How To Set Up WordPress On Localhost (with Video)

Last updated - July 22, 2021

If you are planning to start a blog, eCommerce store, or any other website, WordPress is one of the best options to get started with your online journey. Plan your website layout, insert blogs and manage data using this free interface before officially publishing your website. Simply follow this step-by-step guide on how to set up WordPress on localhost. To get started, you need an active internet connection, Xampp application, and WordPress. Yes, that’s it!

Table of Contents

Installing Xampp application

Firstly, go to the browser and download the ‘Xampp application’ for windows. This application is also available for Linux and OS X operating systems. Xampp allows your system to run PHP dedicated servers without inserting any programming language. This simple application will run Apache and MySQL modules to run WordPress on localhost.

Click on the topmost download button to get the latest version of Xampp.

Now, go to your downloads folder and access the downloaded file, and start installing the Xampp application. This should take at least 5-6 mins to complete. When it’s done, you can access the Xampp files in C:\ drive.

Follow these steps to Download WordPress on your system

Firstly, go to the browser and search wordpress.org to download the latest version of WordPress.

Click the Get WordPress button on the top right corner of the website.

From the next window click the download and install hyperlink.

This will take you to the next step. Now, click the blue button to download the latest version of WordPress i.e Download WordPress 5.7.2 at the time of writing this article.

Setting up WordPress on your computer

Go to your downloads folder and extract the downloaded WordPress Zip file.
Now select all the files and copy them.
Go to the Xampp folder C:\xampp > htdocs > Create New Folder (rename it according to your site title i.e. Demosite) > Paste your WordPress Files here.

Running the Xampp Server

Now, open your start menu and run the Xampp application for windows.

Under Actions, you will see buttons to start Apache and MySQL. Click both. This will allow you to run WordPress on localhost without any domain name or hosting server.

Setting Up Admin Panel For Local Host Server

Go to your web browser and type localhost/phpmyadmin/, then press enter.

You will see an admin panel for the localhost server.

Go to Databases option.

In create database name type the same name you used for your website title i.e. Demosite.
From the dropdown menu select Collation and click the Create button.

Installing WordPress on Localhost Server

Now, open a new browser window and type this url localhost/demosite. (Important: Instead of using Demosite you should use your own website title.)

Before you can begin installing WordPress you need to enter the following details.

Select your preferred language and click the Continue button > press Let’s go! Button.

This will take you to a new window where you should fill in the following database connection details.

In Database Name use your Website Title i.e. Demosite.
In the Username option, always type root.
You can create a custom password or keep it blank.
Leave the Database Host and Table Prefix as default.
When you have filled in these details, press the Submit button.
You will see a new window, click the Run the installation button.

Before starting with the final installation process, you need to provide admin details to access your WordPress Panel.

In the Site Title use your Website Name.
In the username field, type admin.
Insert a custom password to access your WordPress Panel. I suggest using a strong password with a mix of uppercase and lowercase alphabets, digits and special characters.

I highly recommend using a recovery email id in case you forget your password or login details.
Only select the Search engine visibility option if you don’t want Google to index your website to show in search results after its publication. Therefore I am leaving it at default.
After you are done click the Install WordPress button.

Use the default values in the next window and press the Login button.

In the next window, you need to enter your login details, which you filled earlier. Type your username and custom password, select the Remember Me option if you don’t want to insert these details again, then press the Login button.

Congratulations! Your WordPress dashboard is ready to use.

To see your website preview, go to the Site Title on the top left side of the dashboard i.e. Demosite, and from the drop-down list hover to the Visit Site option, right-click and open it in a new tab window.

Using WordPress dashboard requires no prior knowledge of coding language so, you can easily customize your website with available options.

In the Posts option, you can publish blogs or articles.

In Media, you can upload images, videos, audio files, etc.

The pages tab can be used to edit existing pages or add new pages to your website.

In the Appearance tab, you can add themes to customize your website according to your product or service type. Further, customize your website by adding a menu or categories.

The plugins option can be accessed to add new plugins to your website such as Yoast for SEO to make your website more SEO friendly or install WooCommerce to run an eCommerce website. Read these articles on how to get started with basic WooCommerce.

In the Users tab, you can edit admin roles or add more users such as editor, writer, SEO manager, etc.

The settings tab should not be changed unless you have prior knowledge of WordPress or before consulting with an expert.

You can visit wordpress.org to get the latest updates, plugins, themes, and much more for free.

Just follow these steps on how to set up WordPress on localhost for free and take your ample time designing the perfect website, which compliments your idea. When you are done testing your website on localhost and finally decide to publish it online, you just have to buy a domain name and hosting provider.

Read this detailed article and choose one of these 10 Best Fully Managed WordPress Hosting Services. Thereafter, you can easily set up your WordPress following this detailed guide on How to Install WordPress? If you come across any difficulties you can contact your service provider for any technical support. Let us know if you found this article helpful and if you have any queries you can mention them in the comments section.

You can also watch this video and follow the step-by-step guide on how to set up WordPress on localhost and build your website.