How To Setup Multiple Store Views In Magento 2

Magento is the most preferred and liked platform for eCommerce sites, which allows the store owners to make available products and services for their customers. To facilitate merchants with advance features, Magento 2 has recently launched with lots of additions. FME is already in process of upgrading its products for Magento 2. You can find our latest Magento 2 Extensions here. You can also contact FmeExtensions for Magento development or hire our Magento developer to handle your store customization. One of the most appealing features is adding multiple stores that help site management and enhances customer experience. Setting stores in Magento 2 is similar like the Magento 1, whereas beginners find it difficult in configuring multiple stores and store views.

The Purpose of Adding Stores

By creating multiple stores, merchants can showcase products and services in various categories on the website. They can also setup store views to allow customers to browse website in their preferred language.

Create Multiple Stores

Multiple stores can be created by initiating with the first step of creating new store(s) from the administration panel. The whole process is defined below in easy to follow steps.

Step 1:

Sign in to Magento Admin. If you want your stores to share the same catalog and products, skip to Step 8.

Step 2:

Once you are logged in, proceed to the navigation menu and click Products \ Categories.

Step 3:

click Add Root Category to initiate a new store e.g. men's apparel

Step 4:

Enter name of the new store in the Name field

Step 5:

select ‘Yes’ from the Is Active dropdown menu to activate store

Step 6:

Move to Display Settings tab and select Yes from the Is Anchor dropdown menu. Click Save Category to save your settings.

Step 7:

Click Custom Design tab to configure design settings and select a Page Layout. Click Save Category before moving on to other steps.

Step 8:

Move to Stores on the navigation bar and click All Store (Stores \ All Stores)

Step 9:

on the upper right side of the screen, click on the Create Website button.

Step 10:

Write Name and Code in the provided fields.

Step 11:

Click Save Website and you will be notified about a saving activity.

Step 12:

Hit Create Store 

Step 13:

Select the Website you have created in the previous steps from the dropdown menu.

Step 14:

Enter name of the store in the field marked as Name.

Step 15:

Select Root Category, which was created in the first few steps while creating a category. If you have not created root category, a default will be selected. Hit Save Store.

Step 16:

Click the Create Store View button

Step 17:

Select Store from the dropdown menu you have created in the previous steps.

Step 18:

Enter Name of the store view like English or French to associate it with the store.

Step 19:

Enter the Code in the provided field that recognizes the store view.

Step 20:

Enable the store view from the dropdown menu against Status, and click Save Store View

Step 21:

After clicking Save Store View, you will be notified that the settings have been saved.

Step 22:

Move on the configuration settings by clicking Stores \ Configuration

Step 23:

From the Store View drop down menu, select the store view you have recently created for your website.

Step 24:

Click Web tab under the general settings to configure Base URLs and Base URLs (Secure)

Step 25:

You can enter Store URLs in the Base URLs by the following two methods.

• Click Use Default for using URL of the main store, or
• Enter store URL following by a ‘\’ in the field provided against Base URL

Step 26:

Repeat any of the methods described in Step 25 for Base URLs (Secure)

Step 27:

Make changes the Design Theme, layout, header and footer, and lots of other settings and click Save Config.

Step 28:

While switching to another store view without saving the settings, you will be notified by the changes you have made.

Configure the Server to Load Multiple Stores and Store View 

The creation of multiple stores and store views consume a lot of server load, so to prepared your website for a brilliant user experience, server configuration is a must. The server shall be configured quite before the showcasing multiple stores on your website. Following is the method to help you configure server to load multiple stores on your website. Ensure that the desired domain name of the multiple stores directs to the server.

• Create a Pointer Domain for your new store by following the below guideline.

Ensure that the pointer domain is directly linked to the primary domain where the Magento installation of your store is placed.

• Make changes to the .htaccess file in the document root of Magento installation, and write RewriteEngine On: over the line.
• Make sure that the .*newstore.* resembles with your store’s domain name.
• Tally the MAGE_RUN_CODE with the code you have written while creating a new website.

  If SetEnvIf Does not Work, go for the following steps.

• Find the .htaccess file to edit it in the document root of Magento installation.
• Below the like, write #RewriteBase /magento/:
• Make sure .*newstore\.com is similar to the domain name of the newly created store.
• Inspect that MAGE_RUN_CODE is similar to the code you have written while forming a new website.

    By following the above instruction, you have successfully created a pointed domain that is compatible with Magento. Now, you have no worries in developing new stores.

How Geo IP Default Store Assists You in Managing Multiple Store?

Magento 2 Store Switcher is developed to enhance user experience by detecting their IP location and directing them to the most relevant store and store view. With the help of this module, the products and services that are specifically offered for a limited customer groups, locality or region can be exclusively showcased to them. The core purpose of creating store views is to enhance shopping experience by allowing users to browse products and services in their native language and local currency. Magento 2 Store View Switcher extension takes you a step further in facilitating valued customers by taking them directly to their convenient store view.

Got Questions? If Magento 2 store switcher is not working in your store or store view switcher is not showing on frontend then contact our support team here.