This has changed in Shopware 6 since the last update!

Today we take a look at the Shopware 6 update and briefly explain what has changed since the update was released. If you have any further questions about the Shopware store or e-commerce, please feel free to contact us. We at EXWE are at your side as a strong partner and now have fun with our article:

Reading time 7 min

1. Why should you switch from Shopware 5 to Shopware 6?
2. What has happened since the Shopware 6 release
3. General Shopware updates
4. Administration within the Shopware online shop
5. Listing and display of products
6. Listing and display of products
7. Improvements for the B2B area
8. User-friendliness and optimizations in the customer area
9. Shopware developer updates
10. Plugin development in Shopware 6
11. Where can you find the latest software updates?
12. What you can do if you are missing a function in Shopware 6
13. Conclusion

Shopware 6 update - what has changed since the release

Shopware launched the new Shopware 6 version atthe end of 2019, slowly replacing the previous Shopware 5 version. As the release is a completely new software, the change is not just a simple update. To be able to use Shopware 6, your store must be completely migrated. Do you lack the technical know-how? The professionals from our Shopware agency can help you here!

In August 2020, we already gave you a comparison of the old version Shopware 5 with the new release Shopware 6 on our blog. Back then, we recommended that you wait until Shopware 6 had established itself and the first bug fixes and features had been released before making the switch. Now that some time has passed, we asked ourselves what has actually happened since then.

Update October 2023:

A lot has happened since the first release of Shopware 6. The Shopware developers are constantly working on further developing the store system and adding new functions. Shopware version 6.5.5.1 is now available.

With the latest release from September 2023 and versions 6.5.5.0 and 6.5.5.1, for example, the Health Check API was introduced. This API endpoint allows monitoring tools to check the availability of the online store at regular intervals. There is now also a subscription function. This means you can also offer products in a subscription model with your Shopware store. Since September, there has also been an overview for customers where they can view all their subscriptions, cancel them or suspend a delivery.

Some useful functions were also added to Shopware 6in August. These included an improvement to the Flow Builder. The Flow Builder is a tool that allows you to define rules and automate processes. With the new update, store owners can now see how many documents of a certain type have been created for an order. Another update is that you no longer have to enter a salutation when registering.

As you can see, more and more details are being added to make your store even better. In the changelog, you can read exactly what changes the Shopware developers have made. Here you will find a clear list of all versions and can then view the relevant details.

Why should you switch from Shopware 5 to Shopware 6?

As an online store owner of the Shopware 5 version, you will be forced to switch to Shopware 6 in the future. Shopware 5 will soon no longer be managed. Until now, there have been new releases and features, but this will be discontinued from July 2021. But don't panic, you don't need to stress. The Shopware developers will be making bug fixes until July 2022 and there will be security updates until July 2024. So you still have time to make the switch. Once you have successfully completed the migration from five to six, you can look forward to the new software and optimize your store even further.

What has happened since the Shopware 6 release

The Shopware developers have been working on improvements and new functions on a daily basis since the launch of the latest version and will continue to do so. It is clear that a lot has improved and changed to date. Shopware is now at version 6.4, which is the biggest update to date. In addition to 6.4.1.1, there is already 6.4.1.2. You may notice from this that there have been many smaller updates in the meantime: from 6.1.0 to 6.1.6, from 6.2. to 6.2.3, from 6.3.0.0 to 6.3.5.4 and finally from 6.4 to 6.4.1.2. Further versions will also be released in the future. We have compiled the most important changes to Shopware 6 for you here. We differentiate between general updates and developer and plugin updates.

General Shopware updates

The general updates concern, for example, the user-friendliness or the administration of the webshop. For a better overview of the general developments of Shopware 6, we have sorted them into individual categories.

Administration within the Shopware online shop

In order to better manage and customize the store internally, Shopware has released several improvements in recent months. The creation of a rights and role management system, also known as ACL, was particularly popular. ACL stands for Access Control List. With this feature, you can give your employees certain rights for the administration of your store. To do this, you assign user access to different roles. You can enter the job title of the respective user in the "Job title" field. The rights and role management ensures better security and delimitation of responsibilities in your team.

Another new feature has been implemented in the area of document creation. Data for documents such as invoices is now taken from the respective orders and not from the customer accounts. This ensures that all your documents remain correct, even if the customer changes data in their account. This was not the case in the initial versions of Shopware 6.

Listing and display of products

The listing and display of products has also been improved. As a store operator, you can now create a template to define the key features of a product. In the EU, it is a legal requirement that the key features are listed at checkout and in the order overview. Key features include, for example, base price, color, size, material, quality, etc.

You can now also place your listings individually in your online store. If you want to sell all your summer products, you can place them at the top. You can set and define these sortings in the administration.

The search functions in your e-commerce online store can also be adapted to your needs. Specify whether search terms are found with an AND or an OR link. You can also define which fields are eligible for the search.

Improvements for the B2B sector

If your customers are not end customers but retailers, they can now also register as retailers in your store. However, this is only possible via a special link that you can share with your customers. In turn, you can offer special discounts to this customer group.

In addition, the handling of the VAT ID for your Shopware store has also been improved. You can specify the VAT ID as a mandatory field for your B2B customers. You can also specify whether companies can make tax-free purchases from you. This can also be specified for certain countries.

User-friendliness and optimizations in the customer area

To ensure that your customers have a pleasant experience when they visit your Shopware online store, some improvements have been made to user-friendliness. For example, the filter option in the product search has been improved. Only filter combinations that also deliver results in your store are now possible. After all, how frustrating is it for your customer if they set filter options but no matching products are displayed?

On top of that, your customer can restore their shopping cart while shopping. Because your customers are not always ready to buy immediately when they add products to their shopping cart. All they have to do is ring the doorbell and the shopping experience is interrupted. Any number of reasons can cause your customer to be distracted. When they are reminded of your online store again, it's super handy if all the products in their shopping cart are still there. However, this requires registered users.

Your customers can now also create a watch list. The products are saved for the next purchase. It doesn't matter whether it's a normal product or a variant product.

Shopware developer updates

Shopware always releases individual updates for developers. The most important developments in recent months have been in the Sales Channel API and the Store API. This is because the Sales Channel API was completely replaced by the Store API in spring 2021. Developers had to convert apps and plugins to the Store API in order to keep all functions compatible. In addition, with the biggest update, the release of Shopware version 6.4, the latest version PHP 8.0 also became compatible. Now the lowest required PHP version is version 7.4.

Plugin development in Shopware 6

In August 2020, we told you in our article about around 200 existing plugins. However, a lot has changed since then. You can now find over 2,200 plugins in the Shopware Shop under Shopware 6 that can add functionality to your online store. There are also some changes to the plugins in the Shopware updates themselves. For example, Shopware has released the Unified Language plugin with the February 2021 update. With this plugin, you no longer have to install a plugin for every language you want your online store to have. The Unified Language Plugin has a selection of many language packs that can be used for administration and for the e-commerce store from the customer's point of view.

Where can I find the latest software updates?

There will always be new updates to Shopware 6. You can easily find them on the Shopware website. The new releases are compiled monthly in an article on the Shopware blog. There you will find general news and news specifically for developers. Since the second half of 2020, there has been a corresponding release cycle. A new Shopware 6 version is released every month. So you can use the new features in your online store much faster!

What you can do if you are missing a function in Shopware 6

If you are missing a function or have a request for improvement, you can use the Shopware Issue Tracker . There you can create a ticket with your request or view tickets that have already been created on the topic and vote for them. Functions that are particularly in demand could then be included in the next release. If you need an individual and more complex function, a custom plugin could also be the solution for you. We would be happy to create a customized plugin that meets your requirements. Please contact us for an initial non-binding consultation. Do you have any other questions or problems with Shopware? As a certified Shopware partner, we are always on hand to help and advise you.

Conclusion

As you can see, Shopware is constantly making changes to the latest version. These affect all areas: Administration, products, customers, B2B, developers, plugins and apps. We have only given you a rough overview of the most important changes here. Shopware 6 has now been on the market long enough for it to be worth switching from Shopware 5 to Shopware 6. The biggest problems have already been fixed and the most important features have been added. So you don't need to worry about the changeover. If you have any questions or need help converting your store from Shopware 5 to Shopware 6, please send us an email to info@exwe.de and our developers will take your store to the next level!