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Overview

OpenCart’s store settings control the core configuration of your ecommerce platform. These settings affect everything from your store’s basic information to operational parameters like checkout options, security, and performance.
Access store settings from the admin panel: System → Settings → Edit (for your store).

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General Settings

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Store Details

Configure your store’s basic information that appears throughout the site. 
// From setting.php:46-78
$data['config_name'] = $this->config->get('config_name');
$data['config_owner'] = $this->config->get('config_owner');
$data['config_address'] = $this->config->get('config_address');
$data['config_email'] = $this->config->get('config_email');
$data['config_telephone'] = $this->config->get('config_telephone');
$data['config_image'] = $this->config->get('config_image');
Store Name (config_name) - Your store’s display nameOwner (config_owner) - Legal owner name for invoices and documentationAddress (config_address) - Physical store addressEmail (config_email) - Primary contact email for customer notificationsTelephone (config_telephone) - Customer support phone numberStore Logo (config_image) - Main logo image displayed in header

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Theme and Layout

Select your store’s theme and default layout. 
// From setting.php:66-73
$data['config_theme'] = $this->config->get('config_theme');
$data['config_layout_id'] = $this->config->get('config_layout_id');
1

Select Theme

Choose from installed theme extensions. The default theme is “basic”.
2

Set Default Layout

Select the default layout template for your store pages.

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Checkout Settings

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Order Status Configuration

Define default order statuses for various stages of order processing.

Default Order Status

Status assigned to new orders when created.

Processing Status

Status for orders being prepared for shipment.

Complete Status

Status for fulfilled orders.

Fraud Status

Status for orders flagged by fraud detection.

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Checkout Options

Configure the checkout experience for customers.
Allow customers to checkout without creating an account. Recommended for reducing cart abandonment.
Require customers to agree to terms before completing purchase. Select an information page to use as your terms.
Set a prefix for invoice numbers (e.g., “INV-2024-”).

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Inventory Settings

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Stock Management

Control how inventory is tracked and displayed. 
// Stock configuration options
$data['config_stock_display'] = $this->config->get('config_stock_display');
$data['config_stock_warning'] = $this->config->get('config_stock_warning');
$data['config_stock_checkout'] = $this->config->get('config_stock_checkout');
Stock Display: Show/hide stock quantities on product pagesStock Warning: Display “Out of Stock” message when quantity is lowStock Checkout: Allow checkout even when items are out of stock

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Image Settings

Define default image dimensions for various contexts.
Image TypeWidthHeightSetting Name
Category80px80pxconfig_image_category_width / height
Product (Thumb)228px228pxconfig_image_thumb_width / height
Product (Popup)500px500pxconfig_image_popup_width / height
Product (List)200px200pxconfig_image_product_width / height
Cart47px47pxconfig_image_cart_width / height
Use consistent aspect ratios across all product images for a professional appearance.

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Email Settings

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SMTP Configuration

Configure email delivery using SMTP for reliable transactional emails.
1

Select Mail Protocol

Choose between Mail, SMTP, or Sendmail.
2

Enter SMTP Details

Provide hostname, port, username, and password for your SMTP server.
SMTP Host: smtp.gmail.com
SMTP Port: 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
SMTP Username: [email protected]
SMTP Password: your-app-password
3

Test Email

Send a test order or registration email to verify configuration.
Never use basic passwords for SMTP. Use app-specific passwords or OAuth when available.

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Security Settings

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Encryption Key

OpenCart uses an encryption key for sensitive data. This is set during installation in config.php. 
// config.php
define('DB_ENCRYPTION', 'your-encryption-key');
Never share your encryption key and back it up securely. Loss of this key means encrypted data cannot be recovered.

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Admin Security

Security best practices for your admin panel.

Change Admin Path

Rename the /admin directory to something unique to prevent automated attacks.

Strong Passwords

Require complex passwords for all admin users.

Limit Login Attempts

Configure fraud detection to block repeated failed logins.

Use HTTPS

Enable SSL/TLS for secure connections to admin and checkout.

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Performance Settings

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Caching

Enable caching to improve page load times.
Basic file-based caching. No additional setup required.
// system/library/cache/file.php
public function set(string $key, $value, int $expire = 3600): void

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Compression

Enable GZIP compression to reduce bandwidth usage.
Compression can be enabled in OpenCart settings or at the web server level (recommended).

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Maintenance Mode

Enable maintenance mode to show a “store offline” message while performing updates. 
$data['config_maintenance'] = $this->config->get('config_maintenance');
1

Enable Maintenance Mode

Toggle maintenance mode on in store settings.
2

Perform Updates

Update extensions, themes, or perform system maintenance.
3

Test Store

Admin users can still access the storefront to test changes.
4

Disable Maintenance Mode

Turn off maintenance mode to restore customer access.

Localization

Configure languages, currencies, and regional settings

Users

Manage admin users and permissions

System

System maintenance and tools

Extensions

Install and configure extensions

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