Use the QCMM Sample Catalog Safely

QCMM includes a starter sample catalog so an administrator can study real Plan Group, Plan, feature, and image configuration before building a production catalog. Sample Plans are intentionally visible examples, not live checkout offers.

The restore workflow is explicit. Updating QCMM does not silently recreate every deleted sample row, so an administrator who intentionally removed the examples will not have them forced back during a normal upgrade.

What Restore Sample Groups/Plans Creates

  • Two starter groups: Sample Plan Group A and Sample Plan Group B.
  • Six canonical sample Plans with starter pricing/content/features and the bundled sample Plan image.
  • Sample rows marked as sample/demo so server-side checkout remains disabled until the Plan is deliberately converted.
  • Publication only up to the current tier limit; additional restored sample records can remain safely stored unpublished.

Restore the Sample Catalog

  1. Open QCMM → Plans.
  2. If the sample catalog is absent, choose Restore Sample Groups/Plans.
  3. Allow QCMM to recreate missing canonical sample groups/Plans.
  4. Review which restored items were published under the current Basic/Pro/Max limits.
  5. Open the frontend Plans page and inspect the examples without treating them as production offers.

Add a Sample Plan to an Existing Sample Group

Sample Plan Groups also provide an Add Sample Plan action. QCMM creates the next numbered sample Plan in that group so you can experiment with another example without hand-building every starter field.

Sample Means Checkout Disabled

  • The Plan editor explicitly describes a sample/demo Plan as visible on the frontend with checkout disabled.
  • The frontend labels the Plan as a sample and prevents the normal purchase path.
  • Server-side checkout also refuses sample Plans, so removing a button in the browser is not the only protection.

Convert an Example into a Live Plan

  1. Edit the sample Plan and replace sample title, description, pricing, term, imagery, features, access groups, and any resources/custom fields with the real offer.
  2. Clear the Sample / demo plan setting.
  3. Confirm the Plan and parent group publication states and current tier limits.
  4. Save and open the live Plan Details page.
  5. Run a controlled checkout with a test account before advertising the URL publicly.

Update vs Explicit Restore

QCMM’s update path refreshes recognized bundled sample content only when the canonical sample row still exists and is still marked as sample data. Missing/deleted samples are not recreated merely because the extension was upgraded. Use the explicit restore control when you actually want the starter catalog back.

Community Discussion

Want to compare QCMM workflows or discuss how other Joomla site owners use this feature? Visit the QC Memberships & Meetings Community. For private support, account-specific entitlement or billing issues, or bug reports, use the QuantaCade support system.