> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sitestorepro.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Site Store Pro Production Deployment Checklist and Commands

> Site Store Pro production deployment checklist — env variables, database, Stripe and Paddle, shipping plugins, webhook registration, and asset compilation.

Use this checklist to ensure your Site Store Pro installation is fully configured for a production deployment. Work through each section in order before accepting live orders.

***

## Core Production Checklist

<Steps>
  <Step title="Environment Configuration">
    Set the following in your `.env` file:

    * [ ] `APP_ENV=production`

    * [ ] `APP_DEBUG=false`

    * [ ] Configure database: `DB_DATABASE`, `DB_USERNAME`, `DB_PASSWORD`

    * [ ] Configure mail server: `MAIL_MAILER=smtp` plus SMTP host, port, username, and password

    * [ ] Add reCAPTCHA keys: `RECAPTCHA_SITE_KEY` and `RECAPTCHA_SECRET_KEY`

    * [ ] Add OpenAI key: `OPENAI_API_KEY` *(required only if using AI Article Writer or auto-translation)*

    * [ ] Configure AWS S3 credentials (and Cloudfront CDN URL) if using S3 file storage
  </Step>

  <Step title="Database & Storage">
    * [ ] Run `php artisan migrate` to apply all database migrations
    * [ ] Run `php artisan storage:link` — **required** for inline CMS image uploads to serve correctly
  </Step>

  <Step title="Asset Compilation">
    * [ ] Run `npm run build` to compile and minify all Vite/Tailwind frontend assets
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Never deploy with `APP_DEBUG=true` in production. Debug mode exposes stack traces, environment variables, and internal application details to end users.
</Warning>

***

## Payment Processor Checklist

### If Using Stripe

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install the Stripe SDK">
    ```bash theme={null}
    composer require stripe/stripe-php
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Environment">
    Add live credentials to `.env`:

    ```ini theme={null}
    STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_live_...
    STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_live_...
    STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_...
    ```

    <Warning>
      Do **not** set `STRIPE_SANDBOX_*` keys in production. Remove or leave them unset to ensure live mode is used.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Admin Configuration">
    In **Admin → Checkout → Processors**:

    * [ ] Set Stripe as the **Primary** payment processor
    * [ ] Toggle **Production** to **ON** for live mode
  </Step>

  <Step title="Register Webhook">
    * [ ] In your Stripe Dashboard, register the webhook endpoint:
      ```text theme={null}
      https://yourdomain.com/webhooks/stripe
      ```
    * [ ] Copy the webhook signing secret into `.env` as `STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET`
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test Before Go-Live">
    * [ ] Test an end-to-end checkout with a [Stripe test card](https://stripe.com/docs/testing#cards) before going live
    * [ ] Verify the Production toggle is ON — not sandbox mode
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

### If Using Paddle

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install the Paddle SDK">
    ```bash theme={null}
    composer require paddlehq/paddle-php-sdk
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Environment">
    Add live credentials to `.env`:

    ```ini theme={null}
    PADDLE_API_KEY=...
    PADDLE_CLIENT_TOKEN=...
    PADDLE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=...
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Admin Configuration">
    In **Admin → Checkout → Processors**:

    * [ ] Set Paddle as the **Primary** payment processor
    * [ ] Toggle **Production** to **ON** for live mode
  </Step>

  <Step title="Register Webhook">
    * [ ] In your Paddle Dashboard, register the webhook endpoint:
      ```text theme={null}
      https://yourdomain.com/webhooks/paddle
      ```
    * [ ] Copy the webhook signing secret into `.env` as `PADDLE_WEBHOOK_SECRET`
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test Before Go-Live">
    * [ ] Complete a test transaction using the Paddle sandbox account before switching to production
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

### If Using Shipping Carrier Plugins (FedEx / UPS / USPS)

* [ ] Run `php artisan db:seed --class=PluginSeeder` to register all built-in plugins
* [ ] Navigate to **Admin → Plugins → \[Carrier] → Settings** and enter your carrier API credentials
* [ ] Navigate to **Admin → Plugins → \[Carrier] → Activation** and activate each carrier plugin
* [ ] Test live shipping rate calculation at `/checkout/review` with a shippable product in the cart

***

## Artisan Commands Reference

| Command                                       | Description                                         |
| --------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| `php artisan migrate:fresh --seed`            | Full fresh install with all seeders                 |
| `php artisan db:seed --class=DemoStoreSeeder` | Load polished demo store content                    |
| `php artisan db:seed --class=PluginSeeder`    | Register all built-in plugins                       |
| `php artisan search:rebuild-index`            | Rebuild search index for all CMS pages and products |
| `php artisan search:rebuild-index --force`    | Force full rebuild even if indexes are locked       |
| `php artisan storage:link`                    | Create the public storage symlink                   |
| `php artisan optimize:clear`                  | Clear all application caches                        |

<Note>
  `DemoStoreSeeder` is for development and demo environments only. Running them in production will populate your live store with fake product and content data.
</Note>