How to Use the OpenCart VPS Template at Hostinger

Getting started with the OpenCart VPS template

Updated 2 weeks ago

OpenCart is a popular open-source e-commerce platform that allows you to manage your online store with flexibility and ease. The Ubuntu 24.04 with OpenCart VPS template on Hostinger provides a pre-installed OpenCart setup integrated with the CloudPanel control panel. This guide will assist you in accessing and managing your OpenCart installation.

If you don’t have a VPS yet, check the available options here: OpenCart VPS Hosting 🚀

Accessing CloudPanel

Open your web browser and navigate to 

https://[your-vps-ip]:8443.

Replacing [your-vps-ip] with the actual IP address of your VPS.

Now use the credentials you provided during template installation to log in to the CloudPanel interface:

OpenCart admin login screen with username field filled as admin and language set to English

Accessing Your OpenCart

Use your hostname to view your OpenCart shop. Add /admin to your hostname URL:

http://[your-vps-hostname]/admin

To reach the OpenCart login window:

OpenCart admin login screen with username and password fields and a Login button

Use the following login credentials:

  • Username: admin

  • Password: the initial password you established during the template installation

Configuring Your OpenCart Store

In the OpenCart admin dashboard, go to System → Settings to configure your store’s basic settings, such as store name, owner, address, email, and phone number.

OpenCart admin Settings page with store logo selected in the General tab

Configure payment gateways and shipping methods under Extensions → Payments and Extensions → Shipping.

Customizing Your Store

Change the appearance of your store by installing a new theme or modifying the existing layout. This can be done under Design option on the sidebar.

OpenCart admin Layouts page with Design > Layouts selected in the sidebar

Navigate to Catalog → Products to start adding your products. Include descriptions, prices, photos, and other relevant details.

Extending Functionality

OpenCart has a marketplace where you can download additional extensions and modules that enhance your store’s functionality. Access this through Extensions → Marketplace.

OpenCart admin extension marketplace with Extensions menu selected and Marketplace highlighted

Enabling SEO URLs for OpenCart

To use SEO URLs in OpenCart, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the toggle next to Use SEO URLs in OpenCart administration settings to enable it:
    ​

    OpenCart admin settings page with the Server tab selected and Use SEO URLs toggle switched on

  2. Login to your VPS CloudPanel and select a site to manage, go to the Vhost menu tab and add the following configurations

After #{{settings}}, add:

location = /sitemap.xml {
    rewrite ^(.*)$ /index.php?route=feed/google_sitemap break; 
  } 

  location = /googlebase.xml {
    rewrite ^(.*)$ /index.php?route=feed/google_base break; 
  }

After proxy_temp_file_write_size 256k; add:

try_files $uri $uri/ @opencart;

Before location ~* add:

  location @opencart {
    rewrite ^/(.+)$ /index.php?_route_=$1 last;
  }

And save the new configuration.

If you want OpenCart to run on your domain, point your domain to the VPS IP address, change the server hostname, and reinstall the server.

Additional Resources