> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.premsoft.de/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.premsoft.de/en/plugins/blog/quickstart.md).

# Quickstart

This page walks you through eight steps from installation to your first published post. At the end of each step you'll find a link to the detail page with deeper explanations.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Install and activate the plugin

1. **Extensions → My extensions → Blog → Install**
2. Pick the sales channels in which the blog should appear (default: all)
3. Open the plugin configuration and turn on **Activate plugin** for the target sales channel

→ Details: [Installation](/en/plugins/blog/installation.md) and [Pre Requisites](/en/plugins/blog/pre-requisites.md)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Create a magazine category

Unlike a product category, the blog overview is **not a hardcoded page** at `/blog`. You decide yourself where and how the blog appears in your storefront — via the normal Shopware category system.

1. **Catalogues → Categories → New category**
2. Pick a name, e.g. `Magazine`, `Blog` or `Guides` — this becomes the URL (e.g. `/magazine`)
3. In the **Layout** tab pick the **Blog listing page (PremSoft)** layout
4. Save

The category can hang anywhere in your navigation tree — directly in the main menu, in the footer menu or as a service node.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Authors overview (optional, but recommended)

If you have several authors, a dedicated overview is worth it.

1. **Catalogues → Categories → New category**, e.g. `Authors` as a sub-category of `Magazine`
2. In the **Layout** tab pick the **Blog authors listing page (PremSoft)** layout
3. Save

The authors page is then reachable e.g. at `/magazine/authors`.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Create your first author

1. **Content → Blog → Authors → New author**
2. Enter first name, last name, profile picture and description
3. Save

{% hint style="info" %}
The Basic version allows exactly **1 author**. Additional profiles are part of the Advanced or Premium version.
{% endhint %}

→ Details: [Authors](/en/plugins/blog/create-and-edit-blog-posts/authors.md)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Category and tag for your posts (optional)

These are the thematic groups you can assign to your posts — **don't mix them up with the Shopware category from step 2** that hosts your magazine.

1. **Content → Blog → Categories → New category** — e.g. `Travel`, `Recipes`, `Tips`
2. **Content → Blog → Tags → New tag** — finer-grained than categories

→ Details: [Categories & tags](/en/plugins/blog/create-and-edit-blog-posts/categories-tags.md)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Create your first blog post

1. **Content → Blog → Articles → New article**
2. **Basics**: internal name, status `Active`, title, subtitle, short description, preview image
3. **Content**: build the post in the visual editor — sections, blocks, texts, images
4. **Visibility**: set the display date, assign the blog category and tag from step 5, pick an author, confirm the sales channels
5. **SEO**: fill in the meta title and meta description (optional — sensible defaults are used when fields are empty)
6. **Save**

→ Details: [Managing articles](/en/plugins/blog/create-and-edit-blog-posts/posts.md) and [The content editor](/en/plugins/blog/create-and-edit-blog-posts/content-editor.md)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Map the categories in the plugin configuration

For posts to live under the path of your magazine category, the plugin needs to know which category hosts the magazine overview:

1. **Extensions → My extensions → Blog → Configuration**
2. Under **Category assignments**, pick the category from step 2 as the **Magazine category**
3. If you did step 3, set the **Authors category** accordingly
4. Save

→ Details: [Plugin configuration](/en/plugins/blog/create-and-edit-blog-posts/configuration.md)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Check the storefront

Visit your magazine category in the storefront:

* Posts appear as a card list with filter and pagination
* Clicking a post opens the detail page — the URL automatically uses the category path (e.g. `/magazine/my-post`)
* The authors overview (if created) shows a card list of all profiles plus an A–Z filter

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Important:** If you later switch to a different category in the plugin configuration, ask your hoster to regenerate the SEO URLs once — otherwise the old URLs stay active.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Next steps

* **Show the blog on the home page?** [Blog elements in Shopping Experiences](/en/plugins/blog/create-and-edit-blog-posts/cms-blocks.md) — three curated post rails (latest, by category, hand-picked)
* **Create more posts?** Limits and the upgrade path: [License & premium features](/en/plugins/blog/advanced-and-premium-version.md)
* **Enable reviews?** Premium feature, details under [Reviews](/en/plugins/blog/create-and-edit-blog-posts/reviews.md)
* **External integration or headless frontend?** [Store API](/en/plugins/blog/store-api.md)


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.premsoft.de/en/plugins/blog/quickstart.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.