Updating add-ons

Updates keep your settings and data. Every release has a changelog entry on the add-on’s Changelog page, and we follow Semantic Versioning: patch and minor updates are safe drop-in replacements, and major versions list any manual steps.

Before any update

1. Read the add-on’s changelog, especially the Upgrade notes for major versions.
2. Create a backup in Administration → Backup/Restore (files and database).
3. On busy stores, update a staging copy first and test checkout.

Which method to use

You bought the add-on	Recommended method
On the CS-Cart Marketplace	Option A: Upgrade Center. New versions appear there automatically while your updates are active.
From cs-cart.kaviolabs.com	Option B: upload the new package. Download it from your account under Downloads.
Either, without admin upload rights	Option C: manual update over FTP/SSH.

All three keep your settings and data. Since the 2026-10-12 releases, every Kavio Labs add-on finishes an update by itself: on the first admin page you open afterwards, it adds any new database tables, columns, settings, language variables and e-mail templates, and records the new version. You never need to run SQL by hand.

Option A: Upgrade Center (recommended)

The Upgrade Center handles validation, backups, file copying, database migrations and new language variables for you.

1. Go to Administration → Upgrade center.
2. To check for new versions right away, open the gear menu and choose Refresh available upgrades. CS-Cart also checks automatically when you log in to the admin panel.
3. Find the Kavio Labs add-on in the list and click Download. The package is saved to var/upgrade/packages/.
4. Click Install. CS-Cart then runs these steps:
   1. Validators. These check for file collisions, permissions and whether a restore is possible.
   2. A backup of the affected files and the database.
   3. Copying the new files.
   4. Database migrations.
   5. Installing new language variables. Existing translations are not overwritten.
   6. Post-install scripts and clearing the cache.
5. Check the add-on’s version under Add-ons → Manage add-ons.

If you received an upgrade package file instead of an automatic update, upload it with the + button on the Upgrade Center page and then install it the same way.

The Upgrade Center closes your storefront

CS-Cart closes all storefronts when an Upgrade Center installation starts and does not reopen them. After the upgrade, check the store and then open it again under Administration → Storefronts (edit the storefront and set its status to open). The message CS-Cart shows after the upgrade links to the right page.

Restore e-mail

Before an upgrade, CS-Cart emails the store administrator a link to the restore script (upgrades/source_restore.php). If that email can’t be sent, the upgrade won’t start, so make sure a valid admin email is set in Settings → Company.

When the Upgrade Center reports a problem

Where it fails	What to do
Validator errors (permissions, collisions)	Fix what the validator lists, e.g. make the files writable, then run the upgrade again. Nothing has changed yet.
During file copying, migrations or language install	Use the restore link from the email, or restore the backup from Administration → Backup/Restore. Then contact support and include the upgrade log.
At the cache-clearing step	The upgrade itself is done. Clear the cache manually.

Upgrade logs are stored in var/upgrade/ (for example var/upgrade/kv_<addon>_log.txt).

Option B: Upload the new package in Add-ons

This is the quickest way to install a package you downloaded from your account.

1. Back up your files and database.
2. Go to Add-ons → Manage add-ons and click the upload button (the + icon).
3. Choose the new kv_<addon>-<version>.zip and upload it.
4. CS-Cart notices that the add-on is already installed and offers two ways:
   • Use the dangerous way replaces the add-on files and keeps its data and settings. Tick I know the risks and want to use the dangerous way, then click Use the dangerous way. This is the right choice for Kavio Labs updates: our add-ons are built to be updated this way and complete the update on the next admin page.
   • Use the safe way uninstalls the add-on first and installs it again. All its data and settings are deleted. Use it only when you want a clean start.
5. Open any admin page once. The add-on finishes the update in the background.
6. Check the version under Add-ons → Manage add-ons, then clear the cache and test the feature on the storefront.

CS-Cart’s uploader replaces the add-on’s language texts with the ones from the package. If you edited our texts in Settings → Languages, note your changes before the update and re-apply them afterwards.

Option C: Manual update

Use this if you can’t upload packages in the admin panel, or an upload fails.

1. Back up your files and database.
2. Download the new kv_<addon>-<version>.zip.
3. Unpack it and upload the files over FTP/SSH into the CS-Cart root. Overwrite the existing kv_<addon> files. Don’t delete the folders first.
4. If you customised our templates in your theme (design/themes/<theme>/templates/addons/kv_<addon>/), copy your changes somewhere safe before the next step. The step overwrites theme copies with the new templates.
5. Copy the updated storefront templates into your active theme(s). Do one of the following:
   • Copy var/themes_repository/responsive/templates/addons/kv_<addon>/ to design/themes/<your_theme>/templates/addons/kv_<addon>/, and do the same for css/.
6. Open any admin page once. The add-on applies database changes and new settings on that page load by itself.
7. Clear the cache (admin.php?cc&ctpl).
8. Check the version under Add-ons → Manage add-ons, then test the feature on the storefront.

Updating CS-Cart itself

Before you upgrade CS-Cart or Multi-Vendor to a new core version, check that each Kavio Labs add-on supports it. See the compatibility policy. Our add-ons don’t modify core files, so they never cause Upgrade Center collisions. Still, update our add-ons to their latest version before a major core upgrade.