AraTheme — Installation Guide (Step by Step)

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AraTheme 1.3 · For WHMCS administrators

This guide takes you from the downloaded zip to a live AraTheme site, step by step. Plan about 15 minutes. You need FTP or file-manager access to your WHMCS folder and a WHMCS admin account with full access.

Before you start

  • Check the requirements in Start here: WHMCS 9.0+, PHP 8.1+, ionCube Loader, PHP extensions curl, sodium, zip and gd. In WHMCS you can see your versions under Help → System Health Status (or Utilities → System → PHP Info).
  • Back up your templates folder and your database. AraTheme does not change WHMCS core files, but a backup is always good practice.
  • Staging first (recommended): if you have a staging copy of WHMCS, try it there first. A staging copy needs its own licence key.
  • Have your licence key ready (client area → Services → AraTheme for WHMCS).

Step 1 — Upload the files

  1. Unzip aratheme-x.y.z.zip on your computer.
  2. Open the upload/ folder. It contains templates/ and modules/.
  3. Upload the contents of upload/ into your WHMCS root folder — the folder that holds configuration.php, clientarea.php and cart.php. Let the folders merge; nothing of WHMCS is replaced.
  4. Check that these three folders now exist on the server:
    • templates/arahosterone/
    • templates/orderforms/arahoster_cart/
    • modules/addons/arahoster_theme/

Tip: upload in binary mode (FileZilla does this by default). If an FTP program changes the encoded PHP files, the addon will not load.

Step 2 — Activate the addon

  1. In the WHMCS admin go to System Settings → Addon Modules (in WHMCS 9: the gear icon → Apps & Integrations → Addon Modules, or search "Addon Modules").
  2. Find AraTheme and click Activate.
  3. Click Configure. Under Access Control, tick the admin role groups that may use the theme manager (at least Full Administrator).
  4. Leave Keep settings on deactivate ticked. Then your settings survive if the addon is ever deactivated.
  5. Click Save Changes.

Step 3 — Enter your licence key

  1. Go to Addons → AraTheme. Without a licence you see the activation screen (English and Arabic).
  2. Paste your licence key and click Activate.
  3. The theme manager opens and the top bar shows the licence as Active. If it shows Server unreachable, your server cannot reach https://me.arahoster.com — ask your host to allow outbound HTTPS, then click Check now under Licence & updates.

Step 4 — Switch WHMCS to AraTheme

  1. Go to System Settings → General Settings.
  2. On the General tab, set System Theme to arahosterone.
  3. On the Ordering tab, set Default Order Form Template to arahoster_cart.
  4. Click Save Changes. WHMCS may ask you to confirm your admin password — that is a normal WHMCS security step.
  5. Product groups can have their own order form. Open System Settings → Products/Services, edit each product group and check Order Form Template: choose Use System Default or arahoster_cart.

If you see an old look after switching, empty the template cache: Utilities → System → System Cleanup → Empty Template Cache, then reload the page.

Step 5 — First check (10 minutes)

Open your site in a private browser window and check:

  • The homepage, the store (/cart.php), the domain search and the checkout page while logged out.
  • Sign in as a test client: dashboard, services, domains, invoices, tickets and the account pages.
  • Switch the language (flag in the header) to Arabic or another right-to-left language: the whole layout mirrors.
  • Open the site on a phone: the menu button opens the side menu.
  • Put a product in the cart and go to the checkout page (you do not have to pay).

If something looks wrong, see Troubleshooting and FAQ or open a ticket.

Step 6 — Make it yours (quick start)

A fresh install starts neutral: your company name and logo come from WHMCS until you set your own. Then go through these sections in Addons → AraTheme:

  1. Brand — name, tagline, logos.
  2. Colours & look — brand and button colours (the contrast check tells you if text stays readable).
  3. Header and Menus — what the top bar shows, extra links.
  4. Homepage — hero text, sections, plan tabs, FAQ. Write only facts that are true for your company.
  5. Footer — about text, link columns, payment badges.
  6. SEO — homepage title and description, then the SEO guide in that section.
  7. Cookies & privacy — needed as soon as you add Google Analytics or any pixel.

Every section saves on its own. The Editing selector at the top switches between All languages (default) and one language, for texts that differ per language.

What if the theme shows "AraTheme is not activated on this site"?

That bar appears when the theme is selected in WHMCS but the addon is not active or the licence is not active. Activate the addon (step 2) and enter your key (step 3). Without an active licence AraTheme switches WHMCS back to its own theme and order form by itself, so your customers are never left without a working site.

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