> ## 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.

# Installing and Setting Up Site Store Pro Locally

> Set up Site Store Pro from source: install PHP and Node.js dependencies, run migrations, seed platform defaults, and access the admin panel.

Getting Site Store Pro running locally takes about ten minutes. You'll clone the repository, install dependencies for both PHP and the Vite-powered frontend, configure your environment, run the database migrations, and seed the platform defaults — then optionally load demo store content to explore the full feature set.

## System Requirements

Before you begin, make sure your environment meets the following requirements.

| Requirement | Minimum Version      | Notes                         |
| ----------- | -------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| PHP         | 8.3+                 | See required extensions below |
| Composer    | 2.x+                 | Dependency management         |
| Node.js     | 18+ or 20+           | LTS releases recommended      |
| NPM         | Bundled with Node.js | Vite asset compilation        |
| MySQL       | 8.0+                 | Production database           |
| MariaDB     | 10.5+                | Production alternative        |
| PostgreSQL  | 15+                  | Production alternative        |
| SQLite      | Any modern version   | Development only              |

**Required PHP extensions:** `pdo`, `pdo_sqlite`, `pdo_mysql`, `mbstring`, `gd` or `imagick`, `curl`, `xml`, `zip`

You can verify your installed extensions with:

```bash theme={null}
php -m
```

## Installation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Clone the Repository">
    Clone the Site Store Pro repository and move into the project directory:

    ```bash theme={null}
    git clone <repository-url> laravel-store
    cd laravel-store
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install Composer Dependencies">
    Install all PHP dependencies defined in `composer.json`:

    ```bash theme={null}
    composer install
    ```

    Key production packages installed at this step include:

    | Package                            | Purpose                          |
    | ---------------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
    | `laravel/framework ^13.0`          | Core framework                   |
    | `stripe/stripe-php`                | Stripe payment gateway           |
    | `paddlehq/paddle-php-sdk`          | Paddle Billing gateway           |
    | `livewire/livewire ^3.6.4`         | Reactive frontend components     |
    | `openai-php/client ^0.20.0`        | AI-powered translations          |
    | `league/flysystem-aws-s3-v3 ^3.35` | S3 / CloudFront asset storage    |
    | `laravel/socialite ^5.28`          | OAuth (Google, Facebook, GitHub) |
    | `phpoffice/phpspreadsheet ^5.9`    | Bulk product import              |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install Frontend Dependencies and Compile Assets">
    Install Node.js packages and compile the Vite frontend assets:

    ```bash theme={null}
    npm install
    npm run build
    ```

    <Tip>
      During active frontend development, run `npm run dev` instead to start the Vite dev server with hot module replacement.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Your Environment">
    Copy the example environment file and generate your application key:

    ```bash theme={null}
    cp .env.example .env
    php artisan key:generate
    ```

    Open `.env` and set `APP_URL` to your local domain. For a full breakdown of every environment variable, see the [Environment Configuration](/developers/environment-config) guide.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run Database Migrations">
    Create all database tables by running the migrations:

    ```bash theme={null}
    php artisan migrate
    ```

    <Note>
      Site Store Pro defaults to SQLite for local development — no database server required. Switch to MySQL or PostgreSQL for production by updating `DB_CONNECTION` and related variables in your `.env` file.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Seed Platform Defaults">
    Populate the database with languages, site labels, built-in plugins, and the default admin user:

    ```bash theme={null}
    php artisan db:seed
    ```

    This seeder is safe to run on a fresh install and is required before the admin panel will function correctly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="(Optional) Seed Demo Store Content">
    Load a full set of demo products, categories, and orders to explore the platform:

    ```bash theme={null}
    php artisan db:seed --class=DemoStoreSeeder
    ```

    <Warning>
      Only run the `DemoStoreSeeder` in development environments. It inserts placeholder store data that should never appear in a production database.
    </Warning>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Accessing the Admin Panel

Once seeding is complete, navigate to `/admin` in your browser. Log in with the default credentials created by the base seeder:

| Field    | Value               |
| -------- | ------------------- |
| Email    | `admin@example.com` |
| Password | `SampleUser12345#`  |
| URL      | `/admin`            |

<Warning>
  Change the default admin password immediately after your first login. The default credentials are publicly known and must never be used in a production environment. Navigate to **Admin → Account → Security** to update your password.
</Warning>