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Admin Guide

This guide covers managing your sCommerce store through the admin interface.

Dashboard Overview​

The sCommerce dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of your store's performance and key metrics.

Key Metrics​

  • Total Sales - Revenue for the selected period
  • Orders - Number of orders placed
  • Products - Total number of products in catalog
  • Customers - Number of registered customers
  • Conversion Rate - Percentage of visitors who make a purchase
  • Average Order Value - Average amount per order

Recent Activity​

  • Recent Orders - Latest orders with status and customer info
  • Low Stock Alerts - Products running low on inventory
  • Recent Reviews - New product reviews and ratings
  • System Notifications - Important system messages

Product Management​

Adding Products​

  1. Navigate to Products → Products
  2. Click Add Product
  3. Fill in the product information:

Basic Information​

  • Name - Product name (required)
  • Alias - URL-friendly name (auto-generated from name)
  • Description - Detailed product description
  • Short Description - Brief summary for listings
  • Category - Select primary category
  • Tags - Keywords for search and filtering

Pricing​

  • Regular Price - Standard selling price
  • Special Price - Discounted price (optional)
  • Cost Price - Product cost for profit calculation
  • Currency - Price currency

Inventory​

  • SKU - Stock Keeping Unit (unique identifier)
  • Stock Quantity - Available inventory
  • Low Stock Threshold - Alert when stock falls below this
  • Track Inventory - Enable/disable stock tracking
  • Allow Backorders - Allow orders when out of stock

SEO​

  • Meta Title - Page title for search engines
  • Meta Description - Description for search results
  • Keywords - Relevant search keywords
  • Canonical URL - Preferred URL for duplicate content

Images​

  • Main Image - Primary product image
  • Gallery Images - Additional product images
  • Alt Text - Alternative text for accessibility
  • Image Ordering - Drag and drop to reorder

Product Variants​

Create product variants for different sizes, colors, or other attributes:

  1. Select Create Variant from the product page
  2. Choose the variant attributes (size, color, etc.)
  3. Set variant-specific pricing and inventory
  4. Upload variant-specific images

Bulk Operations​

Import Products​

  1. Go to Products → Import/Export
  2. Download the Excel template
  3. Fill in your product data
  4. Upload the completed file
  5. Review and confirm the import

Export Products​

  1. Select products to export
  2. Choose export format (Excel, CSV)
  3. Select fields to include
  4. Download the export file

Bulk Edit​

  1. Select multiple products
  2. Choose Bulk Edit from actions
  3. Update common fields (price, category, status)
  4. Apply changes to selected products

Category Management​

Creating Categories​

  1. Navigate to Products → Categories
  2. Click Add Category
  3. Fill in category details:

Basic Information​

  • Name - Category name
  • Alias - URL-friendly name
  • Description - Category description
  • Parent Category - Select parent for subcategories
  • Sort Order - Display order in navigation

SEO​

  • Meta Title - SEO-optimized title
  • Meta Description - Category description for search engines
  • Keywords - Relevant keywords
  • Image - Category image/icon

Display Settings​

  • Published - Make category visible to customers
  • Show in Navigation - Include in main menu
  • Featured - Highlight in homepage sections

Category Hierarchy​

Organize categories in a tree structure:

Electronics
├── Computers
│   ├── Laptops
│   ├── Desktops
│   └── Accessories
├── Mobile Phones
│   ├── Smartphones
│   └── Accessories
└── Home Appliances
    ├── Kitchen
    └── Cleaning

Order Management​

Order Processing​

  1. Navigate to Orders → Orders
  2. Click on an order to view details
  3. Update order status as needed:

Order Statuses​

  • Pending - Order received, awaiting processing
  • Processing - Order being prepared
  • Shipped - Order dispatched to customer
  • Delivered - Order received by customer
  • Cancelled - Order cancelled
  • Refunded - Order refunded

Order Details​

Customer Information​

  • Name - Customer name
  • Email - Contact email
  • Phone - Contact phone
  • Address - Shipping and billing addresses

Order Items​

  • Product - Product name and SKU
  • Quantity - Number ordered
  • Price - Unit price
  • Total - Line total

Order Totals​

  • Subtotal - Sum of item prices
  • Shipping - Shipping cost
  • Tax - Tax amount
  • Discount - Applied discounts
  • Total - Final order total

Order Actions​

  • Invoice - Customer invoice
  • Packing Slip - Warehouse packing list
  • Shipping Label - Shipping label

Communication​

  • Send Email - Contact customer
  • Add Note - Internal order note
  • Update Status - Change order status

Fulfillment​

  • Create Shipment - Generate shipping label
  • Track Package - Monitor delivery
  • Process Return - Handle returns

Customer Management​

Customer Overview​

  1. Navigate to Customers → Customers
  2. View customer list with key information:
    • Name - Customer name
    • Email - Contact email
    • Orders - Number of orders
    • Total Spent - Lifetime value
    • Last Order - Most recent purchase
    • Status - Active/Inactive

Customer Details​

Personal Information​

  • Name - Full name
  • Email - Primary email address
  • Phone - Contact phone
  • Date of Birth - Birthday (optional)
  • Registration Date - When account was created

Addresses​

  • Default Shipping - Primary shipping address
  • Default Billing - Primary billing address
  • Additional Addresses - Other saved addresses

Order History​

  • All Orders - Complete purchase history
  • Order Details - Individual order information
  • Returns - Return history

Customer Groups​

  • VIP - High-value customers
  • Wholesale - Business customers
  • Regular - Standard customers
  • Custom Groups - Your defined groups

Customer Communication​

Email Marketing​

  • Newsletter - Send promotional emails
  • Order Updates - Transactional emails
  • Abandoned Cart - Recover lost sales
  • Birthday - Special offers

Customer Service​

  • Support Tickets - Handle customer issues
  • Live Chat - Real-time assistance
  • Phone Support - Direct customer contact

Inventory Management​

Stock Overview​

  1. Navigate to Inventory → Stock
  2. View inventory levels:
    • Product - Product name and SKU
    • Current Stock - Available quantity
    • Reserved - Quantity allocated to orders
    • Available - Quantity available for sale
    • Status - In Stock/Low Stock/Out of Stock

Low Stock Alerts​

Configure automatic alerts when inventory falls below threshold:

  1. Go to Settings → Inventory
  2. Set Low Stock Threshold (e.g., 10 units)
  3. Enable Email Notifications
  4. Add Alert Recipients

Stock Adjustments​

Manual Adjustments​

  1. Select product from inventory list
  2. Click Adjust Stock
  3. Enter adjustment quantity
  4. Add reason for adjustment
  5. Save changes

Bulk Adjustments​

  1. Select multiple products
  2. Choose Bulk Adjust
  3. Set adjustment amount
  4. Apply to selected products

Stock Transfers​

Move inventory between locations:

  1. Go to Inventory → Transfers
  2. Create new transfer
  3. Select source and destination
  4. Choose products and quantities
  5. Process transfer

Reports and Analytics​

Sales Reports​

Revenue Reports​

  • Daily Sales - Revenue by day
  • Monthly Sales - Revenue by month
  • Yearly Sales - Annual revenue
  • Product Performance - Best-selling products

Order Reports​

  • Order Volume - Number of orders
  • Average Order Value - AOV trends
  • Order Status - Distribution by status
  • Geographic Sales - Sales by location

Customer Analytics​

Customer Insights​

  • Customer Lifetime Value - CLV analysis
  • Customer Acquisition - New customer trends
  • Customer Retention - Repeat purchase rates
  • Customer Segmentation - Group analysis

Behavior Analysis​

  • Purchase Patterns - Buying behavior
  • Product Affinity - Related products
  • Cart Abandonment - Lost sales analysis
  • Search Analytics - Popular searches

Product Analytics​

Performance Metrics​

  • Top Products - Best sellers
  • Slow Movers - Low-performing products
  • Category Performance - Sales by category
  • Inventory Turnover - Stock movement

Profitability​

  • Gross Margin - Profit per product
  • Cost Analysis - Product costs
  • Pricing Optimization - Price performance
  • Discount Impact - Promotion effectiveness

Settings and Configuration​

Store Settings​

General Information​

  • Store Name - Your business name
  • Store Email - Contact email
  • Store Phone - Contact phone
  • Store Address - Physical address
  • Store Logo - Brand logo

Currency and Pricing​

  • Default Currency - Primary currency
  • Currency Symbol - Display symbol
  • Price Format - Number formatting
  • Tax Settings - Tax configuration

Checkout Settings​

  • Guest Checkout - Allow without registration
  • Email Verification - Require verification
  • Terms and Conditions - Legal requirements
  • Privacy Policy - Data protection

Payment Settings​

Payment Methods​

  • Credit Cards - Card processing
  • PayPal - PayPal integration
  • Bank Transfer - Wire transfer
  • Cash on Delivery - COD option
  • Digital Wallets - Apple Pay, Google Pay

Payment Processing​

  • Test Mode - Sandbox testing
  • Live Mode - Production processing
  • Webhook URLs - Payment notifications
  • Security Settings - Fraud prevention

Shipping Settings​

Shipping Methods​

  • Standard Shipping - Regular delivery
  • Express Shipping - Fast delivery
  • Free Shipping - Free delivery threshold
  • Local Pickup - Store pickup option

Shipping Zones​

  • Domestic - Local shipping
  • International - Global shipping
  • Restricted - Limited areas
  • Free Shipping - Complimentary delivery

Shipping Rates​

  • Flat Rate - Fixed cost
  • Weight Based - Rate by weight
  • Price Based - Rate by order value
  • Distance Based - Rate by location

System Maintenance​

Database Maintenance​

Cleanup Operations​

  • Old Orders - Archive completed orders
  • Expired Sessions - Clear session data
  • Log Files - Rotate log files
  • Temporary Files - Clean temp data

Optimization​

  • Database Indexing - Optimize queries
  • Query Analysis - Identify slow queries
  • Table Optimization - Defragment tables
  • Backup Verification - Test backups

Cache Management​

Cache Types​

  • Product Cache - Product data
  • Category Cache - Category trees
  • Search Cache - Search results
  • Page Cache - Rendered pages

Cache Operations​

  • Clear All - Remove all cached data
  • Clear Specific - Remove selected cache
  • Warm Cache - Preload cache
  • Cache Statistics - Monitor usage

Security​

Access Control​

  • User Permissions - Role-based access
  • API Keys - Secure API access
  • IP Restrictions - Limit access by IP
  • Session Security - Secure sessions

Data Protection​

  • Encryption - Encrypt sensitive data
  • Backup Security - Secure backups
  • Audit Logs - Track changes
  • Compliance - Meet regulations

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Performance Problems​

  • Slow Loading - Check server resources
  • Database Issues - Optimize queries
  • Cache Problems - Clear and rebuild
  • Image Loading - Optimize images

Order Issues​

  • Payment Failures - Check payment settings
  • Inventory Errors - Verify stock levels
  • Email Problems - Check email configuration
  • Shipping Issues - Verify shipping settings

Customer Problems​

  • Login Issues - Check authentication
  • Cart Problems - Verify session settings
  • Checkout Errors - Review checkout flow
  • Account Issues - Check user permissions

Getting Help​

  1. Check Documentation - Review this guide
  2. Search Issues - Look for similar problems
  3. Contact Support - Reach out for help
  4. Community Forum - Ask the community
  5. Professional Services - Hire experts

Best Practices​

Store Management​

  1. Regular Backups - Backup data frequently
  2. Monitor Performance - Track key metrics
  3. Update Regularly - Keep system current
  4. Test Changes - Test in staging first
  5. Document Changes - Keep records

Customer Service​

  1. Quick Response - Respond to customers fast
  2. Clear Communication - Be clear and helpful
  3. Follow Up - Check on order status
  4. Resolve Issues - Fix problems quickly
  5. Learn from Feedback - Improve based on input

Security​

  1. Strong Passwords - Use complex passwords
  2. Regular Updates - Keep software current
  3. Monitor Access - Track user activity
  4. Secure Payments - Use trusted processors
  5. Data Protection - Protect customer data