📘OpenCart File Locations and Caches

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Managing an OpenCart installation involves knowing where key configuration files and cache directories are located. This guide explains where OpenCart stores its critical files and how to clear various types of caches that affect functionality and performance.

🔧 Key Configuration Files

OpenCart relies on two primary config files:

  • /config.php
  • /admin/config.php
    (Note: The admin folder may be renamed for security.)

These files store:

  • Site URLs
  • Filesystem paths (e.g., DIR_STORAGE, DIR_LOGS)
  • Database connection credentials

📌 These usually only need modification during migrations (e.g. when cPanel usernames or database names change).

🪵 Error Logs

OpenCart logs system and PHP errors in several locations:

  • PHP error logs
    • error_log (in document root or within /admin/)
  • OpenCart-specific error log
    • Newer versions: system/storage/logs/error.log
    • Older versions: system/logs/error.log or error.txt

💡 You can find the storage directory location by checking DIR_STORAGE and DIR_LOGS constants in the config files.

⚙️ OCMod and vQmod Caches

🌀 OCMod Cache (OpenCart 2.0+)

To clear:

  1. Go to Admin Panel → Extensions → Modifications
  2. Click the blue Refresh button (🔄) in the top-right corner

🌀 vQmod Cache (Optional Add-on)

To clear:

Manually delete or rename the following in the OpenCart root directory:

vqmod/vqcache/
vqmod/checked.cache
vqmod/mods.cache

🧪 It’s safer to rename the files/folders first to test before fully deleting.

🎨 Journal Theme Cache

If the Journal theme is installed:

  • Go to Admin Panel → Journal section
  • Click ‘Clear Cache’:
    • Either from the sidebar
    • Or the top-right button in the Journal dashboard
      (In Journal 3, the button is teal with a clock + reverse arrow icon)

🚀 NitroPack Classic

Found under:
System → Tools → NitroPack

To clear cache:

  • Use the ‘Clear Cache’ dropdown in the top-right
    • Clear Nitro Cache (safe)
    • Clear All Caches (more thorough)

🗄️ Database Cache Backends:
NitroPack can use the file system, Memcached, or Redis. Busy websites may benefit from Memcached or Redis to reduce database load.

🌐 NitroPack.io Integration

Some sites use the SaaS NitroPack.io version.

  • Found under System section
  • Contains a single ‘Purge Cache’ button

🧱 OpenCart 3 Template Cache

  • On the main admin dashboard, click the gear icon (⚙️) in the top-right to clear the template cache.

🔥 LiteSpeed Cache (Optional)

If the site is hosted on a LiteSpeed Web Server and the integration module is installed:

  • A ‘Purge LiteSpeed Cache’ button will appear in the top admin toolbar.
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