1Prep the environment (10–15 minutes)
Pick PHP 8.2+, HTTP/2, and object cache (Redis/Memcached) on staging. Enable free SSL, force HTTPS, and set permalinks to /%postname%. Install a lightweight theme (Storefront/Block theme) to avoid bloat.
2Install WooCommerce safely
Install/activate WooCommerce from Plugins → Add New. Run the setup wizard: store address, currency, product types. Skip bloat bundles—only keep core and Payments.
3Configure payments and taxes
Enable WooPayments or Stripe (SCA-ready), PayPal for coverage, and test mode first. Turn on automated tax calculation where supported; otherwise set standard and reduced rates manually.
4Set shipping and products
Create zones and methods (flat, free thresholds). Add 3–5 test products with clean images, SKU, stock, and attributes. Enable inventory management and low-stock alerts.
5Harden and speed up
Enable CDN, image compression (WebP), and page caching except checkout/cart/my account. Turn on reCAPTCHA or hCaptcha for checkout, limit login, and backups. Verify Core Web Vitals on staging.
6Launch QA
Test full checkout in test mode: add-to-cart, coupons, taxes, shipping, emails. Validate webhooks, order status changes, and transactional emails. Switch to live keys only after passes.
Pre-launch checklist
- HTTPS forced, caching exclusions for cart/checkout/my account.
- Test mode orders succeeded with taxes, shipping, coupons, and emails.
- Webhooks verified for payments and refunds.
- Backups and security (reCAPTCHA/hCaptcha, rate limits) enabled.
- Core Web Vitals and mobile checkout tested.
FAQ
Do I need staging to install WooCommerce?
Yes. Configure on staging first to test payments, emails, and cache exclusions before touching production.
Which pages should bypass cache?
Exclude cart, checkout, my account, and admin areas from full-page caching to avoid stale carts and sessions.
What is the safest payment setup?
Use Stripe or WooPayments in test mode, verify webhooks and emails, then switch to live keys only after successful test orders.
Final thoughts
A smooth WooCommerce install in 2026 is mostly about discipline: start on staging, force HTTPS, exclude cart and checkout from cache, and validate payments and emails before flipping live keys. Keep the stack lean, monitor Core Web Vitals, and document a rollback so anyone on-call can undo changes in minutes. If you want to go further, pair this setup with a full WordPress store build and safe template edits to keep design changes upgrade-safe.