1.1. Connection Wizard
This section helps you configure the connection to your live store and start working with your data.
When you open Store Manager for the first time the Connection Wizard is launched automatically in order to help you connect to your live store database and start working with your store.
In case it is not shown, you may find the Connection Wizard in Settings -> Connection Wizard (see an illustration below).
Simple Mode
Connection wizard allows you configure the connection to your store data automatically using Simple mode.
1. Select Connection Mode
On the first step, you’ll be suggested to choose the way of connection setup between Simple Mode and Advanced Mode. Let’s start from the Simple one - it allows you to set up connection automatically with no efforts.
If you run this wizard for the first time you’ll be taken to the third step. If you run it manually, you need to select “Add new configuration” in order to create the new configuration.
2. FTP Settings
At this step of Connection Wizard, you’ll be asked to specify your FTP details so Store Manager could proceed automatically. Please, contact your hosting company to get actual FTP details.
"Server address" - Usually it is your website name like "mywebsite.com" (do not include http://www. prefix); you may use IP address as well.
"Username (login)", "Password" - Specify your FTP username and password. Please make sure that specified user has all privileges and can view, edit or create files in your shopping cart folder.
"Store root directory" - This is the catalog which contains the files of your store (shopping cart) and can be seen/viewed via FTP. Click on browse button to select your shopping cart root folder. In most cases, it is public_html or HTTP docs or www. To make sure that you have selected the correct folder, check if there are admin and images folders as well as all other files and folders of your shopping cart inside.
Click the [Test FTP Connection] button and if you receive the message “FTP was connected successfully”, please, proceed with the connection setup by clicking [Next].
< - If you got this message when you use the [Test FTP Connection] button, you have to add your IP address to the Access list. It means that the host computer is behind a firewall and you may not be able to access it from your home computer.
In such cases, you should add your IP to the whitelist (Access Hosts) using your store control panel in order to allow FTP connections from specified IP address.
In case you need assistance, you’re welcome to contact your hosting provider and they will gladly help you with the process.
For a better understanding of a process of adding IP address to the whitelist use our article: How to add my IP address to Access List and allow direct MySQL connections?.
Click [Next] to proceed.
3. Store URL
Please, specify your store URL at this step of Connection Wizard. Please, check this URL in your browser, whether it can be opened.
4. Connection Preview
The next step of Connection Wizard will show you the list of your connection settings. Click [Finish] to close the wizard and use those settings.
Advanced Mode
In the case for some reasons connection was not configured successfully using Simple Mode, let’s try Advanced Mode.
To open Connection Wizard, find it in the tab Settings -> Connection Wizard:
Once it is shown, please follow few steps below:
1. Select Connection Mode
On the first step, you’ll be suggested to choose the way of connection setup between Simple Mode and Advanced Mode. Let’s proceed with Advanced one - it allows you to set up the connection manually.
2. Change Current or Create New Store Connection
Please, select [Create New Store Connection] to create a new connection to your store or [Change Current Connection Settings] in case you have added some connection settings earlier.
3. FTP Settings
At this step of Connection Wizard, you’ll be asked to specify your FTP details, so Store Manager could find all the further required information automatically:
"Server address" - Usually it is your website name like "mywebsite.com" (do not include http://www. prefix); you may use IP address as well.
"Username (login)", "Password" - Specify your FTP username and password. Please make sure that specified user has all privileges and can view, edit or create files in your shopping cart folder.
"Store root directory" - This is the catalog that contains the files of your store (shopping cart) that you can find/see via FTP. Click on browse button to select your shopping cart root folder. In most cases, it is public_html or httpdocs or www. To make sure that you have selected the correct folder, check if there are admin and images folders as well as all the other files and folders of your shopping cart inside.
You can verify the correctness of specified settings by clicking the [Test FTP Connection] button. If all settings are correct, such message displays: "FTP was connected successfully" (see an illustration above).
Proceed with the connection setup by clicking [Next].
4. Store URL
Please, specify your store URL at this step of Connection Wizard and click [Next] to verify it.
In case the URL is not accepted, please try to open the store URL using any browser to make sure it is correct. In case you see your store, copy the URL and paste it in Store Manager.
You can also use the test button for verification - called [Test Store URL]. You should receive such message as on the image below:
5. Select connection type.
On the next step you’ll be asked to choose store connection that you’d like to set up:
[Direct connection to remote database] allows you to make changes which will be immediately reflected at your store.
[PHP MySQL bridge connection] allows you to work with your database much faster though it requires manual synchronization.
Please, note that we added a new type of connection - [HTTP tunnel], which is an alternative way to connect to your store directly and make instant changes.
It possesses the advantages of both direct and bridge connection;
Benefits:
- This type of connection is useful if you don't have direct access to MySQL database, it works the same way as an ordinary web browser;
- You don't need to do POST \ GET operations to synchronize data with your store, all changes are made in real-time.
Disadvantages:
- .php file is used by HTTP -tunnel, that's why the speed of work depends on your channel speed capacity. If you have unstable connection, it is better for you to use bridge connection because it works with a cached database.
We don’t recommend importing products if HTTP tunnel is set up. We are working on the improvement of connection and we’re planning to implement caching import in the next releases.
6. Let’s try to set up Direct connection to remote database, HTTP tunnel or PHP MySQL bridge connection.
6.1. Direct connection to remote database
Please, choose Direct connection to remote database from the list:
At the next step of Connection Wizard you’ll be asked to specify your Host address - usually, it is your website name like "mywebsite.com" (do not include http://www. prefix); you may use IP address as well. Press [Autodetect]
You have to enter the address of the computer you want to connect to. This computer must run MySQL server containing your store database.
Usually, database server address is the same as your store address.
We recommend you to try 3306 database port and, if it doesn’t work, contact your hosting provider and ask what port you have to use to connect to MySQL.
Click [Test Host Address] to verify the host address and [Next] to proceed.
Database Login. Please, specify username and password to your database.
In order to find your settings, please follow few steps:
Open your store using any FTP Client (like FileZilla, or any other)
Open your store root directory via ftp and find config folder
Open settings.inc.php file and you will find your username and password
Copy them to Store Manager
define('_DB_USER_', 'your_user_goes_here')
define('_DB_PASSWD_', 'your_database_password_goes_here')
Please, press [Test Database Login] to check the credentials and then [Next] to proceed.
At the next step of Connection Wizard, you’ll be asked to select database name. Press [Autodetect] to get the Database Name and [Next] to go to the last step.
The button [Test Database] helps to verify the correctness of the entered data.
Click [Next] to see the summary of connection settings and Finish to complete the connection setup. Close the Preferences window by clicking [OK] to start working with your data.
6.2. HTTP tunnel
Please, choose [HTTP tunnel] store connection:
and you’ll be redirected to the following page to confirm "Tunnel URL". Make sure the link includes http:// prefix. Please, click [Test HTTP Tunnel] to check the link.
Database Login. Please, specify username and password to your database.
In order to find your settings, please follow few steps:
Open your store using any FTP Client (like FileZilla, or any other)
Open your store root directory via FTP and find config folder
Open settings.inc.php file and you will find your username and password
Copy them to Store Manager
define('_DB_USER_', 'your_user_goes_here')
define('_DB_PASSWD_', 'your_database_password_goes_here')
Please, press [Test Database Login] to check the credentials and then [Next] to proceed.
At the next step of Connection Wizard, you’ll be asked to select database name.
The [Test Database] button in the lower right corner of the window allows checking whether the selected database is correct.
Press [Autodetect] to get the Database Name and [Next] to go to the last step.
6.3. PHP MySQL bridge connection
If neither direct MySQL nor HTTP tunnel connection is possible to try PHP-MySQL bridge connection as an alternative. Bridge is just another way to connect to your database.
Please, choose [PHP MySQL bridge connection], then click [Next]
At this step of Connection Wizard, you’ll see the login and password for your bridge connection. The username and passwords are generated by the software in order to make the connection secure. They differ from database access details.
Click [Next] so the Connection Wizard could verify the connection and proceed with uploading the bridge file.
Use the [Test PHP Bridge connection] button to verify whether PHP Bridge connection works properly.
Click [Next] to close the wizard and use these settings.
Please, make sure you select the type of database you need if you use bridge connection.