Step-by-step install guide. Follow the Self-Hosted eCommerce Builder Install Guide. Every step has a message you can paste to your AI assistant, so you do not have to do the setup yourself.
The self-hosted eCommerce Builder ships with a few built-in commands for checking that things are actually configured correctly, rather than finding out the hard way when a customer tries to check out. Run all of these with your virtual environment activated.
Check Your Stripe Configuration
python manage.py test_stripe
Verifies your Stripe keys are present and valid without processing a real payment. Run this right after initial setup, and again any time you change your Stripe credentials or switch between test and live mode.
Check Your Email Configuration
python manage.py test_email --to your-email@example.com
Validates the SMTP connection, tests authentication, and sends an actual test email so you can confirm delivery end to end. Run this after setting up email, and again after changing any SMTP credential.
Check Your Migrations Match Your Models
python manage.py makemigrations --check
Confirms there's no mismatch between your database schema and your code before you deploy. Run this before every update, especially if you've made any customisations of your own.
Run the Full Test Suite
python manage.py test
Runs the application's full automated test suite. This is mainly useful if you (or a developer you've hired) have modified the code and want to confirm nothing else broke as a result.
When to Run These
- Right after initial setup, before you go live: test_stripe and test_email
- Any time you change a Stripe or SMTP credential: the matching one of the two above
- Before every update or deploy: makemigrations --check
- After any custom code change: test