How to Install WordPress On Localhost (Locally) Step By Step Guide

 

    Setting up WordPress on your local machine is a relatively simple procedure, yet it's essential to understand that specific components are necessary for WordPress to function correctly.

    Directly on your local machine, WordPress won't run; it requires a web server, PHP, and a database (often MySQL) to operate smoothly. The harmonious interaction of these components creates the environment in which WordPress can thrive.

Generally, building a WordPress environment involves the following steps:

Environment Setup:

First, ensure you have the necessary components installed on your local machine, such as a web server (like Apache or Nginx), PHP, and a database server (e.g., MySQL or MariaDB).

Download WordPress: 

    Obtain a stable version of WordPress from the official website (wordpress.org) and save it on your local machine.

Install WordPress on localhost: 

    Follow the installation process to set up WordPress on your local machine using the pre-installed components.

    By going through these steps, you'll have a fully functional WordPress environment on your local machine, allowing you to work and experiment with your website before taking it live on the internet.

Environment Setup:

     Installing XAMPP is a relatively straightforward process. Follow these step-by-step instructions to set up XAMPP on your computer:

Step 1: Download XAMPP

Visit the official XAMPP website (https://www.apachefriends.org) and download the appropriate version of XAMPP for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).

• click on "XAMPP Installers and Downloads for Apache Friends"
• on the homepage Download the right XAMPP for your Operating System:
• XAMPP for Windows (as I am working on Windows, I chose XAMPP for Windows)
• XAMPP for Linux
• XAMPP for OS X

•     Wait for Downloading

Step 2: Run the Installer

• Once the download is complete, locate the downloaded file and run the XAMPP installer. On Windows, it will be an executable file with a .exe extension. On macOS, it will be a .dmg file. On Linux, it will be a .run file. Double-click on the file.

• wait for starting the installation wizard

• click on "OK" to proceed.

• click on the "Next"

Step 3: Choose Components

• During the installation process, you will be prompted to select the components you want to install. Typically, you should choose Apache, MySQL, PHP, and phpMyAdmin. You can also include additional components if needed for your specific use case.

Step 4: Select Installation Directory

• Choose the directory where you want to install XAMPP. The default directory is often fine, but you can change it if necessary.

• select language "English' is the default language.

• Ready to install

Step 5: Complete the Installation

• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process. On Windows and macOS, you may be asked for administrator privileges to make changes to your system.

wait till the installation completed

Step 6: Start XAMPP Control Panel

• After the installation is complete, open the XAMPP Control Panel. On Windows, you can find it in the Start menu or the installation directory. On macOS, you can locate it in the Applications folder.
• check (Tick) the "Do you want to start the Control Panel now?"
• Click on "Finish"

Step 7: Start Apache and MySQL

• In the XAMPP Control Panel, start both Apache and MySQL by clicking the "Start" button next to each of them. 

• If they start successfully, the status indicators will turn green.you can stop them later whenever require.

Step 8: Test the Installation

To ensure XAMPP is working correctly, 

• open your web browser
•  visit http://localhost/. 

• You should see the XAMPP dashboard or a welcome page, indicating that XAMPP is up and running.

Step 9: Access phpMyAdmin

To manage your MySQL databases, you can access phpMyAdmin by:

1. Either on "phpMyAdmin" on localhost.

    

1. Or visiting http://localhost/phpmyadmin/ in your web browser.

    Congratulations! You have successfully installed XAMPP on your computer, and you now have a local web server environment with Apache, MySQL, PHP, and phpMyAdmin ready to use. You can now proceed to install WordPress or any other web application you wish to work on locally.

Download WordPress:

    

     

Downloading WordPress is a simple process. Follow these step-by-step instructions to download WordPress:

Step 1: Visit the Official WordPress Website

• Go to the official WordPress website at https://wordpress.org/ using your web browser.

Step 2: Click on the "Get WordPress" Button

• On the WordPress website's homepage, you will find a prominent button labeled "Get WordPress." Click on it to proceed.

Step 3: Download the Latest Version

• Once you click the "Get WordPress" button, you will be redirected to the download page. The latest version of WordPress will be automatically selected for you. Click on the "Download WordPress {version}" button, where "{version}" represents the current version number.

Step 4: Save the WordPress Zip File

• Your browser will prompt you to choose a location to save the WordPress zip file. Select a location on your computer where you can easily find it, such as your desktop or downloads folder, and click "Save."

Step 5: Wait for the Download to Complete

• Depending on your internet connection speed, the download may take a few moments to complete. Once the download is finished, you will have the WordPress zip file on your computer.

    Congratulations! You have successfully downloaded WordPress. Now you can proceed with the installation process.

Install WordPress on localhost:  

    step-by-step guide to installing WordPress on localhost using XAMPP:

Step 1: Move WordPress Files

• Locate the downloaded WordPress zip file on your computer.

• Extract the contents of the zip file to get a folder named something like "wordpress."

• Move the "wordpress" folder to the "htdocs" folder inside the XAMPP installation directory. For example, on Windows, it might be in "C:\xampp\htdocs".

• open the "htdocs" folder.
• paste the copied Wordpress folder here.

• the Wordpress folder is successfully copied.

Step 2: Create a Database

• Open your web browser and visit http://localhost/phpmyadmin/. This will open phpMyAdmin, a web-based database management tool.

• Click on "New" to create a new database for WordPress. Give your database a name and click "Create."
• Fill in a suitable name for your database  (My database name is "wp-data").
• Click on "create".

Replace 'database_name_here' with the name of the database you created in phpMyAdmin in Step 2.

Replace 'username_here' with "root" (if you haven't set a specific username for your database).

Replace 'password_here' with "root" (or the password you set for your database).

Save the changes and close the text editor.

Step 3: Run WordPress Installation

• Open your web browser and visit http://localhost/wordpress/ 

•     The WordPress installation wizard should appear. Select your language and click "Continue."

• Enter your database information, such as:

• enter the database name we created "wp-data".

• user name "root" (the user name of the database admin )

• password  "" (your database password)

• database Host "localhost" (for local development it is "localhost", but in production, You should be able to get this info from your web host if localhost does not work. )

• Table Prefix "wp-" (this will be added to every table we will create later.)

• Submit

• fill in the website information.
• site title "" (your website title name)
• username "" (User name for admin Dashboard Panel)
• password "" (Password for Admin Dashboard Panel. Provide a strong password)
• email "" (your email for the website)
• Don't Tick the " Discourage search engines from indexing this site". Otherwise, your website will be hidden from search engines and your website will not be shown in the search results.
• click on "Install WordPress"

Step 5: Complete the Installation

    After the installation is complete, you'll see a success message.

•  You can then log in to your WordPress dashboard using the admin credentials you provided during the installation.

and here is your Admin dashboard

• You can also see your website from the login page
• click in the Go to "Your website name"

• and here is your website 

• This is a basic theme.it has a decent appearance, but we can customize it.

    Congratulations! You have successfully installed WordPress on localhost using XAMPP. You can now start building and customizing your website locally.