⚙️ PhPstrap Admin Panel Guide

This guide walks you through accessing the Admin Panel, managing users and modules, configuring settings, and keeping your site healthy and secure.

1) Access & Authentication

1. Visit https://yourdomain.com/admin/.
2. Log in with an administrator account created during installation or via the CLI/DB.
3. If 2FA is enabled (via a module), complete the second step to finish logging in.

Roles & Permissions (Typical Setup)

• Super Admin: Full access to all settings, modules, users, and system tools.
• Admin: Manage content, users, and most settings; may be restricted from core/system tools.
• Editor/Manager: Limited access for content or feature-specific tasks (depends on module permissions).

2) Admin Navigation Overview

The Admin Panel is organized into a few predictable areas:

• Dashboard: At-a-glance stats, recent activity, and system notices.
• Users: Create, edit, suspend users; reset passwords; manage roles.
• Modules: Install, enable/disable, configure, and update modules.
• Settings: Site name/URL, email settings, security, and appearance.
• Tools: Logs, cache, backups, and system info.

3) Managing Users

1. Go to Users → All Users to see the list.
2. Select Add User to create a new account. Provide name, email, role, and temporary password.
3. Use Edit to change roles, reset password, or suspend/reactivate an account.

4) Modules: Install, Configure, Update

Modules extend PhPstrap with new features. Common examples: SMTP Mailer, hCapture, and custom content modules.

Install a Module

1. Upload the module folder to /modules/<module-name>/.
2. Visit Admin → Modules. The module should appear in the list.
3. Click Install (or Enable) and follow any prompts (DB migrations, settings).

Configure a Module

1. From Admin → Modules, click the module’s Settings.
2. Fill in required fields (e.g., SMTP host/port or hCapture site/secret keys).
3. Save and test the feature in a non-production environment when possible.

Update a Module

1. Replace the module files with the new version (keep a backup).
2. Visit Admin → Modules and run any Update/migration steps if prompted.
3. Clear cache and verify functionality.

5) Global Settings

Navigate to Admin → Settings to adjust application-level configuration.

• General: Site name, base URL, timezone, theme.
• Email: From address, SMTP (via module), bounce/return-path settings.
• Security: Admin path, session length, allowed file types, captcha provider.
• Appearance: Logo, dark/light theme defaults, brand colors.

Some advanced options may live in /includes/config.php or environment variables depending on your setup.

6) Tools: Logs, Cache, Backups

• Logs: Review error and access logs to diagnose issues. Consider enabling structured logging in production.
• Cache: Clear template or data caches after updates for changes to take effect.
• Backups: Regularly back up the database and /includes/, /modules/, and /uploads/ directories.
• System Info: PHP version, loaded extensions, file permissions, disk space.

# Example: database-only backup (MySQL/MariaDB)
mysqldump -u USER -p DATABASE_NAME > /backups/phpstrap_$(date +%F).sql

7) Security Checklist

• Keep PHP, web server, and modules up to date.
• Disable directory listing on production.
• Set correct file permissions (e.g., 644 files, 755 directories; adjust for your host).
• Restrict write access to critical files like includes/config.php.
• Use HTTPS everywhere and secure cookies.
• Limit Super Admin accounts; enable 2FA if available.

8) Troubleshooting

• White screen / 500 error: Enable PHP error logging; check logs under /logs/ or server logs.
• Module not showing: Confirm folder name under /modules/, check modules.json, clear cache, verify permissions.
• Email not sending: Verify SMTP module settings, firewall rules, and SPF/DKIM.
• Permission denied: Confirm your role has the required capability. Super Admin can adjust roles if needed.

9) Next Steps

• Review Configuration & Settings for environment-specific tuning.
• Explore Hooks & Events to extend the admin without editing core.
• Set up the Templates & Theming to match your brand.

Maintained by the PhPstrap community. Contributions welcome — see Contributing.