# Do you support the Smarty PHP template engine?

> Yes. You can use the Smarty template engine on Ruachost hosting, either installed with Softaculous in cPanel or added to your project with Composer.

Source: https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/faq/guides/do-you-support-the-smarty-php-template-engine/

**Yes.** You can use the **Smarty** template engine on Ruachost hosting.

Smarty keeps your PHP code separate from your HTML. Your PHP handles the data, and Smarty templates (`.tpl` files) handle how the page looks. This makes larger sites easier to maintain and lets designers edit templates without touching PHP.

## How to install Smarty

Choose one of these:

- **Softaculous:** install Smarty from cPanel in a few clicks. See [Installing Smarty using Softaculous](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/apps/softaculous/installing-smarty-using-softaculous/).
- **Composer:** add it to your project over SSH:

  ```bash
  composer require smarty/smarty
  ```

  See [Installing Composer](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/developers/php/installing-composer/).

> **Tip:**
Smarty needs a writable folder for compiled templates (usually `templates_c`). Keep it outside `public_html` if you can.

Some applications, such as PrestaShop, already include Smarty. See [Clearing the Smarty cache in PrestaShop](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/apps/prestashop/clearing-the-smarty-cache-in-prestashop/).

For documentation, visit the [official Smarty website](https://www.smarty.net/).