Installing WordPress on Local Server

Installing WordPress on a local server or your computer allows you to develop and test your website offline before making it live on the internet. To do this, you’ll need to set up a local development environment that includes a web server, a database server, and PHP. One of the popular tools for creating such an environment is XAMPP, which includes Apache (web server), MySQL (database server), and PHP. Here’s how to install WordPress on a local server using XAMPP:

Step 1: Install XAMPP

1. Download XAMPP from the official website (https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html) based on your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
2. Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install XAMPP. You can choose the default settings for most options.
3. Start the Apache and MySQL services by clicking the “Start” buttons next to them in the XAMPP Control Panel.

Step 2: Create a Database

1. Open your web browser and go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin/. This is the phpMyAdmin interface for managing databases.
2. Click on “Databases” in the top menu.
3. Enter a name for your WordPress database (e.g., “mywordpress”) and choose “utf8mb4_unicode_ci” as the collation.
4. Click the “Create” button to create the database.

Step 3: Download WordPress

1. Download the latest version of WordPress from the official website (https://wordpress.org/download/).
2. Extract the downloaded WordPress.zip or .tar.gz file to the “htdocs” folder in your XAMPP installation directory. This will create a folder called “wordpress” inside “htdocs.”

Step 4: Configure WordPress

1. Rename the “wp-config-sample.php” file in the “wordpress” folder to “wp-config.php.”
2. Open “wp-config.php” in a text editor.
3. Locate the following lines and update them with your database information:

 define('DB_NAME', 'mywordpress'); // Replace 'mywordpress' with your database name
 define('DB_USER', 'root'); // Default database user in XAMPP
 define('DB_PASSWORD', ''); // Default database password in XAMPP
 define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

4. Save and close the “wp-config.php” file.

Step 5: Install WordPress

1. Open your web browser and go to http://localhost/wordpress/. This will start the WordPress installation process.
2. Select your language and click the “Continue” button.
3. Enter your site’s information, including the site title, username, password, and email address.
4. Click the “Install WordPress” button.
5. After the installation is complete, click the “Log In” button and enter your username and password to access your local WordPress site.

You have now successfully installed WordPress on your local server using XAMPP. You can develop and test your website locally before taking it live by migrating it to a live web server.