Upgrade OpenCart to 3.0: Boost Your E-commerce Platform

Like any open source project, OpenCart is constantly evolving, and new features are being added. If you don't want to use the outdated version of the software and are looking for a way to run the OpenCart upgrade - this post meets you halfway and explains how to update OpenCart to the latest version without intensive manual work.

OpenCart Upgrade: New features at a glance

The new OpenCart 3.x version offers the following improvements:

• Integration of Marketplace and Translations in the Admin Panel;
• Theme Editor ability to modify default templates;
• Language editor function to change any text within the store;
• Support for multilingual SEO URLs;
• Improved reporting features.

Let's dig deeper and find out why these OpenCart 3.x features are considered crucial.

Marketplace

Adding Marketplace as an extension in the Admin Panel is a welcome move. Before the release of OpenCart 3.x, it was only available through the official website. Now it is possible to buy and install any addons directly from the Admin, even by store owners who have no technical knowledge. In addition, the Marketplace is fully equipped with language packs, plugins, etc., needed to improve the store.

The default search function in the Marketplace now has many new filters. This makes finding and downloading modules in OpenCart much easier and faster. To start shopping in the new OpenCart Marketplace, you just need to provide the API and profile details.

How to Export OpenCart Products: a Detailed Guide for Entrepreneurs

Language Translation

Another essential extension added to the Admin is Language Translation. It allows store owners to run their store in the native language by simply installing it from Available Translation provided by Crowdin Project. This is a very advanced feature for business owners who want to present the content in their native language. This straightforward language management is another argument to upgrade OpenCart to 3.x sooner or later.

Theme editor

The brand new thing introduced to OpenCart users is the improved Theme Editor. Now you can change the themes of the platform directly from the Admin using Twig language. In addition, the theme editor is user-friendly and allows users to select the template and edit their code as required. It also allows you to modify three main elements - themes, pages, and, most importantly, the pages' code.

If you're running a multistore, it's also possible to change and customize the templates of each store and customize it to how much you need. And no FTP access is required to make these small changes in OpenCart 3.x. This makes working with this eCommerce solution faster and easier. In addition, with the improved Theme Editor, you can customize your storefront and improve the overall look from a single Admin.

Language Editor

The new OpenCart 3.x Language Editor allows you to change and customize any text in your store content to a preferred language without the hassle of installing additional translation extensions. Now everything is available out-of-the-box. To translate the content, select the language you want and enter the text in the Value field.

Curious? Anyway, some more improvements in OpenCart 3.x will convince you to upgrade OpenCart to the latest version. So read on to learn more.

Additional OpenCart 3.x Improvements

What's so special about OpenCart 3.x? The brand new interface design. It's more straightforward, more compact, and minimalistic - the platform undoubtedly follows the latest eCommerce trends. You can notice the design improvements all over the Admin Panel - a new user icon in the profile menu, a category menu hamburger, and many other minor changes.

How to Migrate Your Online Business to OpenCart. A Time-Tested Guide

A new chapter in OpenCart's life story begins with a new look!

Besides the main improvements, OpenCart 3.x developers have prepared much more to show off. Let's talk about other new features presented in the latest version.

Multilingual SEO URLs

The great thing worth mentioning is that OpenCart 3.x supports Multilingual SEO URLs as of this moment. This feature allows you to use any language you want to display in the Google SERP. Note: The SEO keyword is now located in the new SEO tab in the Category editing field.

Extension Installer

We've talked about adding Marketplace extensions, but that's not the only improvement in this area. Now the Admin Panel offers a great selection of new filters. Another addition is the new, improved Extension Installer. It has the new section Install History, which records all the extensions you already have installed.

Reports

The developers have taken care of sorting the data you want to get about your store's performance. Now it is possible to choose which type of report you need and disable the others. And again, managing accounts doesn't require any knowledge - just go to Extensions and select "Reports" from a dropdown list and install the types you want to track.

Statistics

Another important new feature not to be overlooked in this post is the new Statistics menu, which allows you to track complete and processed orders, out-of-stock products, returns, pending reviews, etc.

No one would deny that all the applied improvements and new features of Opencart 3.x make this platform even more robust and optimized than it was before. Of course, OpenCart is among the leading shopping carts, and it has always been known for being flexible and user-friendly. But the new features and improvements show that upgrading to the latest version is what you need to stay ahead of your competitors. It may be annoying to update OpenCart every time a new version comes out, but the rewards are indeed greater.

OpenCart Security Issues: 4 Ways to Deal with Them

Upgrading an open-source platform has never been an easy thing. With OpenCart, it also seems confusing and tedious, and if you're not tech-savvy, you may encounter difficulties such as losing some data or errors during the upgrade process. The more reliable way is to enlist the developer's help - this will save you from code manipulation, but the cost will make you tighten your belt.

To clear your doubts, let us give you a brief CV of Cart2Cart.

• This service is the easiest possible way, the current eCommerce market offers to upgrade your cart or migrate to another desired solution (check the list of 85+ supported platforms).
• It has more than 200 000 successful migrations on its count and offers the most extensive list of transferable entities.
• What makes upgrading with Cart2Cart understandable and fast is that it requires no technical knowledge. The whole data transfer process is accompanied by a Migration Wizard to make it even easier.
• There is 24/7 support that is always ready to help you if any migration-related issues arise.
• Finally, you are welcome to check the data migration quality and test the service by performing a Free Demo OpenCart upgrade. A limited number of entities will be moved from your current OpenCart store to a new live OpenCart within 15 minutes during the test data transfer.

How to perform an OpenCart upgrade. Step-by-Step Guide

Important: In the rest of the guide, we will use the term "migration" instead of "upgrade" because the basic principle of the service is to migrate your data from an old Opencart version to a new, established store. Now we are ready to start, follow the guide carefully to get a successful result.

Register Cart2Cart account

Sign in with your Facebook or Google account or create new Cart2Cart account with your valid existing email.

After completing the registration, click "Start Demo migration" to start automated migration yourself or "Get migration package" to delegate the OpenCart upgrade to Cart2Cart technicians.

We'll show you how to upgrade OpenCart to the latest version yourself.

Configure your Source Cart

Select OpenCart as Source Cart and enter the URL of your store. Then download the Connection Bridge (a so-called "gateway" for accessing your current shop's data), unzip it, and upload it to your current OpenCart root directory.

Setup Target Cart

Select the new Opencart as your target shopping cart and provide your store's Admin URL, login and password. Once done, proceed to the next step.

Optionally, you can do a demo data migration to a Cart2Cart test store instead of migrating the data to your new OpenCart. If you choose to do this - check the "Try migration using Cart2Cart test store" box (above the "Target Cart" field) and proceed with your upgrade. Test stores are provided for free. They are secure and exist for three days after migration.

Choose entities & additional migration options

Now it's time to select entities you want to transfer to the new OpenCart store. You can choose specific data or click "Select All" to proceed. When you're done, specify the additional migration options and continue to expand your data transfer capabilities. Other extra options are available at an additional cost.

Perform Free Demo OpenCart upgrade

After selecting entities and additional options, you can start the free demo migration by simply clicking the "Start Free Demo" button.

During the demo migration, you will see the progress bar with the process of data transfer. The test transfer will take no more than 15 minutes. Once it is complete, you will receive a notification via email. So you don't have to sit and wait. You can close the window and return to your business.

Proceed with the Full migration

After evaluating the demo results and checking the quality and speed of data transfer with Cart2Cart, you can go back to your life and continue selling. Cart2Cart will take care of the rest.

Note: Cart2cart does not affect the performance of your current store. It remains fully active. After the OpenCart upgrade process is complete, you will receive a notification email and an invitation to review the results.

That's it. Enjoy your OpenCart 3.x features!

We hope this guide is helpful for you and that you will soon be a happy OpenCart 3.x store owner! There are no reasons to undertake such an opportunity to boost your store's performance and enrich your platform with new features.

If you are ready to run the OpenCart upgrade to the latest version, don't waste a minute - start a Free Demo and get acquainted with your new store in just a few hours!