

We advise you to install the free MAMP suite. You can download it here :

 

 

Then click Next on each page (unless you want to customize the installation options of course).

After the installation process is complete, you can find the MAMP folder in the following locations (if you haven't manually changed the installation location) :

• On macOS : /Applications/MAMP
• On Windows : /MAMP/

NB: Before the first '/', this is the root of your storage space, so commonly 'Macintosh HD' for macOS and 'C:' for Windows.

3.2. Install PrestaShop installation zip :

You can get PrestaShop installation zips from the following locations :

• version 1.7 :
  github.com
  https://github.com/PrestaShop/PrestaShop/releases/download/1.7.8.8/prestashop_1.7.8.8.zip
  
  
• version 8 :
  github.com
  https://github.com/PrestaShop/PrestaShop/releases/download/8.0.2/prestashop_8.0.2.zip

3.3. Paste the 3 files contained in this zip in a folder on your local server :

Start by extracting the contents of the downloaded zip. You thus recover 3 files in a folder :

 

 

Copy these 3 files, then go to the 'htdocs' folder in your MAMP folder (see 3.1).

Create a folder there, and call it what you want (without space and without accent).

For my part, I called my folder ‘LocalInstallation’, and I pasted the three files there :

 

 

3.4. Start the servers and launch the installation of the store from your web browser :

Open the MAMP application, you arrive on this interface :

• Windows :

 

• macOS :
  
  

  

   

   

  Then click on 'Start servers' on Windows, 'Start' on macOS.

  Now open your browser and go to the following address :

  • On macOS : localhost:8888/yourFolderName/
  • On Windows : localhost/yourFolderName/

  In this case, for the example of this article: localhost:8888/localinstallation/

  The installation of PrestaShop then begins:
  
  

  

  You will then access to the installation wizard:
  
  

  

  Fill in the information specific to your store, and your identifiers. NB: the email and password entered here will be used as identifiers for your back-office (admin area of your shop). NB2: do not activate SSL, this requires other tools.

   

  
  You arrive on the database configuration page.
  
  

  3.5. Create a database from the management web application for database management systems (included with your local server application) and link it to your store :

  

  Return to the MAMP application interface, and click on 'Webstart' or 'Open WebStart Page'.

  On the page that has just opened in your browser, click on Tools then PHPMyAdmin:

  

  
  This page then opens :
  
  

  

   

  
  Click on 'New' to create a new database, and give it a name (of your choice, always without spaces and without accents) :

  

  Click on Create, your database is created.
  
  

  Return to the installation wizard, and enter the following information:

  • Database server address :
    • On macOS : 127.0.0.1:8889
    • On Windows : localhost
  • Database name : The name you gave to your base, here : localinstallation
  • Database login : root
  • Database password : root (NB: if it does not work, leave the field empty)
    
    

  Click on ‘Test your database connection now’.
  
  

  You should have the following message :
  
  

  

  
  You can then click 'Next' to complete the installation.
  
  

  3.6. Rename or remove the install folder from the folder containing your store files :

  You will arrive on the following page :

   

  

  
  You need to delete or rename the 'install' folder as shown.
  Go to the location /MAMP/htdocs/yourFolderName/ (here /MAMP/htdocs/LocalInstallation) (cf 3.3).
  
  

  Locate the 'install' folder and rename or delete it.

   

  

  
  I renamed the folder ‘installOK’ :
  
  

  

  
  You can then connect to the front-office (client-side interface of your site) :
  
  

  

  
  And to the back-office :
  
  

  

  As a reminder, you can connect to the back office using the identifiers defined in step 3.4.
  
  

  4. Conclusion :

  You now have a functional store installed on your computer. Make sure that the MAMP servers are activated each time you want to access this store. You can install as many shops as you want with your local server, each shop will correspond to a folder in the location /MAMP/htdocs/
  
  

  5. For developers only :

  You can open the folder containing the store files in your code editor in order to study the structure and make specific developments :