Self-hosted Ecommerce Platform for Artists

Website and Ecommerce Application

This is a self-hosted ecommerce application designed to showcase an artist’s work and eliminate reliance on third-party platforms for sales.

🔗 Live App: The Art of Jaleh

Code found here: https://github.com/AngelLozan/aoj

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🎨 Features

• Single Admin User: Restricted to one user for managing content.
• Artwork Display & Sales: Visitors can browse and purchase art directly.
• Printify Integration: Automates print-on-demand orders.
• Secure Payments: Integrated with PayPal sandbox for testing.
• Self-Hosting on Digital Ocean: Full control over hosting and deployment.

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🔑 Account Administration

• This app is designed for a single admin user.
• Admin credentials must be created via the Rails console.
• The admin can update their email and password within the UI.

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⚙️ Setup & Deployment

1️⃣ Deploying to Digital Ocean

Create a Droplet

• Choose a Rails Marketplace App when setting up your droplet.

• SSH into the droplet:

  ssh root@<droplet-ip>
  

• (Optional) Set up a shorthand SSH config:

  Host <app-name>
    User root
    HostName <droplet-ip>
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/<key-name>
  

  Now you can connect using:

  ssh <app-name>
  

Update Packages

sudo apt-get update

Modify Nginx Configuration

nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/rails

• Change root /home/rails/rails_app/public; to:

  root /home/<app-name>/public;
  

• Update server name:

  server_name <your-domain> www.<your-domain>;
  

• Add to location / block:

  proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
  proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
  

Change Working Directory

nano /etc/systemd/system/rails.service

• Update:

  WorkingDirectory=/home/<app-name>
  ExecStart= /bin/bash -lc 'bundle exec puma -e production'
  

DNS Configuration (Digital Ocean)

• Add A Records for your domain:

  ns1.digitalocean.com
  ns2.digitalocean.com
  ns3.digitalocean.com
  

Clone & Set Up App

git clone <repo-url>
sudo chmod 777 -R <app-name>
cd <app-name>

Install Dependencies

bundle install
yarn install

Set Up ENV Variables

• Install Figaro:

  bundle exec figaro install
  

• Move .env values to config/application.yml:

  EXAMPLE_ENV_VAR: value
  

Database Setup

RAILS_ENV=production rails db:create
RAILS_ENV=production rails db:migrate
RAILS_ENV=production rails db:seed

Precompile Assets

RAILS_ENV=production bundle exec rake assets:precompile

Obtain SSL Certificate

sudo certbot --nginx -d <your-domain> -d www.<your-domain>

Restart Services

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart nginx
sudo systemctl restart rails.service

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🔄 Updating & Troubleshooting

Pulling Latest Code

git fetch
git pull

Checking Service Status

sudo systemctl status rails.service
sudo systemctl status nginx

Viewing Logs

journalctl -u rails.service -b
cd <app-name>
tail -f log/production.log

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🛍️ Printify API Integration

With a custom API store setup, Printify does not handle publishing. Use the API to fetch product data and manually create listings.

• Use Printify API to:
  • Retrieve product data
  • Set product publish status
  • Unlock stuck products

For support: apiteam[@]printify.com

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🛠️ Testing

GHA Workflows

• Currently disabled due to Cloudinary connection issues.
• To enable, move workflows from ./test to ./github/.

Running Tests

rails db:test:purge
rails test

Testing PayPal Sandbox

• Use a future date for the expiration, e.g., 10/24.

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🎨 Artwork

The artwork used in this project consists of original mockups provided by the artist to preview the final site design.

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🚀 Conclusion

This self-hosted ecommerce application provides artists with a fully controlled online store, avoiding third-party fees and restrictions. With a secure, self-hosted setup on Digital Ocean, this solution ensures a smooth buying experience for customers and full management capabilities for the artist.

🔗 Live App: The Art of Jaleh