Official installation guide

Install SigmaAI

Next.js Ecommerce and Admin Dashboard with Laravel API. A full-stack ecommerce website. Reimagine your store with ChatGPT AI—create stunning headers, footers, product pages, and content from a simple prompt, with limitless possibilities for every brand.

Next.js StorefrontLaravel APIMySQL DatabaseVisual InstallerSSL Ready

Installation overview

SigmaAI uses a two-part architecture. The customer-facing Next.js application runs on the main domain, while Laravel handles products, orders, customers, payments, settings, emails, SMS and other backend operations through an API.

Main domainhttps://example.com
Next.js storefront

API subdomainhttps://api.example.com
Laravel backend

Installation orderStart with the Next.js storefront setup screen. After you enter the Laravel API address, SigmaAI sends you to the backend installer to complete the server, purchase, database and administrator setup.

Before you begin

Prepare both domains and confirm that your server satisfies the requirements before uploading SigmaAI. Completing these checks prevents most installation failures.

1. Domain and DNS check

Point the main domain to the location where the Next.js storefront will run.
Create an API subdomain such as api.example.com for Laravel.
Point the API subdomain to the Laravel application's root.
Wait for DNS changes to propagate before starting the installer.

2. Install SSL certificates first

Enable a valid SSL certificate for both the main domain and the API subdomain before installation. Both URLs must open with https:// without a browser security warning.

Storefront SSL

Install SSL for example.com and, if used, www.example.com.

API SSL

Install SSL separately for api.example.com or include it in a wildcard certificate.

Do not mix HTTP and HTTPSIf the storefront loads over HTTPS but calls an HTTP API or asset URL, the browser will block those requests as mixed content. Use HTTPS consistently for the storefront, API and public assets.

3. Laravel server pre-check

Confirm that the backend hosting supports the PHP version required by your SigmaAI release and that these common Laravel requirements are available:

PHP extensions

OpenSSL, PDO, Mbstring, Tokenizer, XML, Ctype, JSON, BCMath, Fileinfo, cURL, ZIP and GD or Imagick.

Hosting features

MySQL/MariaDB, URL rewriting, writable storage, cron jobs, outbound HTTPS, email support and sufficient memory.

Create an empty MySQL or MariaDB database.
Create a database user and grant it full privileges on that database.
Keep the database host, port, name, username and password ready.
Ensure storage and bootstrap/cache are writable.

4. Next.js server pre-check

Install the Node.js version 20.9 or later .
If you are using Cpanel/CloudLinux, Check if you have "Application Mananger" or "Setup Node.js App" feature enable or Confirm whether the hosting account can run a Node.js application using SSH or Terminal command line if you dont have the cPanel/cloudeLinux Control panel.

Installation with cPanel/CloudLinux Installation with Command Line

Step 1 — Install the Next.js storefront

Upload the frontend package
sigmaai-nextjs-frontend.zip
Upload the Next.js frontend sigmaai-nextjs-frontend.zip to the /public_html directory, your main domain. Extract the package and keep the original folder structure intact.
Next
sigmaai-laravel-api.zip
Upload the sigmaai-laravel-api.zip on /api directory, pointed by domain https://api.example.com. Extract the package and keep the original folder structure intact.
Configure the Node.js Application Manager
Cpanel CloudLinux
Open your hosting control panel and create a new Node.js application for the main domain. Select the Node.js version required by SigmaAI, choose Production mode, set the application root to the uploaded frontend directory and configure the startup file supplied with the package, normally server.js.
- Application URL: select your main domain.
- Application root: select the SigmaAI frontend folder.
- Application mode: choose Production.
- Startup file: use server.js or the startup file included with your package.
- Environment variables: add the production values provided in the SigmaAI configuration file.
Use the Application Manager's dependency-install action, then restart the application. The frontend must remain connected to the main domain.
Open the main domain
Visit https://example.com/setup. SigmaAI displays the Storefront Setup screen when the project has not yet been configured.
Connect the Laravel backend api
Enter the complete HTTPS URL of the Laravel API, for example https://api.example.com. The setup page detects the storefront domain automatically.

Connect the Laravel backend — Enter the Laravel API URL and confirm that the detected storefront URL is your main domain.

Step 1 — Install the Next.js storefront using the command line

Use this method for AWS EC2, DigitalOcean, a VPS, dedicated hosting, or another Linux server where you manage Node.js through SSH. Run commands as a normal deployment user with access to the application directory. Do not run SigmaAI as the root user.

Connect and prepare the server
Connect through SSH, update the server, and install the utilities required for deployment.
```
ssh deployment-user@SERVER_IP
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y curl unzip nginx
```
Install and verify Node.js
Install Node.js 20.9 or later using the method supported by your Linux distribution. Verify Node.js and npm before continuing.
```
node --version
npm --version
```
Version requirementUse the Node.js version specified by your SigmaAI release. Node.js 20.9 or later is required by this guide.
Upload and extract SigmaAI
Upload the frontend archive, create a dedicated application directory, and extract the files while preserving their folder structure.
```
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/sigmacart
sudo chown -R deployment-user:deployment-user /var/www/sigmacart
cd /var/www/sigmacart
unzip /path/to/sigmacart-frontend.zip
```
Replace the deployment user and archive path with the values used by your server.
Configure production environment values
Create or update the production environment file supplied with SigmaAI. Set the Laravel API address to its complete HTTPS URL and use the main domain for the public storefront.
```
NODE_ENV=production
API_URL=https://api.example.com
APP_URL=https://api.example.com
ASSET_SOURCE_URL=https://api.example.com
NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL=https://example.com
ASSET_URL=https://example.com
STOREFRONT_SETUP_COMPLETE=false
```
Main-domain requirementNEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL and the public Next.js storefront must use the main domain. Do not configure the frontend on a subdomain.
Install dependencies and build
From the frontend directory, install the locked dependencies and create the production build.
```
cd /var/www/sigmacart
npm ci
npm run build
```
If the package has no lock file, use npm install instead of npm ci.
Run SigmaAI with PM2
Use a process manager so the application restarts after a crash or server reboot. Use the startup file included with SigmaAI, normally server.js.
```
sudo npm install -g pm2
pm2 start server.js --name sigmacart
pm2 save
pm2 startup
```
Run the final command printed by pm2 startup, then run pm2 save again.

Configure Nginx for the main domain

Configure Nginx to forward requests from the main domain to the local SigmaAI port. Replace the domain and port where necessary.

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
    }
}

Enable the configuration, verify it, and reload Nginx.

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Enable SSL and secure network access
Install a valid SSL certificate for the main domain and allow public HTTPS traffic. Keep the internal Node.js port private when Nginx is the public reverse proxy.
- Restrict SSH access to trusted addresses whenever possible.
- Allow public HTTP and HTTPS traffic.
- Do not expose the MySQL port or database credentials publicly.
- Confirm that the main domain and API subdomain both open securely with HTTPS.
Open the storefront setup
Visit https://example.com. Enter the complete Laravel API URL, such as https://api.example.com, and verify that SigmaAI detects the main storefront domain correctly.
Continue to the Laravel installer
Select Continue to backend installation. SigmaAI opens the Laravel visual installer. Continue with Step 2 below to complete the shared backend installation.

These commands use Ubuntu or Debian conventions. Package names and service commands may differ on Amazon Linux, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, or another distribution.

Installation completeLogin to Dashboard : https://example.com/console/login.

Common installation issues

API does not connect

Check the API URL, SSL, DNS, CORS rules and Laravel environment configuration.

Mixed-content error

Replace all HTTP storefront, API and asset URLs with HTTPS, then clear application caches.

Permission error

Verify ownership and write permissions for storage and bootstrap/cache.

Blank storefront

Confirm the Node.js process is running, the build succeeded and the main domain points to the correct app.

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