Get Perplexed with WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up a Local Site

Introduction

WordPress has exploded in popularity as an open-source web content management system (CMS) worldwide. With its simple interface, flexible customization, and powerful features, WordPress is a go-to option for website and blog creation of individuals and businesses alike.

In this article, we will explore how to set up a WordPress site locally, without the need for an internet connection, allowing for easy building and testing without affecting the live site.

Step 1: Installing a Local Server

The first step is setting up a local server on your computer to run WordPress and create a web environment. Two recommended options for installing a local server on your computer are XAMPP or WAMP, both free and easy to install.

XAMPP

XAMPP is a cross-platform local server compatible with Windows, Linux, and MacOS. It includes Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Perl.

WAMP

WAMP is a local server for Windows that provides Apache, MySQL, and PHP.

Simply follow the instructions provided on the respective websites to download and install the local server of your choice.

Step 2: Downloading and Installing WordPress

After installing the local server, it’s time to download and install WordPress, which can be found on the official WordPress website. After downloading and unzipping the file, move the unzipped folder to the htdocs folder of the local server.

For XAMPP, the htdocs folder can be found in C:\xampp\htdocs. For WAMP, it’s located in C:\wamp64\www.

To name your website’s folder as “mywordpresssite,” you can rename the folder. This creates a folder with the URL “http://localhost/mywordpresssite” on the local server.

Step 3: Creating a Database

WordPress uses a database to store all the website’s content, including posts, pages, and settings. To create a database, access the database management tool provided by the local server.

For XAMPP, type “localhost/phpmyadmin” in the address bar of your browser. For WAMP, click on the WAMP icon, click PHP, then select phpMyAdmin.

Create a new database by clicking the “New” button. Choose a name for the database and click on “Create.”

Step 4: Configuring WordPress

After successfully creating the database, configure WordPress to use it. Open the folder containing the WordPress files on your computer and locate the file “wp-config-sample.php.” Rename this file to “wp-config.php.”

Open the “wp-config.php” file in a text editor and find the following lines:

define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘database_name_here’);

define(‘DB_USER’, ‘username_here’);

define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘password_here’);

Replace `database_name_here` with the name of the database created in step 3. Add the login and password for your database in the appropriate fields.

Save the changes and close the file.

Step 5: Running WordPress

You can now access the WordPress installation by entering “http://localhost/mywordpresssite” (replacing “mywordpresssite” with the folder name from step 2) in the address bar of your browser.

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation, such as setting up your website’s title, creating a username and password for the administrator account, and choosing a theme and plugins.

Once done, start customizing your website, adding pages, posts, media, and designing your site to your liking.

Conclusion

Building and testing your website offline is an easy and convenient way to set up a WordPress site locally. By following the simple steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be able to create your unique WordPress site and start crafting your personalized web content with ease.