PrestaShop is a popular open-source e-commerce platform for professional web stores. When your webshop has problems, you want to solve them quickly to prevent revenue loss. In this article, we cover the 15 most common PrestaShop problems with practical solutions.

1. White page or 500 error

The most common problem: your webshop shows a white page or 500 Internal Server Error.

Causes

  • PHP memory limit reached
  • Module conflict
  • Syntax error in override
  • .htaccess problem

Solution

Enable debug mode:

Edit config/defines.inc.php:

define('_PS_MODE_DEV_', true);

View error log: Check /var/logs/ in your PrestaShop root or your server error log.

Disable module via FTP:

  1. Rename the problematic module in /modules/
  2. For example: problem_module → problem_module_disabled

Increase PHP memory:

php_value memory_limit 256M
php_value max_execution_time 300

2. Cannot login to backoffice

You can no longer login to the admin panel.

Solution

Reset password via database:

  1. Open phpMyAdmin
  2. Go to table ps_employee
  3. Generate a new MD5 hash for your password
  4. Update the passwd field
UPDATE ps_employee SET passwd = MD5('_COOKIE_KEY_newpassword') WHERE email = 'admin@yourshop.com';

Replace _COOKIE_KEY_ with the value from app/config/parameters.php (cookie_key).

3. Checkout doesn't work

Customers cannot checkout - crucial for your revenue!

Causes

  • JavaScript error
  • Module conflict
  • SSL/HTTPS problem
  • Carrier or payment module error

Solution

Check JavaScript errors: Open browser console (F12) and look for errors.

Test modules:

  1. Disable recently installed modules
  2. Test checkout again
  3. Activate modules one by one

Carrier settings: Go to Shipping → Carriers and check:

  • Is at least one carrier active?
  • Are the zones correctly configured?

4. Products not showing

Your products are not visible in the frontend.

Solution

Check product settings:

  1. Catalog → Products → edit product
  2. Check: Status = Enabled
  3. Check: Visibility = Everywhere
  4. Check: Linked to active category

Rebuild index: Go to Advanced Parameters → Performance:

  • Temporarily enable "Disable non-PrestaShop modules"
  • Click "Clear cache"

5. CSS/JS not loading correctly

Website looks broken, styling is missing.

Solution

Disable CCC:

  1. Advanced Parameters → Performance
  2. Set "Smart cache" to No
  3. Set "Caching" to No (temporarily)

Force clear cache:

rm -rf var/cache/*
rm -rf themes/your_theme/cache/*

6. Module installation fails

Error when installing a module.

Solution

Manual installation:

  1. Unzip the module
  2. Upload to /modules/ via FTP
  3. Go to Modules → Module Manager
  4. Find the module and click "Install"

Check permissions:

chmod -R 755 modules/

7. Emails are not sent

Order confirmations and other emails don't arrive.

Solution

Configure SMTP:

  1. Advanced Parameters → E-mail
  2. Choose "Set my own SMTP parameters"
  3. Fill in:
    • SMTP server: mail.yourdomain.com
    • SMTP user: your full email address
    • SMTP password
    • Encryption: TLS
    • Port: 587

Send test email: Click "Send a test email" at the bottom of the page.

8. Slow webshop performance

A slow webshop costs you conversions.

Solution

Enable caching:

  1. Advanced Parameters → Performance
  2. Smarty cache: Yes
  3. Cache: Yes
  4. CCC (Combine, Compress, Cache): On

Optimize images:

  1. Design → Image Settings
  2. Regenerate thumbnails
  3. Use WebP format (module)

Optimize database:

OPTIMIZE TABLE ps_cart, ps_orders, ps_log, ps_connections;

9. Import/Export problems

CSV import doesn't work or gives errors.

Solution

Check CSV format:

  • UTF-8 encoding (without BOM)
  • Semicolon (;) as separator
  • Correct column names

Increase PHP limits:

php_value max_execution_time 600
php_value memory_limit 512M

10. Multistore problems

Different shops behave strangely.

Solution

Check shop context: Pay attention to the shop selector in the backoffice header.

Check URLs: Shop Parameters → Traffic & SEO → SEO & URLs Check the shop URLs for each store.

11. Update failed

PrestaShop upgrade stops halfway.

Solution

Restore backup and update manually:

  1. Restore your backup
  2. Disable all modules
  3. Download the 1-click upgrade module again
  4. Start the upgrade with only core modules active
  5. Update modules one by one

12. SSL redirect problems

Mixed content or redirect loops.

Solution

Force SSL:

  1. Shop Parameters → General
  2. Enable SSL: Yes
  3. Enable SSL on all pages: Yes

13. Search function doesn't work

Products are not found via the search bar.

Solution

Rebuild search index:

  1. Shop Parameters → Search
  2. Click "Re-build the entire index"
  3. Click "Add missing products to the index"

14. Discount/voucher codes don't work

Promotions are not applied correctly.

Solution

Check cart rule:

  1. Catalog → Discounts → Cart Rules
  2. Check:
    • Validity period
    • Minimum order amount
    • Number of available vouchers
    • Linked customer group

15. Translation problems

Translations are not displayed correctly.

Solution

Export and import translations:

  1. International → Translations
  2. Export your current translations
  3. Make adjustments in the file
  4. Import again

Clear cache after translation: Translations are cached - always clear cache after changes.

Preventive maintenance checklist

Daily

  • Check error logs
  • Monitor order flow

Weekly

  • Clear cache
  • Backup database
  • Check module updates

Monthly

  • Optimize database
  • Remove old logs
  • Update PrestaShop (test on staging first!)

Need help?

Can't figure it out? Our support team is here for you! Submit a ticket through the customer portal and we'll usually help you within a few hours.