{"id":65355,"date":"2022-10-04T11:59:59","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T11:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"\/tutorials\/?p=65355"},"modified":"2025-12-02T15:19:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T15:19:58","slug":"wordpress-localhost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/ca\/tutorials\/wordpress-localhost","title":{"rendered":"WordPress localhost: how to install WordPress locally in 6 steps"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>WordPress localhost refers to a WordPress installation that runs on a computer&rsquo;s local resources. It&rsquo;s often used for development and test purposes, minimizing the need for a web hosting plan and the risk of causing issues on the production site. <\/p><p>This article will cover how to perform the WordPress localhost installation in six easy steps. We will use the XAMPP localhost software as it&rsquo;s free and supports various operating systems.<\/p><p>First, let&rsquo;s explore how a WordPress localhost version works and different ways to benefit from having a locally hosted WordPress website.<\/p><p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.hostinger.com\/content\/tutorials\/pdf\/Mega-WordPress-Cheat-EN.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Download all-in-one WordPress cheat sheet<\/a><\/p><p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-install-wordpress-on-localhost\">Why Install WordPress on Localhost<\/h2><p>When installing the WordPress CMS locally, the entire website is placed in a localhost environment. The website establishes a connection with a local machine using the loopback address network instead of going over the internet, hence the term &ldquo;local.&rdquo;<\/p><p>A localhost WordPress website allows web developers and designers to test features before implementing them on a live website. As a result, you can fix any bug immediately without affecting the user experience.<\/p><p>Users who want to learn about web development can also benefit from this WordPress version. You can create a copy of a live site on your own computer and use it for various testing processes without buying a hosting plan or a domain.<\/p><p><div class=\"protip\">\n                    <h4 class=\"title\">Looking to install WordPress on your web host?<\/h4>\n                    <p>Check out our <a href=\"\/ca\/tutorials\/how-to-install-wordpress\">Complete WordPress Installation Guide<\/a><\/p>\n                <\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-install-wordpress-on-localhost-in-6-steps\">How to Install WordPress on Localhost in 6 Steps<\/h2><p>Various local server software options are available for creating a local WordPress site. In this step-by-step tutorial, we will use <a href=\"\/ca\/tutorials\/how-to-use-xampp-wordpress\/\">XAMPP<\/a> &#8210; the most popular cross-platform web server for PHP development.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-download-xampp\">1. Download XAMPP<\/h3><p>Go to the official <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apachefriends.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apache Friends website<\/a> and download the correct XAMPP software version based on your operating system.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/Downloading-XAMPP-from-the-official-Apache-Friends-website.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"419\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/Downloading-XAMPP-from-the-official-Apache-Friends-website-1024x419.png\" alt=\"Downloading XAMPP from the official Apache Friends website\" class=\"wp-image-65380\"  sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-install-and-run-xampp-on-your-computer\">2. Install and Run XAMPP on Your Computer<\/h3><p>Run the XAMPP installer and follow the installation instructions using the default settings. If you see a pop-up indicating that your antivirus software might affect the installation process, click <strong>Yes <\/strong>to continue.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/A-warning-appears-when-trying-to-install-XAMPP-on-a-computer-with-an-antivirus-running.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"498\" height=\"185\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/A-warning-appears-when-trying-to-install-XAMPP-on-a-computer-with-an-antivirus-running.png\" alt=\"A warning appears when trying to install XAMPP on a computer with an antivirus running\" class=\"wp-image-65378\"  sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 498px) 100vw, 498px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><p>After installing XAMPP, run the application and configure the environment. In the XAMPP control panel, start <strong>Apache <\/strong>and <strong>MySQL <\/strong>modules to perform the WordPress localhost installation.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/Running-the-Apache-and-MySQL-modules-in-XAMPP.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"667\" height=\"431\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/Running-the-Apache-and-MySQL-modules-in-XAMPP.png\" alt=\"Running the Apache and MySQL modules in XAMPP\" class=\"wp-image-65381\"  sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><p>If you&rsquo;re running on the Windows operating system, there&rsquo;s a chance you might encounter the <a href=\"\/ca\/tutorials\/localhost-refused-to-connect-error\">localhost refused to connect error<\/a>. Disabling your firewall temporarily or stopping the program that uses port 80 should resolve this issue.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-download-wordpress\">3. Download WordPress<\/h3><p>Once the server is up and running, the next step is installing WordPress. Download the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/download\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">latest WordPress version<\/a>, then extract the ZIP file.<\/p><p>Navigate to your XAMPP folder in the C drive (<strong>C:xampp<\/strong>) and locate the <strong>htdocs <\/strong>folder. Upload the extracted WordPress files there. We recommend renaming the new folder with your website&rsquo;s name to make web development on the XAMPP server easier.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-create-a-local-database\">4. Create a Local Database<\/h3><p>Go back to your XAMPP control panel and select the <strong>Admin <\/strong>button of the <strong>MySQL <\/strong>module to launch phpMyAdmin &#8210; an administration tool for managing MySQL and MariaDB databases. It will help you create a local MySQL database for the new website.<\/p><p>Open the <strong>Databases <\/strong>tab and enter the database name into the <strong>Create database<\/strong> section. Set the dropdown menu&rsquo;s value to <strong>Collation <\/strong>and hit the <strong>Create <\/strong>button. Your new MySQL database should appear on the left sidebar of the web page.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/Creating-a-local-database-in-phpMyAdmin.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"447\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/Creating-a-local-database-in-phpMyAdmin-1024x447.png\" alt=\"Creating a local database in phpMyAdmin\" class=\"wp-image-65379\"  sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-install-wordpress-on-localhost\">5. Install WordPress on Localhost<\/h3><p>Finish installing WordPress locally by visiting <strong>http:\/\/localhost\/foldername<\/strong> via your browser. Don&rsquo;t forget to change the &ldquo;foldername&rdquo; placeholder with the folder name you chose in the third step.<\/p><p>WordPress requires a list of information to build the localhost site. Fill in the database information as follows:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Database name<\/strong> &#8210; the name of the database you created in phpMyAdmin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Username<\/strong> &#8210; enter &ldquo;root&rdquo; as the default username.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Password <\/strong>&#8210; leave the MySQL database password field blank.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Database host<\/strong> &#8210; keep the default &ldquo;localhost.&rdquo;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Table prefix<\/strong> &#8210; keep the default &ldquo;wp_.&rdquo;<\/li>\n<\/ul><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/A-list-of-information-required-by-WordPress-to-create-the-localhost-website.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"792\" height=\"559\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/A-list-of-information-required-by-WordPress-to-create-the-localhost-website.png\" alt=\"A list of information required by WordPress to create the localhost website\" class=\"wp-image-65375\"  sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><p>Once done, hit <strong>Submit <\/strong>-&gt; <strong>Run the installation<\/strong>. Fill in the additional information needed, like the site name and login credentials, and click on the <strong>Install WordPress <\/strong>button.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/Additional-information-needed-by-WordPress-to-complete-the-installation-process.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"664\" height=\"632\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/Additional-information-needed-by-WordPress-to-complete-the-installation-process.png\" alt=\"Additional information needed by WordPress to complete the installation process\" class=\"wp-image-65377\"  sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 664px) 100vw, 664px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><p><div class=\"protip\">\n                    <h4 class=\"title\">Pro Tip<\/h4>\n                    <p>If you&rsquo;re running on Windows or Linux, WordPress will automatically store this information in the <strong>wp-config.php file<\/strong>. WordPress will provide a code snippet for macOS users to replace the existing <strong>wp-config<\/strong> PHP file content.<\/p>\n                <\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-check-the-local-site-you-built\">6. Check the Local Site You Built<\/h3><p>That&rsquo;s it &ndash; your local test site is now ready. Go to <strong>http:\/\/localhost\/foldername\/wp-admin<\/strong> and use the login credentials you created in the previous step to access the WordPress dashboard.<\/p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a class=\"hgr-tutorials-cta hgr-tutorials-cta-wordpress-hosting\" href=\"\/ca\/wordpress-hosting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-1024x300.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-111781\"  sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2><p>Running a WordPress installation requires a hosting plan and a domain name. However, if you only need it for testing or learning <a href=\"\/ca\/tutorials\/how-to-use-wordpress\">how to use WordPress<\/a>, installing the CMS on localhost and storing all the data locally should meet your needs just fine.<\/p><p>Here&rsquo;s a recap on <a href=\"\/ca\/tutorials\/how-to-install-wordpress\">how to install WordPress<\/a> on a localhost environment:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Download XAMPP.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Install XAMPP on your computer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Download the latest version of WordPress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a local database in phpMyAdmin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Install WordPress on localhost.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check the local test site via your browser.<\/li>\n<\/ol><p>Don&rsquo;t hesitate to leave a comment below if you have any questions. Good luck!<\/p><p><div class=\"protip\">\n                    <h4 class=\"title\">Learn Other Advanced WordPress Techniques<\/h4>\n                    <p><a href=\"\/ca\/tutorials\/create-a-shortcode-in-wordpress\">How to Create a Shortcode in WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/ca\/tutorials\/speed-up-wordpress\">How to Speed Up WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/ca\/tutorials\/remove-sidebar-wordpress\">How to Remove Sidebar in WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/ca\/tutorials\/wordpress-icons\">How to Use WordPress Icon Fonts<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/ca\/tutorials\/wordpress-a-b-testing\">WordPress A\/B Testing Guide<\/a><a><br>\n<\/a><a href=\"\/ca\/tutorials\/wordpress-staging-environment\">How to Create a Staging Environment in WordPress<\/a> <\/p>\n                <\/div>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WordPress localhost refers to a WordPress installation that runs on a computer&rsquo;s local resources. It&rsquo;s often used for development and test purposes, minimizing the need for a web hosting plan and the risk of causing issues on the production site. This article will cover how to perform the WordPress localhost installation in six easy steps. [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"\/ca\/tutorials\/wordpress-localhost\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":115,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"WordPress Localhost: 6 Steps to Installing WordPress Locally","rank_math_description":"Locally installing WordPress helps in development and testing. Learn how to install WordPress locally in 6 simple steps by reading this article.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"wordpress localhost","footnotes":""},"categories":[22692],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wordpress"],"hreflangs":[{"locale":"en-US","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wordpress-localhost","default":0},{"locale":"fr-FR","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/fr\/tutoriels\/localhost-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"es-ES","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/es\/tutoriales\/como-instalar-wordpress-en-localhost","default":0},{"locale":"en-UK","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wordpress-localhost","default":0},{"locale":"en-MY","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/my\/tutorials\/wordpress-localhost-how-to-install-wordpress-locally-in-6-steps","default":0},{"locale":"en-PH","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ph\/tutorials\/wordpress-localhost-how-to-install-wordpress-locally-in-6-steps","default":0},{"locale":"en-IN","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/wordpress-localhost","default":0},{"locale":"en-CA","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/wordpress-localhost","default":0},{"locale":"es-AR","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ar\/tutoriales\/como-instalar-wordpress-en-localhost","default":0},{"locale":"es-MX","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/mx\/tutoriales\/como-instalar-wordpress-en-localhost","default":0},{"locale":"es-CO","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/co\/tutoriales\/como-instalar-wordpress-en-localhost","default":0},{"locale":"en-AU","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/au\/tutorials\/wordpress-localhost","default":0},{"locale":"en-NG","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wordpress-localhost","default":0}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/115"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65355"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":138087,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65355\/revisions\/138087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}