WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) for building websites. It’s user-friendly, highly customizable, and offers a variety of themes and plugins to enhance the website’s functionality. If you’re interested in building a website using WordPress, you can host it locally on your computer to test and develop it before launching it on the internet. In this article, we’ll guide you on how to host WordPress locally.
Also read: What is wordpress? Why it is popular CMS?
Benefits of Hosting WordPress Locally
Hosting WordPress locally has various benefits. Firstly, it allows you to work on your website without the need for an internet connection or hosting service. This means you can work on your website offline and save time and resources. Secondly, it provides a safe and secure environment for testing and developing your website. You can experiment with different themes, plugins, and configurations without the fear of breaking your live website. Finally, hosting WordPress locally can help you learn more about WordPress and web development in general. By hosting WordPress locally, you can experiment and learn new skills without any risk.
If you’re interested in building a website using WordPress, you may want to host it locally on your computer. This can be useful for testing and developing your website before launching it on the internet. In this article, we’ll guide you on how to host WordPress locally in a step-by-step guide.
Also read: What is Shared Hosting? Advantages and Disadvantages about it.
Here is the steps to host WordPress locally
- Step 1: Install Local Server Software (XAMPP)
Before you can host WordPress locally, you need to install a local server software that will allow you to run PHP and MySQL on your computer. The two most popular options are XAMPP and WAMP. We’ll use XAMPP in this guide.
Download XAMPP from the Apache Friends website (https://www.apachefriends.org/download.html).
Run the installer and follow the prompts to install XAMPP on your computer. Be sure to select PHP and MySQL during the installation process. - Step 2: Download and Install WordPress
After installing XAMPP, you need to download and install WordPress. WordPress is available for free on the WordPress.org website.
Download the latest version of WordPress from WordPress.org (https://wordpress.org/download/).
Extract the files from the downloaded ZIP archive and copy them to the htdocs folder of your XAMPP installation. The htdocs folder is usually located in the XAMPP installation directory (for example, C:\xampp\htdocs).
Rename the extracted WordPress folder to something memorable, like mysite. - Step 3: Create a MySQL Database.
WordPress requires a MySQL database to store all of the website’s data. To create a MySQL database, follow these steps:
Open your web browser and go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin/.
Click on the Databases tab.
Enter a name for your database, like mysite_db.
Click the Create button to create the database. - Step 4: Configure WordPress
Now that you have installed XAMPP, downloaded and installed WordPress, and created a MySQL database, it’s time to configure WordPress.
Open your web browser and go to http://localhost/mysite/. This will launch the WordPress installation wizard.
Choose your preferred language and click the Continue button.
Enter the database name, username, and password you created earlier in Step 3.
Leave the database host as localhost, and click the Submit button.
Enter a name for your website and create a username and password for the administrator account.
Click the Install WordPress button to complete the installation.
Also read: What is Niche? How to choose high earning niche?
Congratulations! You have now successfully hosted WordPress locally on your computer. You can access your WordPress website by visiting http://localhost/mysite/ in your web browser.
Conclusion
Hosting WordPress locally is a great way to test and develop your website before launching it on the internet. With the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily install XAMPP, download and install WordPress, create a MySQL database, and configure WordPress to run locally on your computer. This will help you save time and resources by allowing you to work on your website without the need for an internet connection or hosting service. Happy WordPressing!