--- title: Install Cartavera description: Requirements, installing the theme and the free Cartavera Blocks plugin, and first steps. url: "https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-installation/" updated: "2026-11-04" category: WPRuby Themes / Cartavera --- # Install Cartavera Table of Contents [Toggle](#) - [Requirements](#Requirements) - [What’s in the download](#Whats_in_the_download) - [Install](#Install) - [Activate your licence](#Activate_your_licence) - [First steps](#First_steps) - [Why the companion plugin?](#Why_the_companion_plugin) - [Running the theme without the plugin](#Running_the_theme_without_the_plugin) - [Using Cartavera without WooCommerce](#Using_Cartavera_without_WooCommerce) - [Updating the companion plugin](#Updating_the_companion_plugin) ## Requirements | | Minimum | Tested with | | --- | --- | --- | | WordPress | 6.7 | 7.1.4 | | PHP | 7.4 | 8.2 and 8.3 (code is also checked for PHP 7.4 compatibility) | | WooCommerce | 9.6 recommended | 11.2.1 | Cartavera also runs without WooCommerce, as a content theme (see [Using Cartavera without WooCommerce](#using-cartavera-without-woocommerce)). ## What’s in the download The ZIP you download from your wpruby.com account, `cartavera-.zip`, is the theme. It also contains the free **Cartavera Blocks** plugin (`bundled/cartavera-blocks.zip`), which the theme installs for you in step 3. Don't unzip the file before you upload it. ## Install 1. In WordPress, go to **Appearance → Themes → Add New Theme → Upload Theme**. 2. Choose `cartavera-.zip`, click **Install Now**, then **Activate**. 3. A notice at the top of the admin says *Cartavera works best with the free Cartavera Blocks plugin.* Click **Install and activate Cartavera Blocks**. You can do the same later from **Appearance → Cartavera**. - Installing plugins needs the `install_plugins` capability, which administrators have. Other users see *Ask a site administrator to install and activate it.* - If your host asks for FTP or SSH details, WordPress shows its usual connection form. Fill it in as you would for any plugin. 4. Install and activate **WooCommerce** if it isn't active yet. 5. Check that your Cart and Checkout pages use the **Cart** and **Checkout** blocks. New WooCommerce stores have used them since WooCommerce 8.3. Pages that still use the `[woocommerce_cart]` and `[woocommerce_checkout]` shortcodes work, but they get less of Cartavera's styling. See [Cart and checkout](https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-cart-and-checkout/). ## Activate your licence Cartavera works fully without a licence key. An active licence adds one-click updates. See [Activate your licence](https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-licence/). ## First steps | You want to… | Go to | | --- | --- | | See the theme with sample products | **Tools → Cartavera Sample Store**. See [Starter sites](https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-starter-sites/) | | Add your logo and site title | **Appearance → Editor → Patterns → Header**, or **Settings → General** for the title | | Change colours and fonts | **Appearance → Editor → Styles**. See [Styles](https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-styles/) | | Pick another header or footer | **Appearance → Editor → Patterns → Header** (or **Footer**) **→ Replace**. See [Headers and footers](https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-headers-and-footers/) | | Edit the homepage | **Appearance → Editor → Templates → Front Page**. See [The homepage](https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-homepage/) | | Make a Deals page | Create a page and choose the **Deals page (sale products)** template | **Appearance → Cartavera** is the theme's own screen. It has a setup checklist that ticks off each step as you finish it (WooCommerce, Cartavera Blocks, products, logo, payments, shipping and licence), shortcuts to the styles, header, footer, homepage, menus and patterns in the Site Editor, a preview of every style variation, links to the few store settings Cartavera adds to WooCommerce, the Cartavera Blocks plugin status and the licence form. [![The Appearance → Cartavera screen with the setup checklist, store settings and licence form](https://cdn.wpruby.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/04082750/cartavera-docs-admin-hub.jpg)](https://cdn.wpruby.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/04082750/cartavera-docs-admin-hub.jpg) ## Why the companion plugin? Cartavera keeps the theme to design (templates, patterns, styles), and puts the features in the plugin. The plugin adds: - the Store Search bar with live suggestions and a category selector - the category drawer and the mega menu - the account menu - savings badges, rating summaries, "New" and "Best seller" badges - purchase notes, the sale countdown, size guides and the wishlist button - the sticky purchase bar on phones - recently viewed products and the category grid - quick view, free-shipping progress and the starter sites ### Running the theme without the plugin The theme still works if the plugin isn't active. Where a plugin block would appear, Cartavera uses the closest WordPress or WooCommerce block, or leaves the spot empty: | Plugin feature | Without the plugin | | --- | --- | | Store Search | WordPress's Search block, limited to products (no live suggestions or category selector) | | Account menu | WooCommerce's Customer Account block | | Rating summary | WooCommerce's Product Rating block | | Savings badge | WooCommerce's Sale badge | | Category grid | Hidden on the homepage | | Category drawer, purchase notes, sticky purchase bar, recently viewed | Not shown. The header still lists your top categories | | Mega menu, badges, sale countdown, size guide, wishlist button, quick view, free-shipping progress | Not shown | Nothing you saved is lost. Plugin blocks in your saved pages and templates come back as soon as you activate the plugin again. ## Using Cartavera without WooCommerce Without WooCommerce, the header search becomes a normal site search and product sections are hidden. Administrators see a notice with an **Install WooCommerce** link. The blog, page, archive, search and 404 templates work as usual. ## Updating the companion plugin New versions of Cartavera Blocks come inside theme releases. When you update the theme and your installed copy of Cartavera Blocks is older than the one the theme includes, WordPress offers the newer version as a normal plugin update: - **Dashboard → Updates** lists Cartavera Blocks under *Plugins*. Tick it and click **Update Plugins**. - **Plugins** shows *There is a new version of Cartavera Blocks available* under the plugin, with an **update now** link. - **Appearance → Cartavera** shows the installed and included versions in the *Cartavera Blocks plugin* panel, with an **Update Cartavera Blocks** button. The update installs from the copy inside the theme, so it needs no licence and no download, and works on sites that can't reach the internet. If you turned on automatic updates for Cartavera Blocks, WordPress applies it on its own. Your blocks, settings and content stay as they are. If you'd rather update by hand, unzip the theme ZIP on your computer, go to **Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin**, choose `bundled/cartavera-blocks.zip` from the unzipped folder and choose **Replace current with uploaded**. The [changelog](https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-changelog/) says which plugin version each theme release bundles.