OpenCart Admin Login Page Keeps Refreshing (Cannot Log In)

1. Clear Browser Cache & Cookies

• Open OpenCart admin in incognito mode.
• Clear cookies/cache for your website.

2. Check config.php for Incorrect Paths

• Open /admin/config.php.
• Make sure the URLs are correct:
  php

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  define('HTTP_SERVER', 'https://yourdomain.com/admin/');
define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'https://yourdomain.com/admin/');

• If you recently changed the domain or enabled SSL, update these settings.

3. Fix Sessions & Cookies in config.php

• Add or modify these session settings in /admin/config.php:
  php

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  ini_set('session.cookie_httponly', 1);
ini_set('session.use_strict_mode', 1);
ini_set('session.cookie_secure', 1); // Set to 0 if not using HTTPS


4. Manually Clear OpenCart Sessions

• If session data is corrupt, delete session files:
  sh

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  rm -rf system/storage/session/*

• You can also truncate the session table in MySQL:
  SQL

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  TRUNCATE TABLE oc_session;


5. Disable SSL Temporarily in the Database

• If SSL was enabled incorrectly, disable it via SQL:
  SQL

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  UPDATE oc_setting SET value = '0' WHERE key = 'config_secure';

• Try logging in again without SSL.

6. Reset Admin Password (If Needed)

• If login details might be incorrect, reset the password via SQL:
  SQL

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  UPDATE oc_user SET password = SHA1('newpassword') WHERE username = 'admin';


7. Check .htaccess for Redirect Issues

• If the .htaccess file is misconfigured, which may prevent login.
• Temporarily rename .htaccess and try again.

8. Disable Extensions That May Interfere

• If a security extension is blocking login, disable it via SQL:
  SQL

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  UPDATE oc_modification SET status = 0 WHERE name LIKE '%security%';


9. Restart the Web Server & Try Again

• Restart Apache/Nginx to apply changes:
  sh

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  service apache2 restart # For Apache
service nginx restart # For Nginx


10. Check Error Logs for Clues

• OpenCart logs: /system/storage/logs/error.log
• Server logs: /var/log/apache2/error.log (Apache) or /var/log/nginx/error.log (Nginx)

Comments:
This issue is often caused by incorrect session settings, cookies, or URL misconfiguration. If you still can’t log in, try restoring a working backup of your config.php. 🚀