Quick Start Guide

Get nopCommerce running on your local machine in under 10 minutes.

Step 1: Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/nopSolutions/nopCommerce.git
cd nopCommerce

Step 2: Build the Solution

Using Visual Studio

1. Open nopCommerce.sln in Visual Studio 2022
2. Set Nop.Web as the startup project
3. Build the solution (Ctrl+Shift+B)

Using Command Line

# Restore dependencies
dotnet restore

# Build the solution
dotnet build

# Navigate to web project
cd src/Presentation/Nop.Web

Step 3: Configure the Database

Option A: SQL Server Express (Recommended for Development)

1. Ensure SQL Server Express is installed and running
2. The installer will create the database automatically during first run

Option B: Use In-Memory Database (Quick Testing)

For quick testing without setting up a database, you can modify the startup to use an in-memory provider (not recommended for development).

Step 4: Run the Application

Using Visual Studio

Press F5 to run with debugging, or Ctrl+F5 to run without debugging.

Using Command Line

cd src/Presentation/Nop.Web
dotnet run

Step 5: Complete Installation Wizard

1. Open your browser and navigate to https://localhost:5001 (or the URL shown in console)
2. Follow the installation wizard:

Installation Steps

1. Store Information - Enter your store name and email
2. Database Configuration - Select SQL Server and enter connection details
3. Create Admin Account - Set up your administrator credentials
4. Install - Click Install and wait for completion

Installation Wizard Fields

Field	Description	Example
Admin Email	Administrator email	admin@yourstore.com
Admin Password	Min 6 characters	SecurePass123!
Database Server	SQL Server instance	localhost\SQLEXPRESS
Database Name	Will be created	nopCommerce_dev

Step 6: Access Your Store

After installation completes:

• Public Store: https://localhost:5001
• Admin Panel: https://localhost:5001/Admin

Default Credentials

Use the admin email and password you created during installation to log in.

Verify Installation

Check These Features Work:

• [ ] Homepage loads correctly
• [ ] Admin login successful
• [ ] Can view product catalog
• [ ] Can access Configuration > Settings

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Build Errors

# Clean and rebuild
dotnet clean
dotnet build --no-incremental

Database Connection Failed

• Verify SQL Server is running
• Check the connection string in App_Data\dataSettings.json
• Ensure your SQL user has permission to create databases

Port Already in Use

Edit Properties/launchSettings.json to use a different port:

"applicationUrl": "https://localhost:5002;http://localhost:5003"

Next Steps

Now that nopCommerce is running:

1. Create Your First Plugin - Build a simple plugin
2. Explore the Architecture - Understand how plugins work
3. Set Up Your Development Workflow - Learn best practices