Virtuemart 2.0 Tutorial – How to Manage Your Online Shop

Click the below links for easy to follow instructions on how to:

If you are trying to Troubleshoot a particular issue with VirtueMart 2.0, you might find that our VirtueMart 2.0 Troubleshooting Guide solves your problem.

If you are new to Joomla, we strongly recommend that you check out our beginners guide here: How To Update Your Joomla 2.5 Website Content

Important Things To Remember

Image file name: must be normal letters and numbers. Space and – are allowed, but preferably no spaces if possible. No special characters allowed (i.e. no ” / ( ) * & ^ % $ £ @ !, etc)

Image file format must be .jpg, .png or .gif. Not .JPG, .jpeg, .JPEG or any other format

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How to Add a Category

Go to Components -> VirtueMart

Click on the main “Product Categories” button:

Or alternatively, click on the Product Categories link in the left hand sidebar:

You should now see any existing categories that you have created.  To create a new category, click the New button:

Fill out the relevant details.

Note: if you leave the Sef Alias blank, it will auto populate from the Category Name.

Add the category details.

• • Ordering: You can define where you would like your new category to sit, however we recommend altering this in the main categories page (where all the categories are listed), where it is much easier to control and change the order of all the categories.
  • Category Ordering:  If you want your new category to be a parent category (i.e. for other categories to then sit underneath it), then you must select “Top Level Category”.  If you want your new category to be a child category (i.e. it belongs underneath a main category), then select the appropriate parent category here.
  • Category Form Limit List Start: Used for pagination of this specific category.  Normally leave as zero.
  • Category Form Limit List Step: Used for pagination of this specific category.
  • Category Form Limit List Max: Used for pagination of this specific category.  Normally leave as zero.
  • Category Form Initial Display Records: Used for this specific category view.  This is the initial number of products to display in the view.

Once you are done, “Save & Close” your new category.

Now, in order for your new category to show in your website, you need to add a new menu item to your menu bar.

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How to Add a Category to Your Menu

Go to Menu -> Main Menu -> Add a New Menu Item

Click the “New” button.

For “Menu Item Type”, push the select button, and then under the VirtueMart section, pick “Category Layout”.

Fill out the following details for your menu.

• • Menu Title: What you want your Menu item to show as on your website.
  • Alias: This will define your SEF URL for this menu item.  If unsure what to put here, leave blank and it will auto-populate when you save.
  • Status:  Set this to “Published”
  • Parent Item: If your Menu Item is to be a main menu item (i.e. sitting on the main menu bar), then select “Menu Item Root”.  If your Menu Item is part of a down down menu, then pick which parent item you want to attach to from the pick list.

The final part is to select your new category from the drop down “Select a Category” list.

Save and close.
To add products to your category, see the next section.
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How to Add a Product

Go to Components -> VirtueMart

Click on the main “Products” button:

Or alternatively, click on the Products link in the left hand sidebar:

You should now see any existing products that you have created.  To create a new product, click the New button:

Complete the appropriate product fields, for example:

• • Product SKU: This should be your product code.  If you don’t have one, then just enter in 001.
  • Product Name: The name of your product.
  • Product Alias:  This will form part of the SEF URL for your product, so you can tailor it if desired.  If left blank, it will auto-generate from your Product Name field.
  • URL: Can be left blank if desired.
  • Manufacturer: Select the appropriate manufacturer of this product, if desired.  You will have to add Manufacturers to the Manufacturers list if you wish to use this section.  Can be left blank.
  • Product Categories: Select all the categories that your product applies to (this includes Top Level Categories).  Categories can be added via the Product Categories link in the left hand sidebar (just above products).
  • Shopper Group: Add only “default” if you want only logged in shoppers to be able to see these products.  Normally you will always want to add both anonymous and default shopper groups.

Product Pricing:

• • Cost Price: This is your product price in the currency listed (i.e. British Pound).
  • Base Price: This is the cost price converted into the vendor currency.  If you are only dealing with one currency, then this is the same as the Cost Price.
  • Final Price: This is the Base Price with any additional rules/margins/etc applied.
  • Override: You can use this f you wish to temporarily discount a product.
  • Tax: Apply your default tax rules or no tax rules, as configured in your “Taxes & Calculation Rules” in the left hand sidebar.
  • Discount Type: Apply your default discount rules or no discount rules, as configured in your “Taxes & Calculation Rules” in the left hand sidebar.

Product Description:

• • Short Description:  This is the quick product blurb that you’ll see on a page with more than one product.  It is also shown in full just underneath the product title on the individual product page.
  • Product Description:  This is the full description shown on the individual product page

Product Status:

• • In Stock: How many of this product do you currently have in stock?
  • Low Stock Notification: Get notified when the stock hits this volume.
  • Minimum Purchase Quantity:  If you only allow this product to be purchased in sets of 3, then pop 3 in this box.  Otherwise leave blank.
  • Maximum Purchase Quantity:  If you only allow a maximum of 3 of this product to be purchased at once, then pop 3 in this box.  Otherwise leave blank.
  • Availability Date: If available immediately, then leave this box blank.  Only use if your product is not currently available from purchase (good for product launches and pre-orders).

Product Dimensions and Weight:  Add the dimensions and weight of your product as applicable.

Product Images:

• • Upload your image(s) using the “Upload File” Section.  Click Save to see your newly uploaded image.
  • Once page has reloaded after pushing Save, you should now be able to see your product image, and you can now fill in the “Displayed image subtitle” and “Image Alt-Text” with an appropriate product name.

Once you are done, “Save & Close” your new product.

Lather, rinse, repeat as desired.

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How to Temporarily Close Your Shop

Go to Components -> VirtueMart

Click on the main “Configuration” button:

Or alternatively, click on the Configuration link in the left hand sidebar:

You now have two options:

1. 1. 1. Tick the “Shop is offline?” box to take your shop offline.  Note: if doing this, make sure to update the Offline Message box with an appropriate message for users.
      2. Tick the “Use only as catalogue” box to leave your shop open, but disable all purchasing functionality (i.e. users can look at your products, but cannot buy anything).

To undo either of the above changes, just untick the relevant box.

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