Before you start
- HTTPS WordPress site
- Enough disk and RAM for WooCommerce + payment plugins
Install and activate WooCommerce
Plugins → Add New → search “WooCommerce” → Install → Activate from Automattic.
After activation, the onboarding wizard should start automatically; you can reopen it later under WooCommerce → Home if you skipped steps.
Complete the store profiler
Choose store location — this drives default tax and shipping zones.
Select industry and product types (physical, digital, subscriptions) so WooCommerce suggests sensible defaults.
Pick a theme recommendation or keep your current theme if it already supports WooCommerce templates.
Enable HTTPS and secure checkout flags
WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced: force SSL on checkout when your site already runs on HTTPS.
Confirm Site Address uses https:// under Settings → General — mixed content breaks payment fields.
Create required WooCommerce pages
The wizard creates Shop, Cart, Checkout, and My account pages. Verify each exists under Pages and uses the correct shortcode or block.
Add Shop to your main menu; keep Cart/Checkout out of the primary nav if your theme already shows cart icons.
Run a smoke test before real products
Create one hidden test product at €0.01, walk through add-to-cart and checkout as a guest.
Delete or unpublish the test product after confirming emails and thank-you page render correctly.