Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Download and Run WordPress Locally

Are you looking to experiment with WordPress without affecting your live website? Running WordPress locally is a viable solution. Not only is it easy to set up, but it’s also more secure and offline, which means you don’t have to worry about internet connectivity.

In this article, we’ll take you through how to download and run WordPress locally on your computer.

1. Install a Local Server

Before installing WordPress, you need to install a local server on your computer. A local server acts as a web server on your computer, which allows you to create, edit, and manage websites. There are several local servers you can choose from, including:

• XAMPP
• MAMP
• Local by Flywheel
• WampServer
• Laragon

For the purpose of this tutorial, we’ll use XAMPP.

2. Install XAMPP

Head to the XAMPP website and download the version for your operating system. Once downloaded, run the installer and follow the instructions.

Once installed, start the XAMPP control panel and click on the ‘Start’ button next to the Apache server.

3. Download WordPress

Head to the WordPress website and download the latest version of WordPress.

Once downloaded, extract the contents of the zipped file to the ‘htdocs’ folder in XAMPP. This folder is located in the XAMPP installation directory, which is typically C:\xampp.

4. Create a MySQL Database

WordPress requires a MySQL database to store data. To create a database in XAMPP, follow these steps:

1. Open your web browser and go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin/.
2. Click on the ‘Databases’ tab in the top navigation menu.
3. Enter a name for your database and click ‘Create’.

5. Configure WordPress

Now it’s time to configure WordPress.

1. Open your web browser and go to http://localhost/wordpress/.
2. Select the language you want WordPress to be displayed in and click ‘Continue.’
3. You’ll be prompted to provide some details about your site, such as the site name, username, and password.

4. When prompted for the database connection details, use the following:

   • Database Name: Enter the name of the database you created earlier.
   • Username: By default, this is ‘root.’
   • Password: Leave this field blank.
   • Database Host: By default, this is ‘localhost.’
   • Table Prefix: Leave this as is.

5. Click on the ‘Submit’ button, and WordPress will create a configuration file for you.

6. Install WordPress

Once the configuration file is created, click on the ‘Run the Install’ button to complete the installation.

You’ll be prompted to enter some details about your site, such as the site title, username, and password.

Once you’ve entered all the necessary information, click on the ‘Install WordPress’ button, and you’re done!

Conclusion

Installing and running WordPress locally is a great way to experiment with the platform without affecting your live website. By following the steps above, you should be able to have WordPress up and running in no time.