Installing via Composer

SLSWC includes a Composer repository that lets you install and update plugins and themes using Composer, just like any other PHP package.

Why Use Composer?

Composer is the standard dependency manager for PHP. Using it to manage your WordPress plugins and themes gives you several advantages:

• Automated updates — Run a single composer update command to update all your licensed software at once, instead of updating each plugin or theme manually through the WordPress admin.
• Version pinning — Lock your dependencies to specific versions using composer.lock, ensuring your production environment runs exactly the versions you have tested.
• CI/CD integration — Incorporate plugin and theme installation into your automated deployment pipelines. Your build server can pull the latest licensed versions without manual intervention.
• Reproducible environments — Every team member and server gets the same versions, eliminating "works on my machine" issues.

Tip: You will need an API key or license key for authentication. If you have not generated one yet, see API Key first.

Prerequisites

• A valid, active license for the product you want to install.
• An API key or your license key for authentication (see API Key).
• Composer installed on your system.

Repository URL

The Composer repository is available at:

https://your-store.com/slswc-composer/packages.json

Replace your-store.com with the actual store URL.

Note: The store must have the Composer repository enabled. It is off by default, so if the URL returns a 404, ask the store owner to turn it on.

Setting Up composer.json

Add the SLSWC repository to your project's composer.json:

{
    "repositories": [
        {
            "type": "composer",
            "url": "https://your-store.com/slswc-composer/"
        }
    ]
}

Authentication

The Composer repository uses HTTP Basic Auth. You can authenticate with either:

• Your license key as both the username and password
• Your API consumer key and consumer secret (from My Account > API Key)

Option 1: Interactive Prompt

When you run composer require, Composer will prompt for credentials. Enter your license key as the username (and password), or your consumer key and secret.

Option 2: auth.json

Create an auth.json file in your project root (or Composer home directory) so credentials are stored locally:

{
    "http-basic": {
        "your-store.com": {
            "username": "your-license-key-or-consumer-key",
            "password": "your-license-key-or-consumer-secret"
        }
    }
}

Important: Add auth.json to your .gitignore to avoid committing credentials.

Installing a Package

Once the repository and authentication are configured, install a product:

composer require vendor-name/product-slug

The vendor name and product slug are determined by the store. For example:

composer require your-store/my-awesome-plugin

Packages are typed as either wordpress-plugin or wordpress-theme, so they install to wp-content/plugins/ or wp-content/themes/ automatically (when using composer/installers).

Updating Packages

Run the standard Composer update command:

composer update vendor-name/product-slug

Or update all packages:

composer update

The repository serves only products you have a valid license for (active, inactive, or expiring). Expired licenses are excluded.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
401 Unauthorized	Check that your license key or API credentials are correct. Make sure the license is not expired.
404 Not Found	Verify the store URL is correct. Confirm that the Composer repository is enabled by the store owner.
Package not found	Ensure you have a valid license for that specific product. Check the exact vendor/slug with the store owner.
Outdated packages list	The repository response is cached for up to 1 hour. Wait or ask the store owner to clear the cache.

Related Pages

• API Key — Generate the credentials needed for Composer authentication
• License Keys — View and manage the licenses that grant Composer access
• FAQ — Common questions including Composer setup