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Install cobby for Magento 1

This guide shows you how to install and configure cobby for your Magento 1 shop.

Prerequisites​

  • cobby account (register at app.cobby.io)
  • Admin access to your Magento 1 backend
  • FTP/SFTP access to your Magento server
  • Your Magento admin password
  • Microsoft Excel installed on your computer
Important

It is strongly recommended to make a backup of your server files and database before installing this extension. We recommend testing the installation on a staging server first.

Video Tutorial

Watch our step-by-step video guide for the complete setup process:

Step 1: Create Your Workspace in the cobby Portal​

  1. Log in to the cobby portal at app.cobby.io

  2. Click on the little arrow on the left to view all workspaces

  3. Click on Create new to add a new workspace

  4. Give your workspace a meaningful name (e.g., "My Magento 1 Shop")

  5. Click Create

Important

Each workspace can only be connected to one shop and one license. If you have multiple shops (e.g., staging and production) or are migrating from Magento 1 to Magento 2, you'll need to create separate workspaces for each.

Step 2: Select Your Shop System and Download the Extension​

  1. Select Magento Version 1 as your shop system

  2. Click the download button to download the cobby extension for Magento 1

Step 3: Prepare Your Magento Installation​

  1. Log in to your Magento Admin Panel

  2. Go to System → Tools → Compilation

  3. If the compiler is enabled, disable it (you'll re-enable it later)

  4. Go to System → Cache Management

  5. Make sure the cache is enabled

tip

Having the cache enabled during installation helps ensure the extension installs correctly.

Step 4: Upload the Extension Files to Your Server​

  1. Unzip the downloaded cobby extension archive on your computer

  2. Connect to your Magento server using your FTP/SFTP client (we recommend FileZilla)

  3. Navigate to your Magento root directory (the folder containing app, downloader, errors, etc.)

  4. Upload the contents of the app directory from the ZIP file to your server's app directory

    • Important: Skip the app/etc directory for now - we'll upload it in the next step

  5. After all other files are uploaded, now upload the contents of app/etc from the ZIP file to your server's app/etc directory

Why Upload app/etc Last?

Uploading the app/etc directory last greatly reduces the chance of SQL scripts not running correctly during installation.

Step 5: Activate the Extension in Magento​

  1. Log out of the Magento Admin Panel

  2. Log back in to the Magento Admin Panel

    warning

    This logout/login step is essential to prevent "404 Access Denied" errors.

  3. Go to System → Cache Management

  4. Disable all caches by unchecking all cache types

  5. Click Flush Magento Cache to empty the cache completely

  6. Open your shop's frontend in a browser (visit your shop's public URL)

tip

Opening the frontend ensures that all database updates are executed properly.

Step 6: Complete the Installation​

  1. If you use the Magento compiler, go back to System → Tools → Compilation

  2. Run the recompilation process

    warning

    Skipping recompilation can cause fatal errors like "Call to a member function toOptionArray() on a non-object"

  3. Go back to System → Cache Management

  4. Re-enable all caches

  5. Refresh the cache

  6. Go to System → Configuration → Services → cobby

Step 7: Create an API Role for cobby​

  1. In the Magento Admin Panel, go to System → Web Services → SOAP/XML-RPC - Roles

  2. Click Add New Role

  3. In the Role Info tab:

    • Role Name: Enter cobby
    • Admin Password: Enter your current Magento admin password

  4. Switch to the Role Resources tab

  5. Under Resource Access, expand the tree and check the cobby checkbox

  6. Click Save Role in the upper right corner

Step 8: Create an API User for cobby​

  1. Go to System → Web Services → SOAP/XML-RPC - Users

  2. Click Add New User

  3. In the User Info tab, enter:

    • User Name: Choose a username (e.g., cobby_api)
    • API Key: Create a secure API key (you'll need this later)

    tip

    Write down the username and API key - you'll need them to connect to the cobby portal.

  4. Switch to the User Role tab

  5. Select the cobby role you created earlier

  6. Click Save User in the upper right corner

Step 9: Connect Your Shop to the cobby Portal​

  1. Return to the cobby portal

  2. In your workspace settings, enter:

    • Shop URL: Your Magento shop URL (e.g., https://yourshop.com)
    • User Name: The API username you created
    • API Key: The API key you created

  3. Click Save

Step 10: Save the Magento Configuration​

  1. Go to System → Configuration in your Magento Admin Panel

  2. Click Save Config in the upper right corner (even if you didn't change anything)

Success Indicator

The green text confirms that cobby is properly configured in Magento 1!

Step 11: Wait for Synchronization​

  1. Return to the cobby portal

  2. Wait for the synchronization to complete (this may take several minutes depending on your catalog size)

  3. Once complete, the status changes to Active

Step 12: Download and Install the cobby Excel Plugin​

  1. In the cobby portal, go to Dashboard

  2. Find the download link for the Excel plugin in the "Recommended downloads" section

  3. Click the download link to download the plugin installer

  4. Right-click the downloaded file and select Open

  5. In the installer window, click Install

  6. Wait for the installation to complete

  7. Click Close

Step 13: Load Your Products in Excel​

  1. Open Microsoft Excel

  2. Click on the cobby tab in the ribbon

  3. Click Load products

Next Steps​

  • Edit product data in Excel
  • Set up category management
  • Configure image handling
  • Explore advanced features like bulk updates and custom attributes
Need Help?

If you encounter any issues during installation, please contact our support team or check our installation troubleshooting guide.