Quick Setup

Go from a fresh install to a branded, presentable site in about 15 minutes. Work through the steps in order; each one links to a fuller guide if you want more detail.

1. Activate your license. The template works without a license, but activating unlocks automatic update downloads through Joomla's built-in updater. Open your template style, switch to the License tab and sign in with your shondalai.com account or paste your license key. See License Activation.

2. Optionally install the demo store. The fastest way to see the template at its best is to load its demo store from the admin Home Dashboard. Do this before you customise, because the demo also applies its own branding to the template style. See Demo Store Sample Data.

3. Open the Template Studio app. Go to System → Site Template Styles and click your template's style. The Template Studio app loads on the edit screen with tabs for Style, Layout, Navigation, Modules, Pages, Footer, Advanced and License. Everything in the rest of this checklist happens here.

4. Set your brand. On the Style tab, fill in the Brand section: your store name, a logo path, an optional dark surface logo for dark backgrounds and the footer, and a tagline. The store name is used wherever no logo is set and in the footer copyright line. See Style.

5. Pick a preset and accent. Still on the Style tab, choose one of the template's style presets from the card grid; each card describes its personality. Then pick an accent: leave it on Auto to use the preset's own accent, click one of the preset swatches, or set a custom colour with the picker.

6. Set the layout width and header style. On the Layout tab, choose Boxed or Full width, and drag the width slider if you chose Boxed. Then pick a header style: Split, Centered or Minimal. Minimal hides the navigation block entirely, so most stores want Split or Centered. See Layout.

7. Configure the announcement bar. Also on the Layout tab, turn on Show the top bar and enter your announcement text, for example a free shipping offer. You can add social icons to the same bar by switching on Show social icons and pasting your profile links.

8. Build your footer. On the Footer tab, write a short brand blurb, add link columns with your key pages, add any legal links for the bottom bar, and switch on the payment method badges you accept. Empty columns and unlabelled links are skipped automatically. See Footer.

9. Save. Click Save in the Joomla toolbar. Nothing you change in the Template Studio app reaches your visitors until you save the style.

Check before you publish

The Live preview button at the top of the app opens your site in a full-screen preview with desktop, tablet and mobile views. It shows your unsaved changes in a private draft, so you can experiment freely and close it without touching the live site.

Next steps

• Build landing pages with the Studio Pages page builder.
• Explore mega menus and menu icons on the Navigation tab.
• Fine-tune module positions on the Modules tab.