Finding the admin URL in OpenCart 4 is straightforward but can differ depending on your configuration. In Opencart 4 for security it provide important security notification to rename or move the admin folder to something else folder, because of that the admin url can be anything that is set up.

Sometime you may forget or new accessor may need to find the admin URL without someone telling them. Here’s a step-by-step guide to locate the admin URL:

1. Default Admin URL

If you haven’t changed the admin folder name, your admin URL will be:

https://yourdomain.com/admin

2. Custom Admin Folder

For security reasons, many users rename the admin folder. If this is the case, you need to identify the custom admin folder name. Follow these steps:

Check the config.php File

1. Log in to your web hosting control panel or access your website files via FTP.
2. Navigate to the root directory of your OpenCart installation.
3. Check files and folders and need to figure out which can be admin folder.
   
4. Looking at them wpadmin looks like admin folder. Open it and see if it contains all of these folders
   
5. Open the config.php file located in that admin directory.
6. Look for this line:define('HTTP_SERVER', 'https://yourdomain.com/wpadmin/');
7. The folder name (wpadmin in this example) is your admin URL.

Pro Tip: Secure Your Admin URL

To protect your admin URL:

• Rename the admin folder to something unique during setup (e.g., wpadmin).
• Use additional security measures like IP whitelisting or password-protect the admin folder.
• 25 website security measures for eCommerce website

We hope you found this article helpful! For more OpenCart video tutorials, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay connected with us on Twitter and Facebook at Webocreation. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

A well-designed 404 Not Found page is crucial for improving user experience and retaining customers who land on unavailable pages. OpenCart allows you to customize this page to align with your branding and provide useful navigation options.

Mostly, the 404 page looks like below in Opencart:

Steps to Customize the 404 Page in OpenCart

We used to need the custom module or extensions for these kinds of functionalities, but with the introduction of Language Editor in Opencart, it is easier. If you are looking to just edit the “The page you requested cannot be found!”, then you can easily do it by the language editor of Opencart. Go to the admin section >> Design >> Language Editor and click the Add button

Enter the following details:

Now the 404 will look like below:

Read more: Language Editor in OpenCart

Example 404 page:

Here is one design and code example to show the different titles for Category not found, product not found, and other not found.

Design as per category, product, and other page:

Add the following code to the language editor:

<div class="error-container">  
  <!-- Dynamic Error Title -->
  <h1 class="error-title" id="error-title">Oops! 404 Page Not Found</h1>

  <!-- Dynamic Error Message -->
  <p class="error-message" id="error-message">
    The page you are looking for doesn’t exist or has been moved. Try searching for what you need.
  </p>

  <!-- Search Bar -->
  <div class="p-5">
    <form id="searchbottom" method="get" action="index.php" class="input-group mb-3">
      <input type="hidden" name="language" value="en-gb"> 
      <input type="hidden" name="route" value="product/search">
      <input type="text" name="search" value="" placeholder="Search for products" class="form-control form-control-lg">  
      <button type="submit" class="btn btn-light btn-lg"><i class="fa-solid fa-magnifying-glass"></i></button>
    </form>
  </div>
  <!-- Call to Action -->
  <a href="/" class="btn btn-primary-home btn-lg">Go to Homepage</a>
</div>

<style>
  .error-container {
      border-radius: 10px;
      padding: 3rem;
      margin: auto;
      text-align: center;
      background: linear-gradient(135deg, #ff6f61, #d6a4a4);
      color: #fff;
      margin: 0;
  }
  .error-title {
      font-size: 3rem;
      font-weight: bold;
      margin-bottom: 1rem;
      color: #fff;
  }
  .error-message {
      font-size: 1.5rem;
      margin-bottom: 2rem;
      line-height: 2rem;
  }
  .btn-primary-home {
      background-color: #d9534f;
      border-color: #d9534f;
      color: #fff;
  }
</style>
<script>
  // Function to get the value of a specific query parameter from the URL
  function getQueryParam(param) {
    const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
    return urlParams.get(param);
  }
  // Get the 'route' parameter from the URL
  const routeParam = getQueryParam("route");
  const errorTitle = document.getElementById("error-title");
  const errorMessage = document.getElementById("error-message");
  // Determine the error type based on the route parameter
  if (routeParam === "product/product") {
    errorTitle.textContent = "Product Not Found";
    errorMessage.textContent =
      "We couldn’t find the product you’re looking for. Try searching below.";
  } else if (routeParam === "product/category") {
    errorTitle.textContent = "Category Not Found";
    errorMessage.textContent =
      "The category you’re looking for doesn’t exist or is no longer available. Try searching for what you need.";
  } else {
    // Default to Page Not Found
    errorTitle.textContent = "Oops! Page Not Found";
    errorMessage.textContent =
      "The page you are looking for might have been moved or deleted. Try searching below.";
  }
</script>

Here is one language editor:

The JavaScript in the code finds the route and shows an error message as per the product, category another page. If you need a similar design, then you need to select a different language in the Language editor and enter a different value as per language.

Add Google Analytics Tracking

To monitor the 404 errors on your site:

• Use Google Analytics to track 404 errors.
  Set up a custom report for pages with the “404 Not Found” response.
• Add a tracking script to the 404 page to log user behavior. Example:

<script>
    // Google Analytics event tracking
    gtag('event', '404_error', {
        'page_path': window.location.pathname
    });
</script>

Best Practices for a 404 Page

1. Provide Helpful Suggestions: Include links to your homepage, categories, or popular products.
2. Apologize for the Inconvenience: Acknowledge the error with a friendly, empathetic text.
3. Use Humor or Branding: Lighten the mood with creative messaging that reflects your brand’s personality.
4. Include a Call-to-Action: Guide users back to the shopping experience with CTAs like “Continue Shopping” or “Search Our Store.”

Conclusion

Customizing the 404 Not Found page in OpenCart is an effective way to improve user experience and reduce bounce rates. By adding helpful navigation tools, engaging content, and personalized branding, you can turn an error page into an opportunity to retain potential customers and guide them back into your store.

Transferring an OpenCart website to a new domain requires careful planning and execution to maintain its functionality, SEO, and data integrity. Copying a website to another host can be daunting, especially if you have never done it before. However, with the right steps, it can be a straightforward process. Here are the steps that we follow mostly when we have to copy a website to another host. Below is an expanded, detailed step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Backup Your Website

1. Backup Files:
   • Log in to your hosting and go to the root folder where opencart is installed. If you are using cPanel, log in >> public_html
     
     In the above list, you can be different, like mine is wpadmin, yours can be admin, and you may not have vqmod, upload, so it depends on your settings and configuration.
   • From the root folder, open config.php
     
     define(‘DIR_OPENCART’, ‘/home3/webocreation/public_html/’);
     Look at the path of DIR_OPENCART and download all the files and folders inside the public_html folder.
     
     define(‘DIR_STORAGE’, ‘/home/webocreation/23storage/’);
     Check the DIR_STORAGE and you need to download all of the files and folders inside the path /home/webocreation/23storage/ except the cache and logs folder. Sometimes cache has lots of files, so you can ignore them as they will be automatically generated.
     
   • Use an FTP client like FileZilla or your hosting control panel to download all files from your current website directory
2. Backup Database:
   • In the config.php, look for the constant DB_DATABASE and see which database is connected to it.
     define(‘DB_DATABASE’, ‘webocreation_demo3’);
     Here, webocreation_demo3 is the database connected.
   • Access phpMyAdmin, select your OpenCart database, and export it as an SQL file.
   • Ensure you select both “structure” and “data” while exporting.
     

Step 2: Set Up the New Domain

1. SSL Certificate: Install an SSL certificate for the new domain to enable HTTPS.
   Read more: Install a free SSL certificate on Opencart Let’s Encrypt™
2. Hosting Environment: Ensure the new domain has a hosting environment compatible with OpenCart’s requirements (PHP version, database type, etc.).

Recommendation: Keep both OpenCart and PHP versions up to date to avoid compatibility or security issues.

Step 3: Upload Files to the New Domain

1. Use an FTP client or hosting control panel to upload the backed-up files to the root directory (public_html) or the appropriate folder.
2. Verify that all files have been uploaded correctly, ensuring no files are missing.
3. Make sure you uploaded the storage folder files and the folder as well.

Step 4: Import the Database to the New Server

1. Create a New Database:
   • Log in to your new hosting control panel.
   • Create a new database, user, and password for the website.
2. Import the Database:
   • Open phpMyAdmin, select the new database, and import the SQL file you exported earlier.

Step 5: Update Configuration Files

1. Update config.php (Root Directory):
   • Open the config.php file and update the domain, directory paths, and database details:
2. Update admin/config.php (Admin Directory):
   • Update the admin URLs and paths similarly in admin/config.php.

<?php
// APPLICATION
define('APPLICATION', 'Catalog');

// HTTP
define('HTTP_SERVER', 'https://demo.webocreation.com/');

// DIR
define('DIR_OPENCART', 'YOURNEW_ROOT_FOLDER');
define('DIR_APPLICATION', DIR_OPENCART . 'catalog/');
define('DIR_EXTENSION', DIR_OPENCART . 'extension/');
define('DIR_IMAGE', DIR_OPENCART . 'image/');
define('DIR_SYSTEM', DIR_OPENCART . 'system/');
define('DIR_STORAGE', 'YOURNEWSTORAGE_FOLDER_PATH');
define('DIR_LANGUAGE', DIR_APPLICATION . 'language/');
define('DIR_TEMPLATE', DIR_APPLICATION . 'view/template/');
define('DIR_CONFIG', DIR_SYSTEM . 'config/');
define('DIR_CACHE', DIR_STORAGE . 'cache/');
define('DIR_DOWNLOAD', DIR_STORAGE . 'download/');
define('DIR_LOGS', DIR_STORAGE . 'logs/');
define('DIR_SESSION', DIR_STORAGE . 'session/');
define('DIR_UPLOAD', DIR_STORAGE . 'upload/');

// DB
define('DB_DRIVER', 'mysqli');
define('DB_HOSTNAME', 'localhost');
define('DB_USERNAME', 'YOURNEWUSERNAME');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'YOURNEWPASSWORD');
define('DB_DATABASE', 'YOURNEWDATABASE');
define('DB_PORT', '3306');
define('DB_PREFIX', 'oc_');

See the config.php and change to the new values which is highlighted.

Step 6: Update Domain References in the Database

1. Access phpMyAdmin and run the following queries:
   • Update the old domain to the new one:
     UPDATE `oc_setting` SET `value` = REPLACE(`value`, 'http://olddomain.com', 'https://newdomain.com');
     Repeat for HTTPS:
     UPDATE `oc_setting` SET `value` = REPLACE(`value`, 'https://olddomain.com', 'https://newdomain.com');
   • Update the oc_store table:
     UPDATE `oc_store` SET `url` = 'https://newdomain.com/';
     
     *** oc_ is the database table prefix

Step 7: Update SEO URLs

1. Open the .htaccess file and verify the RewriteBase: RewriteBase /
2. Check and regenerate SEO-friendly URLs from the OpenCart admin panel under Design > SEO URLs.

Step 8: Update Email Settings

1. If your email settings are domain-specific, update them under:
   • Admin Panel → Settings → Mail tab.
2. Ensure the SMTP details are correctly configured for the new domain.
   
   Read more: Email setup in Opencart

Step 9: Test the Website

1. Visit the new domain and test:
   • Navigation, product listings, and category pages.
   • Add-to-cart functionality, checkout, and payment gateways.
   • Admin login and backend functionalities.
   • Ensure all images and CSS/JS files load correctly.
2. Clear the OpenCart cache.
3. Opencart launching checklist

Step 10: Set Up 301 Redirects for the Old Domain

1. Log in to the old domain’s hosting panel.
2. Edit the .htaccess file to redirect all traffic to the new domain: Redirect 301 / https://newdomain.com/
3. Test the redirection to ensure it works properly.

Step 11: Notify Search Engines

1. Google Search Console:
   • Use the “Change of Address” tool to notify Google about the new domain.
2. Resubmit Sitemap:
   • Generate a new sitemap in OpenCart and submit it to Google Search Console and other search engines.

Step 12: Update External Links

1. Update all external links pointing to your website, including:
   • Social media profiles.
   • Affiliate sites or partners.
   • Email marketing campaigns.

Step 13: Update DNS Records

1. Update your domain’s DNS records to point to the new server.
2. Ensure the new domain’s DNS is propagated correctly by using tools like WhatsMyDNS.

Step 14: Monitor Traffic and Performance

1. Google Analytics:
   • Update your Google Analytics property with the new domain URL.
2. Conversion Tracking:
   • Verify all tracking pixels (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.) are working for the new domain.

Step 15: Notify Customers

1. Send an email to your customer base announcing the domain change.
2. Highlight the new domain benefits, such as improved performance or security.

Step 16: Perform Final Checks

1. Conduct a full end-to-end test by placing a few test orders.
2. Monitor server logs to ensure no broken links or errors are occurring.
3. After completion of the transfer, don’t forget to go through the Opencart launching checklist to happily launch and check if you forgot something.

Conclusion

Transferring an OpenCart website to a new domain requires careful planning and attention to detail. By following this guide, you can ensure a seamless transition while preserving your site’s functionality, SEO rankings, and user experience. Regularly monitor the new domain post-transfer to address any unforeseen issues promptly.

Subscription Plans in OpenCart is a powerful feature that allows you to set up subscription-based payment systems for products or services. This is particularly useful for businesses offering memberships, digital subscriptions, or products that require regular replenishment, such as meal kits, pet supplies, or shaving cream etc. Subscription plans have revolutionized e-commerce, providing businesses with recurring revenue streams and customers with convenient, predictable purchasing experiences. OpenCart’s subscription feature enables merchants to create flexible, dynamic subscription models across various product categories. Below is a comprehensive guide to understanding and managing Subscription Plans in OpenCart.

What Are Subscription Plans?

A subscription plan is a payment plan associated with a product that allows customers to make recurring payments at set intervals. These profiles work with supported payment gateways to charge the customer automatically at the specified frequency. For example, a customer can subscribe to receive a product every month and be automatically billed for it.

Key Features of Subscription Plans in OpenCart

• Flexible Payment Options: Define payment intervals such as daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.
• Customizable Durations: Set the total number of recurring payments or keep them ongoing until canceled.
• Trial Periods: Offer a trial period with a different price or payment frequency to attract new customers.
• Payment Gateways Support: Works with payment methods that support recurring transactions, such as PayPal.

Setting Up Subscription Plans in OpenCart

To set up a subscription plan for a product, follow these steps:

Define the Subscription Plan Details

Go to Admin >> Catalog >> Subscription Plans, where you will see the lists of plan already set up.

Click the blue + button to add new one and fill out the following fields:

Trial

• Trial Duration: Number of trial payments. The duration is the number of times the user will make a payment.
• Trial Cycle: Duration of the trial period. Subscription amounts are calculated by the frequency and cycles.
• Trial Frequency: How often the trial payment will be charged? If you use a frequency of “week” and a cycle of “2”, then the user will be billed every 2 weeks.
• Trial Status: Enable if you want to offer a trial period.

Subscription

• Recurring Name: A name for internal reference (e.g., “Monthly Subscription”).
• Duration: Set the total number of recurring payments or leave it at 0 for ongoing payments. The duration is the number of times the user will make a payment, set this to 0 if you want payments until they are cancelled.
• Cycle: Define how often the customer will be billed (e.g., every 1 month). Subscription amounts are calculated by the frequency and cycles.
• Frequency: Choose from options like daily, weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, or yearly. If you use a frequency of “week” and a cycle of “2”, then the user will be billed every 2 weeks.
• Status: Set the profile to Enabled or Disabled.
• Sort Order: Sort order between the subscription plan while showing in the frontend.

In the setting below the trial status is active

Let’s add another Subscription plan with trial status disabled.

Assign Subscription Plans to the Product

1. Log in to the OpenCart Admin Panel.
2. Go to Catalog > Products.
3. Click on the product for which you want to enable a subscription plan or create a new product.

Configure Subscription Plan Details

1. Navigate to the Subscription tab under the product settings.
2. Click Add subscription plan.
3. Select the Customer Group, mostly Default, but if you are planning to specific customer group then you can select here.
4. Trial Price: If you enabled the trial period then you can enter the trial price
5. Price: The amount the customer will be charged for each cycle.

Save the Product

Once the recurring profile is configured, click Save to apply the changes.

Frontend view of subscription plan

When you view the product and select the subscription “$100 each month“, it will show like below and will charge “$100.00 every 12 month(s) until canceled“

If you select another subscription plan “$200 each month“, it will show like below and will charge “$100.00 every 1 month(s) for 1 payment(s) then $200.00 every 1 month(s) until canceled”

In this way, you can assign the subscription plan to Products.

Managing Subscription Plans

Subscription Plans are managed automatically by the payment gateway. However, as an administrator, you can:

• View Active Recurring Payments: Check customer subscriptions from the Admin >> Orders >> Subscriptions.
• Cancel Subscriptions: If a customer requests cancellation, this can be managed through your payment gateway interface.
• Modify Profiles: Edit the recurring settings for future subscriptions (existing subscriptions will not be affected).

Payment Gateway Considerations

Integration Requirements

• Recurring billing support
• Automatic payment processing
• Secure token management
• Failed payment handling

Recommended Gateways

Not all payment gateways support recurring payments, but several well-known ones do. Here’s a list of commonly used payment gateways that are compatible with recurring payments:

1. PayPal

• Supported in OpenCart: Yes
• Features:
  • Offers seamless integration with recurring billing.
  • Supports PayPal subscriptions and automatic billing agreements.
• Why Use: PayPal is widely accepted, easy to set up, and popular with customers.

2. Stripe

• Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
• Features:
  • Advanced recurring billing options with Stripe Subscriptions.
  • Allows custom billing intervals, free trials, and prorated billing.
• Why Use: Easy to integrate and ideal for businesses needing flexibility in subscription management.

3. Authorize.Net

• Supported in OpenCart: Yes
• Features:
  • Recurring Billing (ARB) is a built-in feature.
  • Allows customization of subscription intervals and durations.
• Why Use: Reliable for businesses in North America, offering robust subscription management.

4. Square

• Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
• Features:
  • Allows recurring invoices for subscriptions and memberships.
  • Integrated with POS systems for omnichannel businesses.
• Why Use: Ideal for businesses that use Square for both online and offline sales.

5. 2Checkout (now Verifone)

• Supported in OpenCart: Yes
• Features:
  • Recurring billing options for global subscriptions.
  • Supports multiple currencies and payment methods.
• Why Use: Great for businesses with international customers.

6. Braintree

• Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
• Features:
  • Supports subscriptions and recurring billing.
  • Offers customization options for payment schedules.
• Why Use: Suitable for businesses wanting a PayPal alternative (Braintree is a PayPal subsidiary).

7. Worldpay

• Supported in OpenCart: Yes
• Features:
  • Provides recurring payments with Worldpay’s FuturePay.
  • Supports global payment processing.
• Why Use: Great for large-scale enterprises with international operations.

8. Klarna

• Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
• Features:
  • Allows subscription payments via invoice-based options.
  • Popular in European markets.
• Why Use: Ideal for businesses targeting European customers who prefer invoice payments.

9. Amazon Pay

• Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
• Features:
  • Offers recurring payment support for Prime-style subscription models.
• Why Use: Trusted by customers already familiar with Amazon’s ecosystem.

10. Mollie

• Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
• Features:
  • Recurring payment support for SEPA, credit cards, and PayPal.
  • Popular in European countries.
• Why Use: Great for businesses targeting European markets with diverse payment options.

11. Adyen

• Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
• Features:
  • Recurring billing for global subscriptions.
  • Supports various payment methods and currencies.
• Why Use: Perfect for businesses that need a global payment solution.

12. Recurly (via Custom Integration)

• Supported in OpenCart: Requires custom setup.
• Features:
  • Advanced subscription management and analytics.
• Why Use: Ideal for businesses seeking a dedicated recurring billing platform.

Use Cases for Subscription Plans

Subscription Plans are ideal for:

1. Subscription Boxes: Monthly delivery of curated products like beauty, snacks, or books.
2. Digital Subscriptions: Access to software, online courses, or memberships.
3. Consumable Products: Regular replenishment of items like pet food, groceries, or toiletries.
4. Service Plans: Maintenance services, gym memberships, or web hosting plans.

Benefits of Using Subscription Plans

1. Steady Revenue Stream: Recurring payments ensure consistent cash flow for your business.
2. Enhanced Customer Experience: Automated billing reduces the need for manual intervention and increases convenience for customers.
3. Improved Customer Retention: Subscription models encourage long-term engagement.
4. Scalable Growth: Easier to manage as your customer base expands.

Limitations of Subscription Plans

• Payment Gateway Dependency: Subscription Plans require payment gateways that support recurring billing.
• Limited Gateway Options: Not all payment gateways are compatible with OpenCart’s Subscription Plans.
• Customer Control: Customers may need to manage their subscriptions outside the OpenCart platform, depending on the payment gateway.

Best Practices for Subscription Plans

1. Be Transparent: Clearly explain the subscription terms, including the price, frequency, and cancellation policy, on your product pages.
2. Offer Trial Periods: Allow customers to try before committing to a long-term subscription.
3. Send Notifications: Notify customers about upcoming charges, changes to their subscriptions, or successful renewals.
4. Monitor Performance: Use analytics to track the popularity and retention rates of subscription products.

Conclusion

Subscription Plans in OpenCart provide a convenient way to manage subscription-based products and services. By offering flexible payment options and automated billing, you can enhance the customer experience and generate consistent revenue for your business. With careful setup and management, Subscription Plans can become a key driver of growth for your eCommerce store.

Pro Tip: Always prioritize customer experience and flexibility when designing subscription plans.