Consultation
Logo codafish

Pimcore Installation – A Step-by-Step Guide

Have you chosen Pimcore for planning your website, online shop, or Product Information Management? First things first: excellent choice! There’s a reason Pimcore is often called the Ferrari of content management systems. So let’s get started. In this blog post, we’ll share more about Pimcore and guide you through the installation step by step.

What is Pimcore and what is it used for?

Pimcore is an open-source software platform that combines several functions in one system. It is primarily aimed at companies looking for a central solution to manage digital content, products, and data. First and foremost, product information management (PIM), which manages structured product data from various different sources.With master data management (MDM), all master data can be centralized, enriched, and maintained in one place.Additionally, digital asset management (DAM) in Pimcore allows for the management of images, videos, PDFs, and much mor Another powerful feature is the content management system (CMS), which allows you to create and manage websites, landing pages, and portals. In terms of CRM, the software also provides the customer data platform (CDP), where you can store and manage customer master data and create unified customer profiles.

Last but not least, Pimcore’s Digital Commerce Platform (DCP) is an extremely powerful feature for building B2B and B2C e-commerce frameworks and creating unique customer experiences.

Companies with complex product catalogs particularly benefit from Pimcore’s core features — especially if their goal is to publish their products and content across multiple channels such as websites, mobile, and print from a single source. In general, Pimcore is also suitable for all companies aiming to digitalize their business processes: the software allows data synchronization via APIs and the configuration of interfaces to ERP and CRM systems.

Contact

Get in touch with us so that we can create a digital project after a free initial consultation and work out a roadmap together. Learn more

Contact

Get in touch with us so that we can create a digital project after a free initial consultation and work out a roadmap together. Learn more

Contact

Get in touch with us so that we can create a digital project after a free initial consultation and work out a roadmap together. Learn more

Advantages of the Pimcore data platform for companies

Both content management systems share one thing in common: they were developed to help users design their website projects in a “do-it-yourself” format — but with different levels of difficulty.

Pimcore is a Single Source of Truth

MDM, PIM, CMS, CDP, DCP – no, this isn’t a remake of a 90s hit by Die Fantastischen Vier, but rather Pimcore’s superpower: the system serves as a central data management hub, integrating multiple data sources into a single platform. This not only ensures consistency but also accuracy. Thanks to this Single Source of Truth, errors that typically arise from duplicate data maintenance or inconsistencies between systems are significantly reduced.

Pimcore is flexible and adaptable.

The software was designed with an API-first architecture, allowing Pimcore to integrate seamlessly into existing systems such as ERP, CRM, or e-commerce. Thanks to its additional modularity and expandability, functions can also be individually customized or extended to meet the specific requirements of each company

Pimcore supports omnichannel strategies.

You can manage and publish your content, product data, or campaigns directly from Pimcore across various channels such as websites, mobile apps, POS systems, print catalogs, or social media. And that’s not all — you can also tailor customer-specific content and data for different target audiences and channels!

Pimcore improves collaboration

Different departments with different databases? Not with Pimcore! Whether it’s marketing, sales, or IT — all departments in your company can access the same data in real time within Pimcore, enabling efficient collaboration. At the same time, everything remains under control thanks to customizable user permissions, which allow you to precisely define who has access to which data.

Pimcore saves costs

As open-source software, Pimcore’s Community Edition is free of charge, so you won’t face expensive licensing fees. In addition, you don’t need any other specialized tools that could drive up your costs, since Pimcore already combines a wide range of functionalities in one platform.

Pimcore Installation: Step-by-Step Guide

So, you’re convinced by Pimcore — we’ve been for a long time! Now let’s get down to business: installing Pimcore. Follow our step-by-step guide, and nothing can go wrong. The result: a fully installed Pimcore instance!

 System Requirements and Preparations

To successfully install Pimcore, certain system requirements and preparations are necessary.
We’ve summarized the server and software requirements for you in a simple table:

Component Minimum Requirement
Operating System Linux/Unix, Windows
Web Server Apache > 2.4 or Nginx
PHP Version > 8.1, recommended: 8.2
Database MySQL > 8.0 or MariaDB > 10.4
Composer Version > 2.x
Node.js & npm Required for Admin UI / asset builds
RAM Minimum 2 GB, recommended 4–8 GB
Disk Space Depends on asset size, but at least 5–10 GB
Redis Optional, but recommended for caching

 

The following PHP extensions are required:

pdo, pdo_mysql, intl, ctype, curl, dom, gd, iconv, json, mbstring, openssl, simplexml, tokenizer, xml, zip, zlib, fileinfo

Install the required PHP extensions with the following command:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install php php-cli php-mysql php-xml php-curl php-intl php-mbstring php-zip php-gd php-bcmath unzip git

Check the requirements with these commands:

php -v # PHP ≥ 8.1

mysql --version # MySQL ≥ 8.0 or MariaDB ≥ 10.4
composer -V # Composer ≥ 2.x

Set Up vHost and Database

In the next step, create the database:

CREATE DATABASE pimcore CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'pimcore_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'securePassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON pimcore.* TO 'pimcore_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Activate the Apache vHost:

<VirtualHost *:80>

ServerName pimcore.local
DocumentRoot /var/www/pimcore/public<Directory /var/www/pimcore/public>
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/pimcore_error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/pimcore_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Then enable the site and reload Apache:

sudo a2ensite pimcore.conf

sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl reload apache2

Download the Desired Pimcore Version

Create your project directory:

mkdir /var/www/pimcore && cd /var/www/pimcore

Install Pimcore using Composer:

composer create-project pimcore/skeleton

Then start the installer:

./vendor/bin/pimcore-install

During installation, enter your database credentials.
Note: The installation automatically creates an admin user.

Make Adjustments

If necessary, edit the .env.local file — for example, to configure database access, mail settings, or Redis:

DATABASE_URL="mysql://pimcore_user:securePassword@127.0.0.1:3306/pimcore"

You can test all configurations in your browser by visiting:
👉 http://pimcore.local/admin
Log in using your installation credentials.

photocredit freepik

Conclusion


All set? Is your Pimcore instance up and running? Excellent! If you still have questions or need some support, feel free to reach out to us. As a Pimcore Gold Partner, we’re the experts you need: we provide comprehensive consulting and help you with both the installation and configuration of your Pimcore instance.

Contact

Get in touch with us so that we can create a digital project after a free initial consultation and work out a roadmap together. Learn more

FAQ

How do I install Pimcore on Windows?

You can install Pimcore on Windows by following these steps:

  1. Install XAMPP or Laragon as prerequisites.

  2. Install Composer from https://getcomposer.org/download/.

  3. Check your PHP version — note that Pimcore requires PHP > 8.1.

  4. Create your project by opening the command prompt and navigating to your web root directory:

    cd C:\laragon\www\
    composer create-project pimcore/skeleton pimcore
    cd pimcore

  5. Set up your database by starting MySQL and creating a new one via phpMyAdmin.

  6. Install Pimcore with the following command:

    vendor\bin\pimcore-install

  7. Enter your MySQL credentials when prompted.

  8. Open http://localhost/pimcore/admin in your browser and log in using your admin user.

How do I install Pimcore using Docker?

To install Pimcore via Docker, follow these steps:

  1. Make sure you have the correct prerequisites installed — Docker Desktop and Git.

  2. Create a Pimcore project with the Docker skeleton:

    git clone https://github.com/pimcore/pimcore-docker.git pimcore-docker
    cd pimcore-docker

  3. Start your project using Docker:

    docker compose up -d

    This starts containers for PHP, Apache, MySQL, etc.
    Default ports:

  4. Install Pimcore inside the container:

    docker exec -it php bash
    ./vendor/bin/pimcore-install

    You’ll be asked for your database credentials, admin username, and password.

  5. After a successful installation, access Pimcore via:

How do I update Pimcore?

You update Pimcore primarily via Composer, since it’s based on the Symfony framework and relies heavily on PHP libraries. The complexity of the update process depends on your current version and setup.

Follow these steps for a successful update:

  1. Check all prerequisites — for example, ensure your PHP version supports the new Pimcore release.

  2. Create backups of your codebase, database, and assets.

  3. Update your Composer dependencies in the project directory:

    composer update pimcore/pimcore

  4. Then update all dependencies:

    composer update

  5. Run the Pimcore migration script to apply any database structure changes:

    ./bin/console pimcore:migrations:migrate

  6. Clear your cache and rebuild assets:

    ./bin/console cache:clear
    ./bin/console assets:install

  7. Finally, test your system thoroughly — check Symfony and PHP warnings, log files, custom bundles, and any custom code.

 

 

codafish-leistungen-beratung

Consulting

codafish-leistungen-kreation-design

Design

codafish-leistungen-webentwicklung

Web Development

codafish-leistungen-hosting-support

Hosting

codafish-leistungen-digitale-strategie

Marketing

codafish-leistungen-support-retina

Support

Our Services ><>

Dive into our World

Here is where we inform you about exciting digital trends and explain how you can use them in your business. In addition, we offer you a closer look at our work as a digital agency. Thank you for your interest. Thank you for your interest.

Online Marketing Strategies – Kickstart Your Success with Our Guide!

21. October 2025
Discover which CMS is best for your website: WordPress or Webflow. We compare the advantages and disadvantages and help you make the right decision.
Read More
pimcore installation

Webflow vs. WordPress – which CMS is better?

26. August 2025
Discover which CMS is best for your website: WordPress or Webflow. We compare the advantages and disadvantages and help you make the right decision.
Read More
Pimcore Datahub

Pimcore Datahub

29. July 2025
Discover how Pimcore Datahub streamlines data integration, GraphQL access, and omnichannel delivery in your CMS with easy setup and powerful features.
Read More
Show All ><>

We call you!

Are you planning a new digital project and you have questions about our services? Complete this form or call us at +1 888 9263234
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • The data provided will be transmitted in encrypted form and treated in accordance with the data protection law. You can find our data protection information here.
Drupal Organization Member Logo
partner_gold_no_retina
#image_title data-lazy-srcset=
Software hosted in Germany Bundesverband IT Mittelstand Logo
sipgate logo certified partner
Error: Embedded data could not be displayed.