The Shopware 6 download: Your Shopware 6 store in just a few steps

Would you like to create your own online store for your products and have chosen the Shopware store system for this? Then you've come to the right place for all the tips and instructions on downloading the latest version of Shopware and configuring your store for the first time with the initial setup wizard. We'll explain what Shopware 6 is and what it's all about, show you how to start the download and make the initial settings.

Reading time 7 min

• What is Shopware 6?
  • Is Shopware 6 right for you and your project?
• Shopware 6 requirements: What you need to consider before installation
  • Operating system
  • The right environment
  • Htaccess adjustments
  • Routing settings
• Shopware 6 installation: step by step
• Finished - and what's next?
  • With the initial setup wizard to your fully functional online shop
• FAQS
  • What does Shopware 6 cost?
  • What is the difference between Shopware 5 and 6?
  • Why Shopware 6?
  • What are the system requirements for installing Shopware 6?
  • Is Shopware 6 expandable?
  • Is the Shopware store system scalable?

  • Why is the changelog important for the Shopware 6 download?

What is Shopware 6?

Shopware 6 is a powerful e-commerce platform that offers you everything you need to create a successful online store. Shopware 6 is the latest version of the Shopware platform, which includes a number of improvements and new features. One of the most notable changes is the move to a more modular approach, making it easier to customize and expand your store. Shopware 6 also includes a new headless API that makes it possible to create decoupled frontends for your store. In addition, Shopware 6 has been optimized in terms of performance, making it faster and more responsive than previous versions of the platform. If you're looking for a robust eCommerce platform that can be customized to your needs, Shopware 6 is an excellent choice. In the next sections, we will explain what is needed to install Shopware 6 and how the installation of the store system works.

By the way: Shopware has had a new package and pricing model since September 2022. You can choose between the Rise, Evolve and Beyond packages. The Rise package is available from 600 euros per month - for the other two packages, the price is only available on request and is tailored to your individual needs. The free Community Edition is still available.

Is Shopware 6 right for you and your project?

Before you start preparing for the download, you should perhaps check once again whether Shopware 6 is suitable for your project and your vision of your own store. We have created a small checklist for this here.

Shopware 6 is suitable for you if:

• you have a small or medium-sized business, but the store system is also suitable for large corporations
• you have no programming skills
• you have programming skills. Shopware also offers options for individual configuration
• you want to put little effort into administration
• you like good technology and design
• you want to take a wide range of marketing measures

Before installation: the requirements of Shopware 6

To install the Shopware store system, you need to meet a few technical requirements, which we would now like to introduce to you. If the requirements for the Shopware 6 version have not been met, a successful Shopware 6 download will be difficult.

You should have fulfilled these requirements before installation:

1. the right operatingsystem

Once you have decided on the Shopware online shop system, you need the right operating system in order to be able to use Shopware. For example, the store system does not work with the Windows operating system, but it does work on most Unix-based operating systems. Shopware itself recommends using it with a Linux environment such as Ubuntu.

2. the right environment

For the environment, you can use PHP version 7.4.3 or higher and SQL version MySQL 5.7.21 or higher. However, you should note that MySQL versions 8.0.20 and 8.0.21 are not compatible. MariaDB version 10.3.22 or higher also works, but some versions are not functional here either: 10.3.29, 10.4.19 and 10.5.10.

You can find further compatibilities directly on the Shopware website.

3. htaccess customizations

With an htaccess file, you can allow access to your store for selected users only. The htaccess file is a configuration file on your web server that determines who has access to the shared files and folders. When downloading Shopware 6, you should make sure that you have not yet restricted access.

However, if you want to restrict access to your site from the outset using password protection, the requests to the "/api" endpoint of Shopware must be excluded. Otherwise, the admin area and the installation of Shopware may not work correctly. Shopware provides the following snippet for the .htaccess, for example, to activate password protection but exclude the "/api" route*:

AuthType Basic
AuthName "Please login."
AuthUserFile /path/to/.htpasswd

Require expr %{THE_REQUEST} =~ m#.*?\s+\/api.*?#
Require valid-user

4. routing settings

Another prerequisite for a successful Shopware 6 download is the adjustment of the web server's routing settings. If you do not know how to make the routing settings, your hosting partner can always help you. Shopware recommends the following precautions for APACHE, for example*:

ServerName "_HOST_NAME_"
DocumentRoot _SHOPWARE_DIR_/public

Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
AllowOverride All
Order allow,deny
allow from all

ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/shopware-platform.error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/shopware-platform.access.log combined
LogLevel debug

Of course, you still have to make your adjustments here. This applies to _SHOPWARE_DIR and _HOST_NAME_.

Shopware 6 installation: explained step by step

Now that you have met all the requirements, you can start the Shopware 6 download. Below you will find step-by-step instructions on how to proceed. If you have any further questions about Shopware, we at EXWE will of course be happy to help and advise you.

And this is how you proceed:

1. download the Shopware 6 installer

The first step is to download the Shopware 6 installer. You can find it on the Shopware website(https://www.shopware.com/de/download/#shopware-6). The update package for Shopware 6 is also available there if you are already using Shopware. If you are just setting up your Shopware 6 online store, you should also download the update package afterwards.

2. complete the installation with the Shopware 6 Installer

You can easily complete the installation with the Shopware 6 installer. Unpack the installer on your system and check whether the files and directories have write permissions. In the next step, the installer checks whether you meet all system requirements and if so, you will be redirected to the general terms and conditions, which you must then confirm. You can then configure and import the database.

3. check if the download was successful

Once you have downloaded the Shopware installer and unpacked the files, you can check whether everything worked without errors. To do this, use another program to find out what the checksum of the download is. The algorithm, such as MD5, will then determine this for you. You can compare the result with the checksum on the Shopware page.

And after the Shopware 6 download, what happens next?

The Shopware download is now complete and your own store is installed. You can now look at your Shopware 6 administration and click through your store. Start by creating new products or find your way around by browsing through the various categories. If you still have questions or need help with the initial setup of your store, we will be happy to help you as Shopware experts. Otherwise, we have another tip for you: simply use the initial setup wizard to get your store ready for operation. You can find out how to do this in the following section!

With the initial setup wizard to your fully functional online shop

Have you successfully completed the Shopware 6 download? Then the Shopware admin interface should open. This is where the initial setup wizard comes into play. This should also open directly. The initial setup wizard is a good help so that you can quickly set up your store according to your own ideas. It will help you with the first steps!

Installing the language packs: This allows you to customize the language of the administration interface for the logged-in user. If you have added products, you can also select this language individually for the products.

Import data: In the next step, the initial setup wizard helps you to download the demo data for your first products, for example. However, this is only a test. You should not use the data for your real store. However, this will give you an impression of what a product page should look like, for example. Of course, you don't necessarily have to import the data.

Settings for sending and receiving emails: The third step is about your settings for the mailer. However, you can also adjust the settings later or change the settings again later.

Set up PayPal directly: You can then even set up PayPal directly using the initial setup wizard and enter your PayPal API access data.

The Shopware Markets extension: This allows you to offer your products on other marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay. You should definitely look into this extension to increase your reach.

Create a Shopware account: In the last step of the initial setup wizard, you can create a Shopware account. This will give you access to all the licenses and extensions you have purchased.

Tip: You can open the initial setup wizard again at any time if it no longer opens automatically after the second login to your store. To do this, go to System in the settings. You will then find it there and can call it up.

References

https://docs.shopware.com/de/shopware-6-de/erste-schritte/shopware-6-installieren

https://docs.shopware.com/de/shopware-6-de/erste-schritte/ersteinrichtungs-assistent