---
title: "Technical Requirements"
description: "J2Commerce requires a properly configured server environment. This page details the exact requirements for running J2Commerce optimally."
url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/getting-started/technical-requirements"
markdown_url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/getting-started/technical-requirements.md"
last_updated: "2026-10-23T02:33:38+00:00"
version: "J2Commerce 6"
breadcrumbs:
  - title: "Home"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/"
  - title: "J2Commerce 6"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6"
  - title: "Getting Started"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/getting-started"
  - title: "Technical Requirements"
    url: "https://docs.j2commerce.com/v6/getting-started/technical-requirements"
---

# Technical Requirements

J2Commerce requires a properly configured server environment. This page details the exact requirements for running J2Commerce optimally.

## Server Requirements

### PHP Version

| Version | Status | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PHP 8.3+ | **Required** | Current minimum requirement |
| PHP 8.2 | Not Supported | May work but not tested |
| PHP 8.1 | Not Supported | Not compatible |
| PHP 8.0 | Not Supported | Not compatible |

### Database

| Type | Version | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MySQL | 8.0+ | Recommended |
| MariaDB | 10.6+ | Compatible with MySQL 8.0 |
| PostgreSQL | Not Supported | Requires extension |

### Web Server

| Type | Support | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Apache 2.4+ | Full | with mod_rewrite |
| Nginx | Full | Requires configuration |
| IIS | Partial | URL rewriting setup required |
| LiteSpeed | Full | Compatible with Apache config |

## PHP Extensions

### Required Extensions

These extensions must be installed and enabled:

| Extension | Purpose | Check |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `mysqli` or `pdo_mysql` | Database connectivity | `php -m \| grep mysql` |
| `json` | JSON encoding/decoding | Built into PHP 8+ |
| `mbstring` | Multi-byte string support | `mb_substr()` works |
| `curl` | HTTP requests for APIs | Payment gateways, currency updates |
| `zlib` | Compression | Gzip output, package installation |

### Recommended Extensions

| Extension | Purpose | Benefit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `gd` or `imagick` | Image processing | Product image resizing, thumbnails |
| `zip` | Archive handling | Extension installation, exports |
| `openssl` | Encryption | Secure API connections, webhooks |
| `bcmath` | Precision math | Accurate price calculations |
| `intl` | Internationalization | Currency formatting, translations |

### Check Extensions

Run this PHP code to check installed extensions:

```php
<?php
$required = ['mysqli', 'json', 'mbstring', 'curl', 'zlib'];
$recommended = ['gd', 'imagick', 'zip', 'openssl', 'bcmath', 'intl'];

echo "Required:\n";
foreach ($required as $ext) {
    echo "- $ext: " . (extension_loaded($ext) ? "OK" : "MISSING") . "\n";
}

echo "\nRecommended:\n";
foreach ($recommended as $ext) {
    echo "- $ext: " . (extension_loaded($ext) ? "OK" : "MISSING") . "\n";
}
```

## Directory Permissions

J2Commerce requires write access to the following directories:

| Directory | Purpose | Permissions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `/tmp` | Temporary files | 755 or 775 |
| `/logs` | Log files | 755 or 775 |
| `/administrator/cache` | Cache files | 755 or 775 |
| `/images` | Product images | 755 or 775 |
| `/media/com_j2commerce` | Media files | 755 or 775 |

### Verify Permissions

```bash
# Check if directories are writable
ls -la /var/www/html/tmp
ls -la /var/www/html/logs

# Test write access
touch /var/www/html/tmp/test.txt && rm /var/www/html/tmp/test.txt
```

## PHP Configuration

### Required Settings

| Setting | Minimum | Recommended |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `memory_limit` | 256M | 512M |
| `upload_max_filesize` | 10M | 32M |
| `post_max_size` | 20M | 64M |
| `max_execution_time` | 300 | 600 |
| `max_input_time` | 300 | 600 |

### php.ini Example

```ini
memory_limit = 512M
upload_max_filesize = 32M
post_max_size = 64M
max_execution_time = 600
max_input_time = 600

# Required extensions
extension=mysqli
extension=mbstring
extension=curl
extension=zip
extension=gd
```

## SSL Requirements

HTTPS is **required** for:

- Payment processing (PCI compliance)
- Payment webhook verification
- Currency API connections
- Some shipping carrier APIs

### Recommended SSL Configuration

- TLS 1.2 or higher
- Modern cipher suites
- HSTS enabled
- Certificate from trusted CA

## Hosting Recommendations

### Shared Hosting

J2Commerce can run on quality shared hosting with:

- PHP 8.3+ support
- MySQL 8.0+ database
- SSH or CLI access for cron jobs

### VPS / Dedicated

For better performance:

- **2 GB RAM minimum** (4 GB recommended)
- **2 CPU cores minimum**
- SSD storage for database
- Opcode cache (APCu or OPcache)

### Cloud Hosting

Compatible with:

- AWS (EC2, Lightsail)
- Google Cloud Platform
- DigitalOcean
- Linode

## Environment Check

J2Commerce includes a system check in the Dashboard. To verify your environment:

1. Go to **Components -> J2Commerce -> Dashboard**
2. Look for the **Setup Guide** panel on the right
3. It will alert you to any missing requirements

## Troubleshooting

### "PHP version not supported"

Update PHP to version 8.3 or higher via your hosting control panel or contact your host.

### "Database extension not found"

Install or enable the `mysqli` extension in php.ini:

```ini
extension=mysqli
```

### "Curl extension not found"

Install curl support:

```bash
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install php-curl

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum install php-curl
```

### "Permission denied" errors

Set correct ownership for the web server:

```bash
# Apache on Ubuntu/Debian
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html
chmod -R 755 /var/www/html

# Nginx on Ubuntu/Debian
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html
chmod -R 755 /var/www/html
```

## What's Next?

- [**Installation**](https://docs.j2commerce.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=277&catid=22) -- Install J2Commerce
- [**Getting Started Guide**](https://docs.j2commerce.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=195&catid=50) -- Set up your first store
- **Upgrading** -- Upgrade from J2Store or free version