Multistore – Incorrect work [PS 1.7.4.4]

[photomakes]

Hello.

The first time I work with PrestaShop. The task is to make a multi store. Activated the multi store option and set up stores. Each store is created on different subdomains, and they have one engine. Trying to understand how the multi-store works, I ran into problems that put into a stupor from such a work of the engine.

In the section "Advanced Parameters / Multistore" in the "MULTISTORE TREE" block, we got the following structure.

Group "Default"
– Store (in fact, is not a store, but an information platform, with links to stores)
--- Store Url: exampleshop.com
– Shop 1
--- Store Url 1 (shop1.exampleshop.com)
– Shop 2
--- Store Url 2 (shop2.exampleshop.com)
– Shop 3
--- Store Url 3 (shop3.exampleshop.com)
– Shop 4
--- Store Url 4 (shop4.exampleshop.com)

Scrn:

1.

2.

That's what I don't understand. At the top right there is a drop down list with stores.
Scrn:

 

Opposite each store there is a button, clicking on which, should go to the main page of the store (to the store itself, and not to the admin area of the store). But, all these buttons on against the name of each store lead to the main URL.

Also, in this list, which is shown when you click on the button on the upper right of the admin panel, when you click on the name of the store, in theory you should get into the admin panel of the selected store. Sometimes this happens, sometimes it even redirects to the admin panel from the URL of the store's subdomain. But in general, it is not clear in the admin for which store I am. When navigating the menu in the left block, the top right shows either the name of the selected store, or "All shops".

How to make it so that in the block on the right above, when you click on the button of the selected store, the desired address of the store opens, and not the main URL?

Does the transition to the admin of the selected store work correctly? Or have I encountered an error that can somehow be fixed?

via: Google Translate

[El Patron]

I think the issue is that the main domain is not a store.

When we add additional domains to a multishop,  i.e. there is one installation with additional shops we point the additional shops to the main domain (a PrestaShop).  When the additional domain enters the main single installation then MultiShop logic handles he request for that domain.  Note: via hosting or dns you will need to point the additional domains to the domain with PS installed...

Hope this helps...el

[profi]

Hello El,

I have a similar problem. I'm using Prestasho 1.7.5.1
When I configure a multistore with to different subdirectories then it works fine.

When I use a different TLD for the secondary store, the page is unavailable.
In the backoffice, the preview icons of the secondary shop is linking always to the main shop instead to the secondary shop.

You wrote that this has to be configured via hosting or DNS, but I don't know how to do it.
I have 2 different domains, both at the same provider. I could make a redirect of the 2. TLD to the 1. TLD but
I think this is not the solution.
If I place an index.htm in the public_htm of the 2. TLD this works fine and the welcome page opens regularly.
Do I have to place a kind of .htaccess or a index.htm with some special content?

Thank you very much in advance for looking to my matter.

Renato
 

[Bill Dalton]

It's not working for me in 1.7.5.1

My domains are setup correctly. 

[profi]

Hi Bill, should we install an older version?

Does anybody know if the multishop function works with different TLD in Prestashop 1.7.4.x?

[El Patron]

how did you all point domain to main domain in your hosting?  plesk alias to main domain cpanel park or alias depending on cpanel version.

 

[profi]

hi El, 
thank you for your reply. I think that my mistake is that I'm not pointing the secondary domain to the principal shop domain.
Is the pointing possible also without having SSL access? i.e. with a .htaccess or a redirect?
Otherwise, what do I have to ask the server mangement support?

On my server I have the main domain and different other domains to create the secondary shop.
With the main domain I made the prestashop 1.7.5.1 installation and it's working fine

but acivate the secondary domain in the multishop area, the preview of the secondary points always to the main shop.

Eventually I could place the secondary domain on another server where I have also SSH access. Would this be the only way to point correctly to the first domain?

Thanks a lot.
Renato

[El Patron]

Hi, you will need 1) to point other domain to your main domain 2) you cannot use redirects as PS needs to be able to read the other domain on entry

also when testing make sure to open an incognito window as your browser cache can result in unpredictable results....

if you do not have cpanel or 'better' yet plesk hosting control panel then contact your hosting and explain you need dns set 'like' a cpanel/plesk 'alias'.

I'm not terribly big fan of a multishop except for 'specific' reasons and most reasons I see are not really all that viable.  using ccTLD's used to be very popular but that signal has decreased in last 10 years and have been replaced with different by country content.  The real issues of a multishop come at upgrade time and of course depends on how you configure other domains (sharing).  If sharing most everything then multishop for me makes sense but if the shops share little or nothing then two installations is recommended.

happy selling, Fred

[profi]

Hello Fred,

thank you for explaining me the matter. 
I also read that multistore can create a lot of troubles and some functions are not working properly due to the complexity.

In my case, I wanted use 2 or 3 shops using the same customer database, same order database but different products.
I would like to sell products through dropshipping deliverd from Italian suppliers to Italian customers (shop only in Italian language)
and totally other products trough dropshipping delivered from German suppliers to German customers (shop in German and English language)

Do you think that the SEO could be problematical? Is prestashop able do distinguish text and keywords of different shops using multistore?

A disadvantage for the search engines could be that the Italian domain (and content) is located on a German server in Germany, or vice versa.

greetings
Renato

PS: I have cpanel on an Italian server but the server is not dedicated there is only a webspace. Can this help for pointing to the main domain on the German server?

[Bill Dalton]

I'm using IIS. Domains are setup correctly.