How to setup Magento 2 multiple store

Magento 2 has multiple store function which allows store owners to create multiple stores running under one database and code folder.

This function is extremely helpful if you want to expand your business, running more than 1 store without having to set up extra Magento 2 installations.

In this tutorial, we will go through the steps of setting up multiple store function in Magento 2. I will also guide how to config virutal host for Apache and Nginx users if you want to use subdomain as base URL for multiple stores.

When to use Magento 2 multiple store

With multiple store enabled, you can use different attributes and content for each store, such as:

• Default languages
• Domain names
• Categories
• Products
• Currencies

So, you should use multiple stores if you want to:

• Run multilingual stores.
• Run multiple stores with different domains/subdomains but same database.
• Using the same customer database for multiple stores.
• Running multiple stores with different themes/layout.
• Since multiple stores are running on the same Magento 2 installation, you can use 3rd party Magento 2 extensions on every store without purchasing additional licenses.

Be noticed that all stores share the same inventory

Relationship of Website – Store – Store view in Magento 2

Before we start, let me explain the hierarchy of a Magento 2 website.

Basically, there are 3 levels:

• Website: for each installation of Magento 2, there’s 1 website by default which is called Main Website. You can create more websites that run on the same database and have the same admin panel. Every website can have their own payment/shipping methods, products of each website can have different prices, currencies, and websites. Also, each website can have its own customer database or share the same customer database. With Magento 2, it’s possible to set each website with unique IP address and domain or all websites running under the same ip/domain
• Store: we can create multiple stores on a website. Each store can have a unique layout such as main navigation,  theme styles, categories, products. All stores share the same payment method, currency, customer accounts… Like website, you can set unique domain/subdomain for each store or make all stores run on the same domain.
• Storeview: Every store contains multiple store views. Store view is mainly used for a multilingual store or multiple-currencies store. Customers can switch between store views in the Language dropdown at top navigation of Magento 2 website

In this article, we will go through the process of creating multiple stores for a Magento 2 website and learn how to add unique domains for each store.

Create multiple stores in Magento 2

Now we will begin the process of creating multiple stores in Magento 2.

In this tutorial, we will learn how to create a multilingual Magento 2 store.

Step 1: Create a new store

First of all, we will create a new store which contains multiple store views. Each store view will use a specific languague.

In admin panel, go to Store > Setting > All store, click on Create Store button to create a new store

Next, select website, enter store name and store code , select root category for store

Finally, click on save store to create a new store.

Step 2: Create new store views

In this step, we will create multiple store views, each store view represents a language

In admin panel, go to Store > Setting > All store, click on Create Store View button to create a new store view

In store view information, select the store you want to assign this store view

• Name: Name of the store view, for example english
• Code: Store code (we can include store code in store’s url)
• Status: set to enable to enable this store view
• Sort order: specify store view order in dropdown menu

Finally, click on save store view to create storeview

Create other store views for other language as well. For example, we create Deutsch, France, Espanol, Portugue store view for according languages

Step 3: Set language for each store view

Once we finish creating store views for all language, we will assign a language to each store

In Admin Panel go to Stores > Settings > Configuration. 

In scope dropdown menu, select the store you want to configure language (locale)

Next, navigate to General > Locale options and specify the language you want to the current store view. For example, for US store view, we set Locale as English (United State)

Finally, click on save config to apply change

Do the same for other store views.

Step 4: Setup store view URL

In this step we will set base url for each language-specific store view

First, select the storeview you want to change options in store view selection section

Next, go to Stores > Settings > Configuration > Web

Now we have 2 options to set URL for each store view

• The easy way: Let Magento 2 add store code to site base URL automatically (for example: yourstore.com/en, yourstore.com/fr, yourstore.com/cn).

In Web > URL options, change Add Store Code to Urls setting to Yes

This method will simplify the process of setting URL for multiple store views. If you do not want to use this option, you will have to manually create separate directories on Magento 2 installation folder for each store view with separate index.php and .htaccess files inside each folder.

• The advanced method: Specify an url you want for each store view. (for example: en.yourstore.com, yourstorefr.com, cn.yourstore.com).

By using this method, you can specify unique url for each store view.

In Web > Base URLs, enter the URL you want to set for the current storeview in Base URL and Base Link URL fields. Eg: http://en.magentipdemo.com

Next, click on save config to update changes

Repeat these steps for other storeviews

Now, if you use Subdomain, go to step 4

Step 4: Config Virtualhost for subdomain of each store view

Now we will add virtual host for each subdomain.

Let’s say you create 2 store views with the following base url and store code

• • french.yourwebsite.com with website code french and store view code fr
  • english.yourwebsite.com with website code english and store view code en

Also, The Magento 2 software is installed in /var/www/html/yourwebsite.com

For Apache user

Connect to your server using SFTP and go to etc/apache2/site-enabled and create a virtual host files like this:

multiplestore.conf

<VirtualHost *:80>
   ServerName          yourwebsite.com
   DocumentRoot        /var/www/html/yourwebsite.com/
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *:80>
   ServerName          french.yourwebsite.com
   DocumentRoot        /var/www/html/yourwebsite.com/
   SetEnv MAGE_RUN_CODE "french"
   SetEnv MAGE_RUN_TYPE "website"
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *:80>
   ServerName          english.yourwebsite.com
   DocumentRoot        /var/www/html/yourwebsite.com/
   SetEnv MAGE_RUN_CODE "english"
   SetEnv MAGE_RUN_TYPE "website"
</VirtualHost>

Finally save the file and restart apache to apply changes.

service apache2 restart

Now you should be able to access french store at: french.yourwebsite.com and english store at: english.yourwebsite.com

For Nginx user

Connect to your server using SFTP and go to /etc/nginx/sites-available/ and create a virtual host files like this:

multiplestore.conf

map $http_host $MAGE_RUN_CODE {
    default '';
    french.yourwebsite.com french;
    english.yourwebsite.com english;
}

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourwebsite.com french.yourwebsite.com english.yourwebsite.com;
    set $MAGE_ROOT /var/www/html/yourwebsite.com;
    set $MAGE_MODE developer;
    set $MAGE_RUN_TYPE website; #or set $MAGE_RUN_TYPE store;
    include /var/www/html/yourwebsite.com/nginx.conf;
}

Save changes and connect to your server using ssh protocol

Enter the following commands:

Change directory to Nginx virtual host folder/

cd /etc/nginx/sites-enabled

Create symbolic link

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/magento magento

Next, edit nginx.conf.sample file of Magento 2 located in  <magento2_root_folder>/nginx.conf.sample

Edit this file with a text editor and add these 2 lines to this file (before include fastcgi_params;  line)

fastcgi_param MAGE_RUN_TYPE $MAGE_RUN_TYPE;
fastcgi_param MAGE_RUN_CODE $MAGE_RUN_CODE;

Sample working nginx.conf.sample file after you add those lines

# PHP entry point for main application

location ~ (index|get|static|report|404|503|health_check)\.php$ {
    try_files $uri =404;
    fastcgi_pass   fastcgi_backend;
    fastcgi_buffers 1024 4k;

    fastcgi_param  PHP_FLAG  "session.auto_start=off \n suhosin.session.cryptua=off";
    fastcgi_param  PHP_VALUE "memory_limit=756M \n max_execution_time=18000";
    fastcgi_read_timeout 600s;
    fastcgi_connect_timeout 600s;

    fastcgi_index  index.php;
    fastcgi_param  SCRIPT_FILENAME  $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
    # START - Multisite customization
    fastcgi_param MAGE_RUN_TYPE $MAGE_RUN_TYPE;
    fastcgi_param MAGE_RUN_CODE $MAGE_RUN_CODE;
    # END - Multisite customization
    include        fastcgi_params;
}

Finally, save file and restart nginx to apply changes

service nginx restart

Wrapping up

After setting up multiple stores in Magento 2, remember to optimize SEO for every store to avoid duplicated content issue.

If you have any trouble while setting up multiple store for Magento 2, just drop a comment below and I will be happy to assist.