.How do I run the Shopware 6 installer from the CLI (no browser)?

Quick Answer

You can install Shopware 6 entirely from the command line using the built-in system:install command. This is the preferred setup method for staging servers, CI/CD pipelines, Docker environments, and headless deployments where no browser installer is available. The process mainly involves preparing your database connection and environment variables, then running the installer command from the project root.

Before You Start

✦ PHP CLI access — you need shell access to run Shopware console commands.
✦ Database credentials — the installer creates tables and writes initial Shopware data.
✦ Composer dependencies installed — run composer install before starting the setup.

1

Prepare the project

Make sure your Shopware project files are already downloaded and dependencies are installed. Most failed CLI installs happen because the vendor directory is missing or the .env file still contains placeholder database values. If you cloned the project from Git, install dependencies first before touching the installer command.

Navigate to the Shopware root directory
Run composer install if dependencies are missing
Verify that the .env file exists

PRO TIP Copy .env.dist to .env first if the project does not already include one.

composer install

2

Configure database access

Shopware reads database credentials from the DATABASE_URL value inside your .env file. The installer will fail immediately if the database server is unreachable or the credentials are wrong. Create the database manually first unless your deployment process handles that automatically.

Edit the DATABASE_URL value in .env
Create the target database before installation
Verify MySQL or MariaDB connectivity

IMPORTANT Using localhost instead of the actual container hostname breaks many Docker installs.

DATABASE_URL="mysql://user:[email protected]:3306/shopware"

3

Run the installer command

Once the environment is ready, run the Shopware installer directly from the CLI. This command creates the database schema, installs default data, and generates the admin user. You can either enter values interactively or pass them as flags for automated deployments and CI pipelines.

Run the installer from the project root
Provide admin credentials when prompted
Wait for cache warm-up and migration completion

PRO TIP Add –basic-setup to skip the interactive setup wizard during automated deployments.

bin/console system:install --basic-setup

4

Verify the installation

After the installer finishes, verify that Shopware can serve requests correctly. CLI installs sometimes succeed even when file permissions or cache ownership are wrong. Test both the storefront and the admin area before continuing with plugins or theme deployment.

Clear and warm up the cache
Open the storefront homepage
Log in to the Shopware admin panel

COMMON MISTAKE Developers often forget to set writable permissions for var and public folders after deployment.

bin/console cache:clear

Shopware CLI Installation Checklist

0 of 6 complete

Install Composer dependencies
Configure DATABASE_URL correctly
Create the target database
Run system:install command
Clear and warm cache
Verify storefront and admin login

Mistakes Most Developers Make

! Wrong database hostname

What happens: The installer cannot connect to MySQL and exits before migrations start.

Fix: Use the actual database container or server hostname instead of localhost.

! Missing vendor directory

What happens: Symfony commands fail because required PHP packages are not installed.

Fix: Run composer install before using any Shopware console commands.

! Incorrect file permissions

What happens: Cache generation and media uploads fail even though installation completed successfully.

Fix: Make sure the web server user can write to var, public, and generated cache directories.

Key Takeaway

The short version: Shopware 6 can be installed completely from the CLI using the system:install command, which makes it ideal for automated deployments and server-based setups. Most installation problems come from incorrect database credentials, missing Composer dependencies, or broken file permissions after deployment. Configure the .env file first, verify database access, then run the installer command from the project root. After installation, always clear the cache and test both the storefront and admin login before moving on to plugins or themes. Start with Step 2—that one alone handles most of it.

Magento (Adobe Commerce)