Introduction to OpenCart
Introduction to OpenCart is a course in building an online store with OpenCart 4, from preparing hosting and HTTPS and uploading files with FileZilla to a secure installation, products, shipping, payments, reports and submitting a sitemap through Google Search Console. It suits anyone who wants their own online shop and students seeking extra income, and you leave able to run a store with its back office.
- Duration12 hours · 2 days
- FormatOnsite / live online
- Next roundOn request
- CertificateIncluded
Course overview
There are several ways to sell online: through a marketplace, by renting a hosted shop builder, or with a store website of your own. The last option gives you full ownership of your customer data and storefront, and OpenCart is an open-source online store system that installs on ordinary hosting, with a complete back office for products, orders, customers and reports, without having to write code.
This course walks through building an online store with OpenCart 4, from preparing a domain, hosting, a control panel and HTTPS, uploading files with FileZilla, installing the system and closing security gaps after installation, to setting up the store, Thai baht currency and tax. Learners then add categories and products, configure shipping and payments, install extensions, manage orders and reports, and finish with SEO and submitting a sitemap through Google Search Console so the store is ready to open. (2 days, 6 hours per day, 12 hours in total, Beginner level.)
What you’ll gain
- Understand the different kinds of online store and choose an approach that suits the business
- Prepare a domain, hosting, database and HTTPS through a control panel
- Upload files with FileZilla and install OpenCart 4 on a live server
- Secure the store after installation and back up its data
- Set up the store, categories, products, shipping and payments
- Manage orders, customers and coupons and read reports in the back office
- Apply basic SEO and submit a sitemap through Google Search Console
Who this course is for
- Anyone who wants to open an online store on their own website
- Small business owners selling on marketplaces who want a storefront of their own
- School and university students who want extra income from selling online
- Staff who look after an organisation's online store
Prerequisites
- Comfortable using a Windows or macOS computer
- Basic use of the internet and a web browser
- Your own product details and photos will help you leave with a store you can keep using
- No programming experience required
Curriculum
Course Details
This course is the 2026 edition of Introduction to OpenCart. It runs for 2 days, 6 hours per day (12 hours in total, 09:00-16:00), as lectures with labs and a workshop. Beginner level. This edition uses OpenCart 4.1, the current release on opencart.com, which requires PHP 8 or later, installs extensions as .ocmod.zip files and uses Google Search Console in place of the
old Google Webmaster Tools. It adds HTTPS setup, post-installation security, backups and basic PDPA awareness, while keeping the use of control panels such as DirectAdmin and uploading files with FileZilla. No programming experience is needed. The domain, hosting and online payment merchant account for a live store are the learner's own. Learners take home a lab guide, sample product data and a pre-launch checklist.
Day 1 Preparing Hosting and Installing OpenCart 4
Section 1: Understanding Online Store Systems
- Marketplaces, hosted shop builders and open-source systems on your own hosting
- Popular open-source store systems and where OpenCart stands out
- Open-source licences and crediting developers properly
- Customer data and the PDPA points an online store should know
Section 2: Lab: Preparing a Domain, Hosting and Control Panel
- Choose hosting that supports PHP 8 and MySQL or MariaDB
- Use a control panel such as DirectAdmin or cPanel
- Create a database and database user
- Enable HTTPS with a free SSL certificate such as Let's Encrypt
- Lab: prepare space to install the store
Section 3: Lab: Uploading Files and Installing OpenCart 4
- Download the latest OpenCart from opencart.com
- Upload files with FileZilla over SFTP or FTPS
- Rename config-dist.php and run the installer in the browser
- Automatic installation through a control panel, and what to watch for
- Lab: install the store on a live server and open the storefront
Section 4: Security After Installation and Backups
- Delete the install folder and move the storage folder outside the web root
- Rename the admin folder and set a strong password
- User groups and permissions for back-office staff
- Backing up files and the database, and applying updates
Section 5: Lab: Basic Store Settings
- Store details, logo, email and opening hours
- Language, Thai baht currency and weight and length units
- A tax class for 7% VAT
- Customer registration and checkout settings
- Lab: configure your own sample store
Day 2 Products, Sales and Marketing
Section 6: Lab: Categories, Products and Product Options
- Create main categories and subcategories
- Add products with prices, stock and several images
- Product options such as size and colour with different prices
- Manufacturers, related products and special prices
- Lab: add at least 10 sample products
Section 7: Lab: Shipping and Payments
- Flat-rate, weight-based and free shipping above an order value
- Geo zones for defining delivery areas
- Accept bank transfers and cash on delivery
- An overview of payment gateway extensions and what you need to prepare
- Lab: place a complete test order as a customer
Section 8: Extensions and Storefront Design
- The Marketplace and the Extension Installer with .ocmod.zip files
- Choosing extensions that support OpenCart 4 from trusted sources
- Home page modules such as slideshow, featured products and banners
- Adjusting the theme, menus and information pages such as About Us and returns policy
- Lab: prepare the store home page for selling
Section 9: Lab: Orders, Customers and Reports
- Order statuses, printing invoices and shipping lists
- Customer groups and prices for each group
- Discount coupons and their conditions
- Reports on sales, best sellers and most viewed products
- Lab: handle an order from payment to dispatch
Section 10: Workshop: SEO and Google Search Console
- SEO URLs, meta titles and meta descriptions for products and categories
- Create a sitemap with the built-in feed or an extension that supports OpenCart 4
- Verify site ownership in Google Search Console and submit the sitemap
- A checklist before opening the store, and next steps
Schedule & training options
For individuals — public rounds
No public rounds are open right now. Join the waiting list and we will contact you first when the next round opens, or ask us on LINE. Or call 02-570-8449 or 088-807-9770
For organisations — in-house / private
- Tailor the content to your team’s tools and projects
- Your dates, at your office or live online
- Quotation with tax ID for procurement
Instructors
Frequently asked questions
What is OpenCart, and how does it differ from a hosted online shop builder?
OpenCart is an open-source online store system written in PHP, using a MySQL or MariaDB database and installed on your own hosting, so you own the data and can freely customise the storefront, extensions and payment options. A hosted shop builder is quicker to start and needs no server management, but you can only customise what the provider allows and you pay an ongoing subscription. With OpenCart you look after updates and security yourself.
How do you upload website files to a server with FileZilla?
Get the connection details from your hosting provider or a control panel such as DirectAdmin: host name, username, password and port. Open FileZilla, enter the details and click Quickconnect. Once connected, the left pane shows your computer and the right pane the server; open the site folder, such as public_html, and drag files across. Choose SFTP or FTPS where the server supports them so the transfer is encrypted.
What security steps are needed after installing OpenCart 4?
Delete the install folder straight after installation, and move the storage folder outside the web root as the system recommends so it cannot be reached from a browser. Rename the admin folder to something hard to guess, set a strong administrator password, use HTTPS across the site, give back-office staff only the permissions they need, back up files and the database regularly, and keep OpenCart and its extensions updated.
How do you submit a sitemap to Google?
First create the store's sitemap, using the system's feed or an extension that supports OpenCart 4. Add your site to Google Search Console (formerly Google Webmaster Tools) and verify ownership, for example by uploading the HTML file Google provides or adding a DNS record. Then open the Sitemaps section, enter the sitemap URL and submit it, and track its indexing status on the same screen.
Who is the Introduction to OpenCart course for, and what should I know beforehand?
It suits anyone who wants an online store on their own website, small business owners selling on marketplaces who want their own storefront, students seeking extra income and staff who look after an organisation's online store. You do not need to know how to program, only to be comfortable with a computer and the internet. Bringing your own product details and photos means you leave with a store you can keep using.
Can the Introduction to OpenCart course be run in-house for our team?
Yes. It can be run in-house for your team, with examples adapted to your work, such as using your organisation's real products or focusing on back-office tasks like order handling and reports for the staff who run the store. You can request a quotation from this page, or contact us on LINE @itgenius or by phone on 02-570-8449.