Store and site structure
When Adobe Commerce or Magento Open Source is installed, a hierarchy that includes a main website, store, and store view is created. You can create additional websites, stores, and store views, as needed. For example, in addition to your main website, you might have additional websites with a different domain. Within each website, you can have multiple stores, and within each store, separate store views. Many installations have one website and one store, but with multiple store views to support different languages.
Before you begin, plan your store catalog hierarchy in advance because it is referred to throughout the configuration. Each store can have a separate root category, which makes it possible to have an entirely different set of main menu options for each store.
Add stores
A single installation of Adobe Commerce or Magento Open Source can have multiple stores that share an Admin. Stores that are under the same website have the same IP address and domain, use the same security certificate, and share a single checkout process.
The important thing to understand is that the stores use the same code and share an Admin. Each store can have a separate catalog, or the stores can share a catalog. Each store can have a separate root category, which makes it possible to have a different main menu for each store. Stores can also have different branding, presentation, and content. Take some time to plan your store hierarchy with future growth in mind before you begin, because it is used throughout the configuration.
Here are some examples of how URLs can be configured for multiple stores:
yourdomain.com/store1yourdomain.com/store2store1.yourdomain.comstore2.yourdomain.comMulti-store installations of Adobe Commerce must be configured from the Admin and also from the command line of the server. The Adobe Commerce Configuration Guide provides detailed instructions for configuring the server environment.
Step 1: Choose the store domain
The first step is to choose how you want to position the store. Should the stores share a domain, each have a subdomain, or have distinctly different domains? For each store, do one of the following:
- To place the store one level below the primary domain, you do not have to do anything.
- Set up a subdomain of your primary domain.
- Set up a different primary domain.
Step 2: Create the store
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On the Admin sidebar, go to Stores > Settings > All Stores.
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Click Create Store and set the options for the new store:
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Web Site — Choose a website that is to be the parent of the new store. If the installation has only one web site, accept the default (
Main Website). -
Name — Enter a name for the new store. The name is for internal reference only.
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Code — Enter a code in lowercase characters to identify the store. For example:
mainstore. -
Root Category — Set to the root category that defines the category structure for the main menu of the new store. If you have already created a specific root category for the store, select it. Otherwise, select
Default Category. You can come back later and update the setting.
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Click Save Store.
Step 3: Create a default store view
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Click Create Store View and set the store view options:
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Store — Set to the new store you created.
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Name — Enter a name for the view. For example,
English. -
Code — Enter a code for the view in lowercase characters.
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Status — Set to
Enabled. -
Sort Order — Enter a number to determine the store’s position when listed with other stores.
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Click Save Store View.
If you open your store in edit mode, you can see that it now has a default view.
Step 4: Configure the store URL
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On the Admin sidebar, click Stores > Settings > Configuration.
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Under General in the left panel on the left, choose Web.
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In the upper-left corner, set Store View to the view that you created for the new store.
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When prompted to confirm scope switching, click OK.
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Expand
If needed, clear the Use system value checkbox to change the setting.
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Expand
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Click Save Config.
Step 5: Configure the server
To configure your server to support multiple websites, see Multiple websites or stores in the Configuration Guide.
For help with configuring your web server, see the following resources:
For Adobe Commerce on cloud infrastructure, see Set up multiple websites or stores.
Add websites
Multiple websites can be set up from a single Adobe Commerce or Magento Open Source installation with the same domain or different domains. By default, stores that are under the same website have the same IP address and domain, use the same security certificate, and share a single checkout process. If you want each store to have a dedicated checkout process under its own domain, each store must have a distinct IP address and separate security certificate.
Multi-site installations of Adobe Commerce or Magento Open Source must be configured from the Admin and also from the command line of the server. The Commerce Configuration Guide provides detailed instructions for configuring the server environment.
Step 1: Create a website
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On the Admin sidebar, go to Stores > Settings > All Stores.
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In the upper-right corner, click Create Website.
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Set the Web Site Information options:
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Name — Enter the domain of the new website. For example,
domain.com. -
Code — Enter a code that is used on the server to point to the domain.
The code must begin with a lowercase (a-z) letter, and can include any combination of letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), and the underscore (_) symbol.
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Sort Order — (Optional) Enter a number to determine the sequence in which this site is listed with other sites. To make this site appear at the top of the list, enter a zero (
0).
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Click Save Web Site.
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Set up each store and store view that is needed for the new website.
You can then open the website in edit mode to set the default store.
Step 2: Configure the store URL
To configure the store URLs, follow the instructions.
Step 3: Configure the server
To configure your server to support multiple websites, see Multiple websites or stores in the Configuration Guide.
For help with configuring your web server, see the following tutorials:
For Adobe Commerce on cloud infrastructure, see Set up multiple websites or stores.