How to enable maintenance mode in PrestaShop 8

Introduction

Have you installed PrestaShop 8.x and your store shows a maintenance screen when you open it? Do not worry. This is a common situation and it can be managed from the administration panel.

In this article you will learn what PrestaShop maintenance mode is, when it makes sense to use it, how to enable it, how to allow access only from your IP address and how to put your store back online when you finish your changes.

This mode is especially useful when you are preparing a new store, updating modules, changing the design, uploading products or fixing errors without showing an unfinished shop to your customers.

What is PrestaShop maintenance mode?

PrestaShop maintenance mode temporarily disables the public part of your store, also called the front office.

While it is active, visitors cannot browse products or place orders. Instead, they see an informational page saying that the store is under maintenance.

This gives you more peace of mind when you need to make important changes, for example:

• Updating PrestaShop, modules or themes.
• Configuring payment or shipping methods.
• Uploading products before launching the store.
• Reviewing technical issues.
• Changing the store design.
• Preparing a migration or backup restoration.

The administrator can still enter the PrestaShop management area, known as the back office, to make the required adjustments.

How to enable maintenance mode in PrestaShop 8.x

Follow these steps to place your PrestaShop store in maintenance mode:

1. Open the PrestaShop administration panel

   Enter the administration URL of your store. It is usually a custom address, for example:

   https://yourdomain.com/admin123

   Sign in with your administrator email and password.

2. Go to the general store settings

   In the back office side menu, open:

   Configure > Shop Parameters > General

   Depending on the installed language or translation, the name may appear slightly differently.

3. Open the maintenance section

   Inside the general configuration screen, look for the tab or section called:

   Maintenance

4. Disable the store

   In the Enable store option, select:

   No

   This action does not remove products, orders or settings. It only hides the public store temporarily from visitors.

5. Add your IP so you can still see the store

   If you want to keep viewing the store while everyone else sees the maintenance page, add your IP address in the Maintenance IP field.

   If your panel shows an Add my IP button, you can use it.

   If you need to allow more than one IP address, write them separated by commas, for example:

   123.123.123.123, 111.111.111.111

6. Customize the maintenance message

   In the custom text field, write a clear message for your customers. For example:

   We are improving our store and will be back online very soon. Thank you for your patience.

   It is a good idea to say the store will return soon, but avoid promising a specific time unless you are completely sure.

7. Save the changes

   Click Save to apply the configuration.

   From that moment, your store will stay in maintenance mode for all visitors except the allowed IP addresses.

Video: enable or disable maintenance mode in PrestaShop

You can watch the full process in this video:

You can also open it directly here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7whFf6S0qI

How to disable maintenance mode in PrestaShop

When you finish your changes and want to publish the store again, the process is simple:

1. Open the PrestaShop back office

   Sign in again to the administration area of your store.

2. Click the maintenance notice if it appears

   When the store is disabled, PrestaShop often shows a notice in the upper part of the back office saying that maintenance mode is active.

   You can click it to go directly to the right section.

3. Enable the store again

   Go to:

   Configure > Shop Parameters > General > Maintenance

   In the Enable store option, select:

   Yes

4. Save the changes

   Click Save.

5. Check the store from the browser

   Open your domain in a private window or from another device to confirm that the store is visible to everyone again.

Useful tips before enabling maintenance mode

Create a backup before major changes

Before updating PrestaShop, installing modules or modifying the theme, create a backup of files and the database. In miHosting you can rely on the backup options available for your hosting plan.

Do not forget to add your IP

If you do not add your IP in the maintenance field, you will also see the maintenance page when visiting the public store. The back office will still work, but you will not be able to review the front office result directly.

Remember that your IP can change

Some Internet connections use dynamic IP addresses. If one day you can see the store and the next day you cannot, check whether your IP changed and add it again.

Use a clear message for your customers

Avoid generic messages if the store already receives visitors. A simple message such as the following usually works well:

We are updating our store to improve your experience. We will be back soon.

Check the SSL certificate as well

If you are preparing a new store, make sure the domain loads with https:// and that the SSL certificate is active. An online store without SSL can trigger browser security warnings and reduce customer trust.

Review your hosting resources

If you enable maintenance mode because the store is slow or shows errors while updating modules, you may need to review CPU usage, memory, disk space or the PHP version. In that case, a professional hosting plan, a VPS or a managed maintenance service from miHosting may help you work more reliably.

Frequent issues when using maintenance mode

I cannot find the maintenance option

In PrestaShop 8.x it is usually located here:

Configure > Shop Parameters > General > Maintenance

If you cannot see it, make sure your user account has administrator permissions or enough rights to modify the store settings.

I enabled the store, but the maintenance page still appears

Try these actions:

1. Clear the PrestaShop cache.
2. Clear the browser cache.
3. Open the store in a private window.
4. Confirm that Enable store is set to Yes.
5. Check whether an extra maintenance module is still active.

I cannot see the store even though I added my IP

Make sure the IP is written correctly and without unnecessary spaces. If you use several IP addresses, separate them with commas.

Correct example:

123.123.123.123,111.111.111.111

Does maintenance mode affect the administration panel?

No. Maintenance mode disables the public store, but it should not block access to the back office. You can still manage products, orders, modules and settings.

Frequently asked questions

Does maintenance mode delete products or orders?

No. Maintenance mode only disables the public part of the store temporarily. Your products, orders, customers, modules and settings remain saved.

Can I work on the store while it is in maintenance mode?

Yes. You can keep entering the back office and making changes. If you add your IP as allowed, you will also be able to see the public store while other visitors keep seeing the maintenance page.

Can customers buy while the store is in maintenance mode?

No. While the store is disabled, customers cannot browse normally or complete purchases.

Is it a good idea to enable maintenance mode before updating PrestaShop?

Yes. It is recommended before major updates, module installation, theme changes or any task that may affect how the store works.

Can I customize the maintenance page?

Yes. PrestaShop lets you add a custom text message. For more advanced layouts there are also dedicated modules, but for most cases the built-in PrestaShop message is enough.

Conclusion

PrestaShop 8.x maintenance mode is a simple and very useful tool for working on your store without showing errors, incomplete changes or pending configuration to your customers.

You only need to enter the back office, go to the maintenance section, set Enable store to No, add your IP if you want to keep reviewing the storefront and save the changes.

When you finish, return to the same screen, change Enable store to Yes and save again.

If your PrestaShop store is hosted at miHosting and you need help with updates, SSL, backups, PHP configuration or error review, you can contact technical support from your client area. You can also review our professional hosting plans if your store needs more resources to keep growing reliably.