Open your store for the first time

Know where you are starting

This lesson needs the starter files. It describes the current local sample: Docker runs the shop, its management dashboard, database, and background services together. You do not have to understand their internals to follow the supported setup.

The sample is for private practice. It cannot take real payments. Always read the README in the version delivered to you before running commands; a future release may have a different setup path. There is no source download on this tutorial page.

1. Prepare your computer

Install Docker Desktop, or Docker Engine with Compose v2, and Node.js 22.14 or later within the 22 series. Use the official Docker installation guide and Node.js downloads. Start Docker and wait until it says the engine is running.

Allow space for downloaded images and dependencies. At least 4 GB available to Docker is a development recommendation, not a tested minimum or a production capacity promise. Windows users should use the terminal and Docker setup supported by their delivered release; the current sample evidence comes from macOS Docker.

Open the folder containing this sample’s README and package.json in your AI coding tool. In the development repository it is examples/commerce-starter. The terminal must point to that folder, not your home folder or another project’s directory.

2. Have AI check the starting point

I am a seller without a development background. Read README.md and
AGENTS.md in this starter folder. Explain where to open the terminal.
Check Node 22, Docker Compose, available disk space, and whether local
port 9421 is free. Report pass/fail and the smallest fix for each failure.
Do not print secret values, delete data, create cloud resources, expose
ports publicly, or change another project. Stop before setup if a
prerequisite fails.

3. Run one command at a time

First, create private local settings. Existing settings are preserved:

npm run setup

Then build and start the shop. The first build needs internet access and may take several minutes; wait for it to finish before opening the shop:

npm start

Finally, check the services:

npm run status

The expected result is three healthy services. A failed command is a reason to read the error, not to paste the rest of the commands and hope.

4. Open the shop and Admin

After startup, open the sample shop on your computer, then your local Admin. These links point to your own computer; they are not a public hosted demo.

The sample Admin email is owner@mint-demo.test. Setup generates its password in the private .env file under DEMO_ADMIN_PASSWORD. Open that file yourself in your editor and enter the value in Admin. A filename beginning with a dot may be hidden by your file browser. Do not paste the file or password into AI chat.

If it does not work

• Docker is unavailable: start Docker and repeat the failed command.
• Port 9421 is already used: ask AI to identify the conflict without stopping another project; choose an unused SHOP_PORT in your private settings and restart this sample. Open the new port.
• Dependency download failed: keep the error, fix connectivity, then rerun the same build.
• A nonempty database fails initialization: preserve it. Use the troubleshooting lesson or ask for support; do not delete volumes or reseed it as a shortcut.

Ready when

You can see the three sample products, open one product, and sign in to Admin. The shop runs locally with synthetic data. Next, follow one test order from the storefront to Admin.