Installation

Server requirements

Review these requirements before installing SigmaCart. The platform combines a Next.js storefront with a Laravel API, so your hosting environment must support both Node.js and PHP applications.

Minimum software requirements

The following runtimes and services are required for a standard SigmaCart installation.

Backend PHP 8.2 or later Required by the Laravel 12 API and installer.

Storefront Node.js 20.9 or later Required to build and run the Next.js 16 application.

Database MySQL 8.0+ Recommended for reliable production operation.

Component	Minimum or recommended version	Purpose
PHP	8.2+	Runs the Laravel 12 API and administration services.
Node.js	20.9+	Builds and runs the Next.js 16 storefront.
npm	Included with a supported Node.js release	Installs frontend dependencies and runs build scripts.
Composer	2.x	Installs Laravel and PHP dependencies when deploying from source.
MySQL	8.0+ recommended	Stores products, customers, orders, settings, and other application data.
Web server	Apache 2.4+ or Nginx	Serves the Laravel API and routes public web traffic.

Prebuilt deployment packages

If your SigmaCart download includes production-ready dependencies or a prebuilt Next.js bundle, Composer and frontend build tools may not be needed on the production server. Node.js is still required when the storefront runs as a Next.js server.

Required PHP extensions

Enable the following extensions for Laravel and SigmaCart features such as API requests, image processing, archive extraction, sessions, and database connectivity.

Ctype
cURL
DOM
FileInfo
Filter
GD
Hash
JSON
Mbstring
OpenSSL
PCRE
PDO and PDO MySQL
Session
Tokenizer
XML
ZIP

You can confirm the PHP version and enabled extensions from cPanel under Select PHP Version or PHP Extensions. On a VPS, use:

php -v
php -m
node -v
npm -v
composer --version

Hosting requirements

SigmaCart requires hosting that can run PHP and a persistent Node.js process. Standard PHP-only shared hosting is not sufficient for a server-rendered Next.js storefront.

Node.js Application Manager, Passenger, PM2, Docker, or an equivalent process manager
PHP-FPM or a compatible PHP handler for the Laravel API
SSH or terminal access recommended for installation and troubleshooting
Ability to configure environment variables for both applications
URL rewriting or reverse-proxy support
Cron job access for Laravel scheduled tasks

Confirm Node.js hosting before purchasing a plan

If you use cPanel shared hosting, make sure it includes Setup Node.js App or another supported method for keeping the Next.js process running. Otherwise, use a VPS, cloud server, or managed Node.js hosting service.

Domain and installation location

Subdirectory installation is not supported

Install SigmaCart on a main domain or subdomain. Do not install it inside a path such as /shop unless your purchased package explicitly includes subdirectory support.

Supported
https://yourdomain.com
https://shop.yourdomain.com
https://api.yourdomain.com

Not supported
https://yourdomain.com/my-new-website

SSL requirement

A valid SSL certificate is mandatory for both the storefront and API. HTTPS protects customer information and is required for secure authentication, payment gateways, browser APIs, and third-party integrations.

Free SSL is supported

You can install a free certificate through cPanel AutoSSL or Let’s Encrypt. Cloudflare can also provide HTTPS when it is configured correctly for your origin server.

Before launching the installer, verify that every production URL opens with https:// and does not display certificate or mixed-content warnings.

File and directory permissions

The PHP web-server user must be able to write to Laravel’s storage and bootstrap/cache directories. Use the permissions recommended by your hosting provider and avoid setting public files or directories to 777.

chmod -R 775 storage bootstrap/cache

Server ownership still matters

The command above is only an example. Correct ownership depends on your hosting environment. If writing still fails, ask your hosting provider to assign the application files to the appropriate web-server user.

Recommended production resources

Actual resource usage depends on traffic, catalog size, image volume, background jobs, and enabled integrations. The following is a practical starting point for a small-to-medium store.

Resource	Recommended starting point
Memory	2 GB RAM minimum; 4 GB or more recommended for production
CPU	2 vCPU or more
Storage	10 GB SSD or more, depending on product images and backups
PHP memory limit	256 MB minimum; 512 MB recommended
PHP upload limit	64 MB or more for product media and package uploads
Execution time	120 seconds or more during installation and import operations

Redis is optional but recommended for high-traffic stores that use centralized cache, sessions, or queues. A file or database cache may be used when Redis is unavailable.

Pre-installation checklist

Domain or subdomain is connected to the server
SSL is active on the storefront and API domains
PHP 8.2+ and all required extensions are enabled
Node.js 20.9+ is available and can run continuously
A MySQL database and database user have been created
Laravel writable directories have correct permissions
Environment variables can be configured securely
Scheduled tasks and process management are available

Ready to install

Once every item above is confirmed, continue to the SigmaCart installation guide and launch the web installer.

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