Introduction: Why Learn to Install WordPress?
Have you ever dreamed of having your own website but thought it was too difficult? Good news! Installing WordPress is easier than you think, and anyone can do it without technical skills. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to install WordPress step-by-step, whether you practice on your computer or launch directly on the internet. By the end, you’ll have a fully working WordPress website ready for amazing content!
What You Need to Know Before Installing WordPress
Before you start installing WordPress, let’s understand what WordPress actually needs to work. This background knowledge will help you understand why we do certain things during the installation process.
The Basic Requirements WordPress Needs
WordPress is a web application, which means it needs certain technical components to run. Here’s what WordPress requires:
PHP: This is a programming language that makes WordPress work. It’s the language used to write WordPress. Every web hosting company that supports WordPress must have PHP installed on their servers. PHP is what takes WordPress files and turns them into web pages that you can see in your browser.
MySQL Database: This is like a filing cabinet where WordPress stores all your information. Every single thing you create in WordPress—your blog posts, pages, user information, images, settings, comments from visitors—all of this is stored in the MySQL database. Without a database, WordPress would have nowhere to save your content.
Web Server: This is software that serves your website to people when they visit it. Apache is the most common web server used with WordPress. When someone types your website address in their browser, the web server reads WordPress files and sends them to the visitor’s computer.
The good news is that most web hosting companies in Pakistan and around the world include all these things as standard features. You don’t need to ask for them separately or pay extra. However, when you install WordPress locally on your computer for learning, you need to install these components yourself. That’s why we use software like XAMPP, which bundles all three components together.
What Information You’ll Need During Installation
Before you start installing WordPress, gather the following information. Having everything ready beforehand will make the process smooth and quick:
- Domain Name: This is your website address (for example: mywebsite.com). You need to buy this separately from a domain registrar. If you’re installing locally, you won’t need a domain name yet.
- Hosting Username and Password: Your web hosting company will give you this when you sign up. This is how you log into your hosting account to manage files.
- Database Name: You’ll create this during installation. It can be any name you want, like wordpress_db or my_website_data.
- Database Username and Password: This is different from your hosting username and password. It’s specifically for accessing the database. Your hosting company will provide this, or you can create it yourself depending on your hosting setup.
- Database Host: This is usually localhost if you’re installing locally, or it might be a server address if you’re on web hosting.
- WordPress Username and Password: This is what you’ll use to log into your WordPress admin area to write posts and manage your website.
Local vs. Web Hosting: Which Should You Choose?
You might be confused about whether to start with local installation or go straight to web hosting. Here’s how to decide:
Install Locally If You:
- Are completely new to WordPress and want to practice first
- Want to test new features or plugins before using them on your live website
- Don’t want to pay for hosting yet
- Want to work on your website without internet connection
- Are learning WordPress as a skill
Install on Web Hosting If You:
- Are ready to publish your website to the internet
- Want your website to be accessible to everyone 24/7
- Are confident with the basics of WordPress
- Have bought a domain name and hosting
- Want your website to be searchable on Google
Many beginners do both. They start by installing WordPress locally to learn and practice, then later install it on web hosting when they’re ready to go live. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this approach.
Part 1: Installing WordPress Locally on Your Computer (For Learning and Practice)
Installing WordPress locally means setting up WordPress on your personal computer so you can experiment, learn, and practice without affecting any live website. This is a safe way to get comfortable with WordPress before you install it on real web hosting.
Step 1: Download and Install XAMPP (Your Local Server)
XAMPP is software that turns your computer into a web server. It includes everything WordPress needs to run: Apache (web server), MySQL (database), and PHP (programming language). Think of XAMPP as creating a mini version of web hosting on your computer.
How to Download XAMPP
- Open your web browser and go to apachefriends.org (this is the official XAMPP website)
- Look for the Download section
- Choose the version that matches your computer:
- Windows: Download the Windows version
- Mac: Download the Mac version
- Linux: Download the Linux version
- Click the download button and wait for the file to download (it’s about 150-200 MB)
How to Install XAMPP
Once the download is complete, follow these steps:
- Find the installer file on your computer (usually in your Downloads folder)
- Double-click the installer to start the installation wizard
- Click Next on the welcome screen
- Choose Installation Location: Accept the default location that appears. On Windows, this is usually C:\xampp. You don’t need to change this.
- Select Components: Make sure the following boxes are checked:
- Apache (the web server software)
- MySQL (the database software)
- PHP (the programming language)
- phpMyAdmin (a tool to manage your database)
- Click Next and then Install to complete the installation
- Click Finish when installation is done
Start XAMPP Control Panel
After installation, look for the XAMPP Control Panel on your computer. You can find it by:
- Searching for “XAMPP” in your Windows Start menu or Mac Applications folder
- Double-clicking it to open the Control Panel window
The Control Panel shows you different services. You need to start Apache and MySQL:
- Find the Apache row and click the Start button next to it
- Find the MySQL row and click the Start button next to it
- Both should show a green indicator when they’re running
If you see green indicators next to Apache and MySQL, congratulations! Your local server is now running and ready to use. If you see red indicators, try clicking Stop first, then Start again. Your computer is now a web server!
Step 2: Download WordPress
Now you need to get the WordPress files. WordPress is completely free, and you can download it from the official website.
Download WordPress Files
- Open your web browser
- Go to wordpress.org (make sure it’s .org, not .com)
- Look for the Download button on the homepage
- Click Download WordPress
- A ZIP file called wordpress-x.x.x.zip will download to your computer (the numbers represent the current version)
Extract WordPress Files
Once downloaded, you need to extract the ZIP file:
- Find the downloaded WordPress ZIP file (usually in your Downloads folder)
- Right-click on the file and select Extract All (Windows) or Extract (Mac)
- Choose where to extract it. This is very important:
- On Windows: Extract to C:\xampp\htdocs
- On Mac: Extract to /Applications/XAMPP/htdocs
- On Linux: Extract to /opt/lampp/htdocs
Rename the Folder
After extracting, you’ll see a folder called “wordpress”. It’s helpful to rename it to something simple:
- Right-click on the wordpress folder and select Rename
- Change the name to something simple like wordpress or my-site (no spaces)
This is where your WordPress files live on your local computer. Every file and folder in this directory contains the WordPress software and everything needed to run it.
Step 3: Create a MySQL Database Locally
WordPress stores all your website data—posts, pages, users, comments, settings—in a MySQL database. You need to create this database before WordPress can run.
Open phpMyAdmin
phpMyAdmin is a tool that lets you manage databases without writing complicated code. It comes with XAMPP.
- Open your web browser
- Type localhost/phpmyadmin in the address bar and press Enter
- You should see the phpMyAdmin login screen
Login to phpMyAdmin
- Username: root
- Password: Leave blank (there’s no password by default)
- Click Login
You should now see the phpMyAdmin dashboard. This is where you manage all your databases.
Create a New Database
- Look at the top menu and click on the Databases tab
- You’ll see a section that says “Create database”
- In the text field, type a name for your database. Some examples:
- wordpress_local
- my_wordpress
- local_db
- website_data
- Next to the database name, make sure Collation is set to utf8mb4_unicode_ci (this is the correct setting for WordPress)
- Click the Create button
Your database is now created! Write down the database name somewhere because you’ll need it very soon. Also remember:
- Database Username: root
- Database Password: (leave blank – no password)
- Database Host: localhost
You now have everything WordPress needs to store your data.
Step 4: Run the WordPress Installation Wizard
You now have everything in place: XAMPP running, WordPress files extracted, and a database created. Time to run WordPress!
Start WordPress Installation
- Open your web browser
- Type localhost/wordpress in the address bar (or whatever you named your folder)
- Press Enter
You should see the WordPress welcome screen. If you see an error instead, make sure that:
- Apache and MySQL are running in XAMPP Control Panel (green indicators)
- You extracted WordPress to the correct htdocs folder
- You spelled the folder name correctly
Fill in Database Information
WordPress will ask for database details:
- Database Name: Type the name you created in phpMyAdmin (for example: wordpress_local)
- Username: Type root
- Password: Leave blank
- Database Host: Type localhost
- Table Prefix: Leave as wp_ (default)
Click Submit. WordPress will try to connect to your database. If everything is correct, you’ll see a success message saying WordPress can communicate with your database.
Configure WordPress
Now WordPress will ask for basic information about your website:
- Site Title: The name of your website (for example: “My Learning Blog” or “Ahmed’s Website”)
- Username: The username you’ll use to log into WordPress. This can be anything you want (for example: admin, myusername, or yourname)
- Password: Create a strong password. Write this down! You’ll need it every time you log in
- Confirm Password: Type the password again
- Your Email: Your email address (for example: yourname@gmail.com)
- Search Engine Visibility: Leave unchecked for now. You can change this later if you want
Click Install WordPress.
Success! WordPress is Installed Locally
After a few seconds, you should see a message saying “Success!” with login credentials. WordPress is now installed on your local computer!
You can now:
- Visit localhost/wordpress to see your website
- Visit localhost/wordpress/wp-admin to log into the WordPress admin area
- Start creating posts, pages, and learning WordPress
Part 2: Installing WordPress on Web Hosting (Making Your Site Live on the Internet)
After you’ve learned WordPress locally and are ready to launch your real website, you need to install WordPress on web hosting. This is what makes your website accessible to everyone on the internet.
Step 1: Choose a Web Hosting Provider
Web hosting is a service where companies store your website files on powerful computers (servers) that run 24/7. When someone visits your website, these servers deliver your web pages to them.
Choosing Hosting in Pakistan
If you’re in Pakistan, here are some popular hosting options:
Pakistani Hosting Companies:
- NameCheap: Affordable and reliable, starts from about 99 rupees per month
- HostGator: Popular worldwide, starting from about 200 rupees per month
- Bluehost: Official WordPress hosting partner, reliable quality
- DomainPK: Local Pakistani hosting company
- Claranet Pakistan: Good for Pakistani businesses
Important Features to Look For:
- PHP Support: Must support PHP 7.2 or higher
- MySQL Database: Must include MySQL or MariaDB
- Disk Space: At least 5 GB to start
- Bandwidth: Minimum 100 GB per month
- Email Accounts: Some include free email
- Free SSL Certificate: Important for website security
- cPanel: Easy control panel for managing files
- One-Click WordPress Installation: Makes setup easier
Buying a Domain Name
Your domain name is your website address (like google.com or facebook.com). You need to buy this separately:
- Go to a domain registrar like Namecheap, GoDaddy, or PK Domain
- Search for your desired domain name
- Check if it’s available
- If available, add it to your cart and checkout
- Pay for the domain (usually 500-2000 rupees for a .com domain)
Domain names are rented yearly, not bought permanently. You need to renew them each year to keep your website.
Step 2: Access Your Hosting Control Panel
After signing up for hosting and buying a domain, your hosting company sends you login details via email. You’ll receive:
- Hosting Username
- Hosting Password
- Control Panel URL (usually cpanel.yourdomainname.com)
Login to cPanel
cPanel is the control panel where you manage your website hosting:
- Go to the Control Panel URL your hosting company provided
- Enter your username and password
- Click Login
You should now see the cPanel dashboard. This is where you can manage files, databases, emails, and more.
Step 3: Create a Database on Your Web Hosting
Just like with local installation, you need to create a MySQL database to store your WordPress content.
Find MySQL Databases in cPanel
- Look for “MySQL Databases” or “Databases” in cPanel
- Click on it
- You should see a section to create a new database
Create the Database
- Type a database name (for example: username_wordpress or username_mysite)
- Click Create Database
cPanel will show you the database name. Write it down.
Create Database User
Next, you need to create a username and password for this database:
- Find “MySQL Users” in cPanel
- Type a username (for example: username_wpuser)
- Create a strong password
- Click Create User
Connect Database to User
Now you need to link your database to the user you just created:
- Find “Add User to Database” in cPanel
- Select the database you created
- Select the user you created
- Click Add
- Check all the permission boxes to give the user full access
- Click Make Changes
Write down the database name, username, and password. You’ll need these during WordPress installation.
Step 4: Download and Upload WordPress Files to Web Hosting
Now you need to get your WordPress files onto your hosting server.
Option A: Using File Manager (Easiest for Beginners)
This method uses cPanel’s File Manager to upload WordPress directly:
- Download WordPress from wordpress.org (same as before)
- In cPanel, find and click File Manager
- Navigate to the public_html folder (this is where website files go)
- Right-click and select Upload
- Select the WordPress ZIP file you downloaded
- Wait for it to upload completely
- Right-click the uploaded ZIP file and select Extract
- Delete the ZIP file after extraction
- Open the extracted wordpress folder
- Select all files inside it (Ctrl+A)
- Cut these files
- Go back to public_html and paste the files there
- Delete the now-empty wordpress folder
Option B: Using FTP (More Advanced)
FTP is a protocol for uploading files to your hosting. This is faster for larger files:
- Download an FTP client like FileZilla (free)
- Install and open FileZilla
- In cPanel, find FTP Accounts and create an FTP account
- Get your FTP login details
- In FileZilla, enter:
- Host: Your hosting server address
- Username: Your FTP username
- Password: Your FTP password
- Port: 21
- Click Quickconnect
- Navigate to public_html folder
- Upload the WordPress files here
- Extract the WordPress folder contents into public_html
Step 5: Run the WordPress Installation on Your Hosting
Now that WordPress files are on your hosting server, it’s time to run the installation.
Visit Your Website
- Open your web browser
- Type your domain name (for example: mywebsite.com)
- Press Enter
You should see the WordPress installation screen.
Fill in Database Information
WordPress will ask for database details. This time, use the information from your web hosting:
- Database Name: The database name you created in cPanel
- Username: The database user you created in cPanel
- Password: The password you set for the database user
- Database Host: Usually localhost (ask your hosting if unsure)
- Table Prefix: Leave as wp_ (default)
Click Submit.
Configure WordPress
Just like with local installation, WordPress will ask for:
- Site Title: Your website name
- Username: Your WordPress login username
- Password: Your WordPress login password (make it strong!)
- Email: Your email address
- Search Engine Visibility: Leave unchecked initially
Click Install WordPress.
Login to Your Website
After installation completes:
- You’ll see a login page
- Enter your WordPress username and password
- Click Log In
- You’re now in the WordPress admin area!
Your website is now live on the internet. People can visit it by typing your domain name in their browser.
Step 6: Point Your Domain to Your Hosting (Important!)
If your domain was bought from a different company than your hosting, you need to connect them. This is called pointing your domain to your hosting.
Get Your Nameservers
- Log into your hosting cPanel
- Look for “Nameservers” information
- Your hosting provider should give you nameserver addresses (they look like ns1.hosting.com)
- Write these down
Update Domain Settings
- Log into your domain registrar (where you bought the domain)
- Find DNS or Nameserver settings
- Replace the existing nameservers with the ones from your hosting
- Save the changes
This process takes 24-48 hours to complete. After that time, when people visit your domain, they’ll see your website hosted on your hosting server.
Common Problems and Solutions During Installation
Problem: “Error Establishing Database Connection”
This error means WordPress can’t connect to your database. To fix it:
- Check that you entered the correct database name
- Check that you entered the correct database username
- Check that you entered the correct database password
- Check that database host is “localhost”
- If still not working, contact your hosting support
Problem: “WordPress is Not Installed”
This usually means:
- WordPress files weren’t extracted properly
- You’re visiting the wrong URL
- Files are in the wrong folder
Solution: Delete all files and start the upload process again.
Problem: “White Screen of Death”
A blank white screen usually means:
- PHP version is too old
- A plugin has a conflict
- Memory limit is too low
Solution: Contact your hosting support and ask them to check PHP version and increase memory limit.
Problem: “Cannot Create Database”
This might mean:
- Your hosting account doesn’t support databases yet
- Maximum number of databases reached
Solution: Contact hosting support and ask them to create the database for you.
Problem: “Permission Denied” or “Directory Upload Error”
This means the folder doesn’t have permission to upload files.
Solution: Use FTP instead of File Manager, or contact hosting support to set proper permissions.
Tips for Successful Installation
Before You Start
- Backup everything: If you’re replacing an old website, make sure to backup everything first
- Read hosting instructions: Your hosting company might have specific installation steps
- Note all information: Write down usernames, passwords, and database names
- Use strong passwords: Never use simple passwords like “123456” or “password”
- Keep software updated: After installation, keep WordPress updated for security
After Installation
- Change default settings: Modify the default site settings like timezone and language
- Install security plugin: Add a security plugin like Wordfence or iThemes Security
- Create backup: Make regular backups of your website
- Install SEO plugin: Add Yoast SEO or Rank Math for better search engine visibility
- Update WordPress regularly: WordPress releases updates regularly. Install them as soon as they appear
- Use strong passwords: Change your password to something complex with letters, numbers, and symbols
Local vs. Web Hosting: A Quick Comparison
| Feature | Local Installation | Web Hosting Installation |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Paid (500-2000 rupees/month) |
| Internet Access | No | Yes (24/7) |
| Good For | Learning & Practice | Live Websites |
| Speed | Depends on Your Computer | Usually Fast |
| Visitors | Only Your Computer | Everyone in the World |
| Database Setup | You create it | Hosting company provides |
| Easy to Move | Need to export/import | Can easily migrate |
| Best For Beginners | Yes, start here | After learning locally |
Conclusion: You’re Ready to Install WordPress!
Congratulations! You now understand how to install WordPress both locally and on web hosting. Installation is actually one of the easiest parts of WordPress. The real fun starts after installation when you begin creating pages, writing blog posts, and building your website.
Quick Summary
For Local Installation:
- Download and install XAMPP
- Download WordPress files
- Extract WordPress to htdocs folder
- Create a database in phpMyAdmin
- Run WordPress installation wizard
- Access your site at localhost/wordpress
For Web Hosting Installation:
- Buy hosting and domain
- Create database in cPanel
- Upload WordPress files via File Manager or FTP
- Run WordPress installation wizard
- Access your site at yourdomainname.com
Both methods are actually quite similar. The main difference is that local installation is on your personal computer, while web hosting installation puts your website on the internet for everyone to see.
Don’t worry if you made a mistake during installation. You can always delete files and start over. WordPress installation is very forgiving, and you can try again as many times as needed. Many beginners install WordPress multiple times while learning, and that’s completely normal.
Now that you’ve installed WordPress, you’re ready to start creating amazing content and building your website. The WordPress dashboard is intuitive and user-friendly, so exploring it and learning how to use it will be enjoyable. Welcome to the WordPress community, and good luck with your new website!