Get client feedback on your PrestaShop front office

Q: Should reviewers receive back-office access?

No. The back office is the administration panel and requires employee credentials. Reviewers can use an accessible front office instead.

Q: What does a PrestaShop theme control?

PrestaShop says themes control the entire front-office experience, including layout, templates, styles and client-side behavior.

Q: Can reviewers open a store in maintenance mode?

Only from a configured maintenance IP. Other visitors see the maintenance page, and a pasted URL does not bypass that restriction.

Q: What can reviewers test in catalog mode?

They can review visible products and presentation, but catalog mode removes purchasing features such as add-to-cart, order and payment controls.

Q: Why might a theme change not appear?

PrestaShop can continue serving compiled or cached templates. Its documentation recommends changing cache and compilation settings for test development, then restoring production-appropriate settings.

Q: Can I review every store in a multistore installation?

Yes, by reviewing each configured store URL separately. PrestaShop supports distinct domains, subdomains and subfolders, and two stores cannot share the same URL.

Q: Does BugSmash activate themes or change store mode?

No. Theme activation, cache settings, maintenance mode, catalog mode and store configuration remain in PrestaShop. BugSmash records feedback on the rendered front office.

Paste an accessible store page, send one review link, and collect contextual comments on the customer-facing PrestaShop experience.

See how it works

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PrestaShop runs the store. BugSmash organizes feedback on the front office.

PrestaShop controls themes, store modes, cache behavior and multistore URLs. Those controls continue to determine what reviewers can open and see.

Four documented boundaries matter before you share the store:

The front office and back office serve different users.
The front office is the customer-visible store. The back office is the administration panel and requires employee credentials.
Themes control front-office presentation.
PrestaShop themes control the front-office layout, templates, styles and client-side behavior. Review the active theme on the rendered store.
Maintenance mode restricts the front office.
Disabling the store displays the maintenance page. A maintenance IP can still open the front office while other visitors cannot.
Catalog mode is not maintenance mode.
Catalog mode keeps products visible but removes purchasing features, including add-to-cart, order and payment controls.

BugSmash keeps feedback attached to the rendered front office:

share an accessible store URL, collect page-specific comments, and leave theme activation, cache management and store configuration in PrestaShop.

How it works

Three steps to a reviewed PrestaShop store

Choose the front-office URL

Use the public store, an accessible test installation, or the specific multistore URL that contains the pages under review.

Send one BugSmash link

Paste the accessible browser URL into BugSmash and share the generated review link with the client, merchant or QA team.

Apply and verify changes

Update the theme, modules or catalog through the project’s normal workflow, clear or rebuild the relevant cache when required, and review the resulting front office again.

Review the PrestaShop front office, not the back office

Comment on customer-facing pages

Attach feedback to the exact rendered store location instead of describing it in a separate message.

Review theme presentation

Check the layout, templates, styles and client-side behavior delivered by the active PrestaShop theme.

Cover multistore URLs

Review the specific domain, subdomain or subfolder assigned to each store in a multistore installation.

Check responsive layouts

Review desktop, tablet and mobile presentation while retaining the viewport with every comment.

Capture technical context

Keep the page URL, browser, operating system, viewport and screenshot with each website comment.

Keep back-office access separate

External reviewers can comment on an accessible front office without receiving employee credentials for the back office.

Which PrestaShop URL should I review?

Use the rendered front office and select the correct store URL in a multistore setup. Maintenance, catalog and customer access rules remain active.

Your URL	Review by URL	What to do
Public PrestaShop front office	Works	Paste the public store or product-page URL into BugSmash.
Accessible test or staging store	Works	Use the test URL after confirming every reviewer can reach it.
Specific PrestaShop multistore URL	Works	Use the domain, subdomain or subfolder assigned to the store under review.
Store in catalog mode	Works with limited flows	Review the visible catalog, recognizing that purchasing controls are intentionally removed.
Store in maintenance mode	IP-dependent	Only configured maintenance IPs can open the front office. A pasted URL does not bypass that restriction.
Customer account or checkout state	Access-dependent	Authenticate in the authorized store session or use the Feedback Widget. A review link does not create customer state.

Using the Feedback Widget on a PrestaShop front office

Add the BugSmash Feedback Widget to the rendered front office when reviewers need to remain inside an authorized customer, cart or maintenance-IP session. PrestaShop continues to control that access.