# Setting up or fixing multistore on PrestaShop

> Enabling multistore on a shop that’s already live, or fixing an existing setup: sharing the catalogue, stock and modules between shops is configured shop by shop, never with one global switch. The trickiest part is enabling it retroactively, on data that already exists.

- Source canonique : [https://allaux.fr/en/prestashop/problemes/multiboutique-configuration](https://allaux.fr/en/prestashop/problemes/multiboutique-configuration)
- Langue : EN
- Dernière mise à jour : 2026-09-30

## Direct answer

> Enable multistore under Shop Parameters > General, then create the shop group and the shops before touching the catalogue. From there each item is attached shop by shop: products, categories, carriers and modules each carry their own association. The shop selector at the top of the back office sets the context you are saving into.

## How multistore works in PrestaShop

Multistore is turned on from Preferences > General, with the “Enable multistore” option. Once active, the structure introduces a shop group, which can hold several individual shops, each with its own domain name and, if needed, its own theme.

What often surprises people: nothing is shared or separated globally by default. The catalogue, stock, installed modules and available carriers are each configured individually, at group or shop level. Two shops in the same group can therefore share the catalogue while keeping separate stock, or the other way round.

## Enabling multistore on a shop already in production

> This is the riskiest operation on this topic: it means retroactively attaching the entire existing catalogue, all past orders and customers to a shop structure that didn’t exist when they were created. A mistake at this stage can make orders or products unreachable in the back office. It isn’t a checkbox to flip without preparation: it needs technical support, a full backup and a test run on a copy beforehand.

## What I check before enabling multistore on a live shop

1. **Full backup** — Database and files, before touching the shop structure at all.
2. **Mapping the existing catalogue** — Which products and categories should stay shared, and which need to become specific to a new shop.
3. **Modules and carriers involved** — Some modules don’t handle multistore natively and need checking one by one before the switch.
4. **Full test on a copy** — Switching a copy of the shop first, to confirm catalogue, orders and customers all stay reachable before touching the live site.

## Related pages

- **Migrating PrestaShop from 1.6 to 1.7 or 8** — Enabling multistore on a live shop shares much the same preparation requirements as a migration. ([/prestashop/migration](/prestashop/migration))
- **Custom PrestaShop module development** — For when a module in use doesn’t handle multistore properly and needs adapting. ([/prestashop/module-sur-mesure](/prestashop/module-sur-mesure))
- **Bulk-importing products via CSV** — Splitting or duplicating a catalogue across several shops often goes through a structured import. ([/prestashop/problemes/import-produits-masse-csv](/prestashop/problemes/import-produits-masse-csv))

## FAQ

### Can each shop have a different theme?

Yes, each individual shop can have its own theme and its own domain name, while still belonging to the same shop group and database.

### Is stock automatically shared between shops?

No, stock sharing is its own setting, separate from catalogue sharing. Either can be turned on independently of the other.

### Can multistore be turned off after being enabled?

Technically yes, but it carries the same risks as enabling it: you need to check nothing is left attached solely to a shop that’s about to leave the structure.

### How long does enabling multistore take on an existing site?

It depends entirely on catalogue size and how many orders are already in the database; I can only give a figure after looking at the shop in question.

### Can a customer use the same account across every shop in the group?

That’s also configured shop by shop, with an option allowing a single customer account to order from every shop in the same group instead of needing a separate one for each.