WordPress is worlds#1 CMS, and if you are like me who likes to try new things on WordPress, it’s always a good idea to get a local installation of WordPress on your system.
You can use it to try new WordPress plugin, making changes in your theme and many more task. I
n fact, if you have seen WordPress videos on my YouTube channel, you would notice all the videos are created on local WordPress installation.
We have been talking about self-hosted WordPress a lot, though many BlogSpot users still feel WordPress as an alien platform because they are not familiar with it.
To get familiar with WordPress, you can start by creating a free account on WordPress.com, or you can install WordPress on your computer to test it on the Local environment.
Benefits of installing WordPress locally:
- Familiar with WordPress
- Familiar with database
- Make changes locally and then make changes on live site
- Local test platform as a staging site
How to create a localhost WordPress Installation:
There are many ways by which you can install WordPress on localhost for offline use. Here I’m covering some of the most popular once:
Lets start with WAMP
How to install Local WordPress on WAMP:
To start with a local WordPress installation, you need to download a software name WAMP. And also, download Latest release of WordPress.
So, let’s get started with WordPress WAMP Installation
1. Install WAMP on localhost
In the PHPmail option while installing WAMP, leave it as it is
2. Now extract the wordpress.zip. Create a folder under C:\wamp\www name it as WordPress copy all the files and folders under WordPress folder in C:\wamp\www
3. Start WAMP and start all the services by left clicking on it in the taskbar.
4. Open http://localhost/
5. Click on PHPMyAdmin and create a database for your WordPress install.
(Alternatively, simply click on the WAMP’s icon in the on your desktop and then click on PHPMyAdmin option as shown in the following screenshot)
The screenshot given below describes how to create a database within the PHPMyAdmin page.
6. Open http://localhost/wordpress and click on create a configuration file.
7. Click on “Let’s Go” option to move further.
Now Enter the details as mentioned.
- Database name : Database name you have created (WordPress)
- Username : root
- Password : Leave it blank
- database host : Keep it default (Localhost)
- Database prefix : Keep it default (wp_)
You can also observe the following screenshot for reference to this point.
7. Click on Submit. On next screen click on Run setup.
8. On the next screen add Blog title and Email. Search visibility will not matter here as we are working on the Local environment.
9. On the next page, you will get the success message that WordPress has been installed. Click “Login” to continue.
Viola! You have just created a local WordPress test environment using WAMP.
How to Install WordPress Offline using XAMPP
1) Download Xampp for Windows from the official website Apachefriends.org
2) Install Xampp with Apache and MySql services.
3) After the installation, run Xampp Control panel and start Apache and MySql services as indicated in the image below.
4) We need to configure MySql Databases, Open your web browser and go to http:://localhost.
Select the language of your choice and then go to http://localhost/security/index.php & there change MySql database password.
In this tutorial, I have given the password as test. (Password is case-sensitive)
5) Now we have to create MySql Database tables for your WordPress install.
To do this Go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin, Login using root as username and test as password, or the password which you gave in the previous step.
Create a new database through the PHPMyAdmin interface. Give a name for your database and don’t change any other setting (refer the Image below).
6) Now, download the latest version of WordPress from www.wordpress.org
After the download, go to the folder where you installed Xampp, there you will find a folder by name htdocs, open it and extract the latest version of WordPress there.
7) Open the WordPress folder (the one which you extracted in the above step), you will find a file by name wp-config-sample.php, open the file with notepad++ and edit the data as per the image.
Save the file and rename it as wp-config.php.
8)Now go to http://localhost/wordpress and install WordPress!!
Now simply go to wp-admin and start playing with your offline WordPress blog. You can do various things with local WordPress blog, as you can try making changes locally before making anything live on the online server. Most of WordPress developers, have WordPress installed on their personal laptop/computer, for making quick changes.
LocalWP:
LocalWP is a local WordPress development application by Flywheel, a popular web-hosting among developer and agencies. You can read my Flywheel review to learn more about them.
Flywheel offers a software called “LocalWP” which offers local WordPress installation on Windows and Mac.
You can create unlimited WordPress dev environment.
Below video tutorial will help you learn everything about this free tool:
Moving on to the last method…
Offline WordPress Installation using InstantWP
This is another popular alternative to WAMP and XAMPP, for WordPress localhost installation. This is a downloadable file, which is idle for non developers, who are looking to use WordPress offline.
You can read about Instant WordPress by InstantWP here.
You can also use XAMPP to install WordPress Offline, but I prefer WAMP over XAMPP. If you are setting up a test server for your team, you can grab unlimited web hosting like SiteGround and install more blogs in subdomain or sub-directory and use it for testing.
- If you are using Mac, you can refer to Tutorial to install WordPress locally on Mac using MAMP
- 3 best methods to create WordPress staging site
If you are stuck anywhere or find issue with installing WordPress using WAMP, do let me know via comments.
You can also refer to our WordPress guide for more such tutorials. If you find this guide useful, do share it on Facebook and Twitter.
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After installing wampserver when I am going to keep the localhost in online by pressing put online it is giving an massage like this “couldn’t excute menu item (internal error)[Exception] could not perform service action.The service not been started” How I can solve the problem.
Very good explanation , but still i have a problem ! ! ! ! … The problem is … i had Xammp on my system and without uninstalling it , i installed WAMP … So i check wamp the i uninstalled Xammp and tried to use wamp , but not working and it was always on orange colour icon on system tray … i did all these things that you said and still , not working ! don’t know what is the problem … can you tell me what should i do !?! 
Hi Harsh, I did all accordingly. Everything was right but when I imported the database into phpMyadmin all it shows is a simple white screen. Before the database, it was showing sample post etc. but problem rose after the database export. Can you suggest something?
Hi thanks for such a well written tutorial, it is technical but you explained it so well, it was not that difficult, thank you so much. Its my first time I’m using WP. So, please forgive my stupid question, I have installed WP successfully and was in by the dashboard, but now when I exited my browser I have no idea how to get back there, I don’t see a WordPress icon.
Thanks you.
I stuck on the number 6. localhost/wordpress…i can’t open it after i make the database in myphpadmin…
same thing. stuck on number six. please how do i proceed
I was also stuck on step 6 because somehow the wp-admin folder was not extracted from the zip file. I was getting the error: Not Found The requested URL /mysite/wp-admin/setup-config.php was not found on this server. I am not sure if this is what you are experiencing. For step 2 I simply copied the zip file to the www folder, right clicked and selected extract here. I then renamed the top level folder from “wordpress” to “mysite”, though this is not necessary. The screen to create the config file then loaded without error. Hope this helps.
Hello,
I want to move a site from xampp server to wamp server how to achive it?
Hi SHRAD,
You can shift your website from xampp from wamp very easily by allowing two separated port number for both xampp and wamp. You need to change PORT no for apache and mysql for WAMPP. It’s need to do small change in http.conf file. Also do this with wamp also.
Hi SHRAD,
You can shift your website from xampp from wamp very easily by allowing two separated port number for both xampp and wamp. You need to change PORT no for apache and mysql for WAMPP. It’s need to do small change in http.conf file. Also do this with wamp also.
This is ankit from techwelly.com
I tried your post to install wordpress and successfully installed on wamp.
Thanxxxx
Harsh Try this
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/duplicator/
This plugin you don’t need to do any of this if cloning just create package of live website download it and run step by step of php script and your site will be cloned on local in a minute. I tried it and works for me. Let me know if works for others.
@Rajesh
Just saw the video demo of this plugin, and it looks impressive. Will give it a try 🙂
I have to give you props man. This is the easiest and most simple install to do. I used to do a lot of my testing just using a sub domain but this makes things a lot more clean and does not hog my hosting servers. Plus, there is no rush to get a project done. I can work on it in more detail.
Total install took less than 4 minutes.
can you explain how to do the same on Linux ?
@Sreekanth You can find tutorial for all popular OS’s here: http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Installation_Techniques
i use xampp and i think it is a powerful tool…i have reproduced my live site exactly as it is on my local xampp..i usually use it test 3rd party plugins and to make some ui changes often!
I have WAMP & a locally hosted blog. I can view my blog in WAMP, through localhost but I cannot update the theme and until I deleted my .htacess file, I couldn’t see images either. This has led to me needing to upload the blog live, which as you can imagine isn’t idea, eespecially when I have a copy on my hard drive.
Please help and thanks in advance.
I tried to install WordPress on Locally on WAMP but received the error message “Error establishing a database connection”.
My default web browser is Mozilla Firefox.
Please advice.
Thank you soooo much! my friend, i have tried to install wordpress using wamp but invain for two weeks man!
Most advice could not work but you know the secret. To leave out the password blank and username: root.
Now i shoutyouloud, Yeeee!
That was it.
regards
Godfrey
I was trying to follow someone else’s install tutorial for the last few hours and no success. Tried yours and all went fast and smooth.
From extreme frustration to bliss in about 5 minutes.
Many thanks.
I’m short of words. But you’re the BOMB!!! You just saved me many years of confusion trying to install WordPress locally. All these while, someone would help me with the installation. But now, I’ve done it myself for the first time, after about three years. In fact, you’re the man! I feel like I’m flying over the moon! Thumbs up for the expert! CCChhHeeEEEEErrrrRRRRRRRsssssS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the nice and easy tutorial, work perfect first time, like all good tutorials and do not leave having to guest any of the stages, again like a good tutorials.
Thanks.
Thanks Harsh , am already using LAMP on my ubuntu system , now just istalled wordpress using WAMP in my windows
Thanks Mr. Harsh .I find this article very helpful.
Finally after so many efforts I got WordPress Installed on my PC.
great tutorial. i was able to get everything installed with ease.
how do i get WP to recognize the new Pages I created on the localhost. i’ve published the new Pages via the Pages dashboard, but when I reload the site in a separate browser tab i get an error that the link is broken. Am I missing something?