How to Install WordPress

Installing WordPress is the process of deploying a CMS on a server or local computer. There are two main methods: automatic installation via hosting panel (cPanel, ISPmanager, Softaculous) in 5 minutes, and manual installation via FTP with MySQL database creation. After uploading files and configuring wp-config.php, you need to run the installation script, create a username and password, after which the system is ready for use. This detailed step-by-step algorithm will easily and clearly explain how to create a WordPress site from scratch independently and for free.

This article helps beginner web developers, business owners, and marketers install WordPress on hosting or a local computer themselves, avoiding technical errors and unnecessary costs. You will learn about current system requirements for 2026, understand the differences between local and server environments, and receive step-by-step instructions for automatic and manual CMS deployment.

What to Know Before Installing WordPress?

Before taking active steps, it is important to understand what system requirements the CMS imposes and which deployment environment to choose. Simply put, WordPress is not just a set of files, but a system that needs specific resources for stable operation. In practice, improper server preparation or choosing the wrong environment leads to critical errors during installation.

WordPress System Requirements — Brief List

According to official WordPress documentation (current as of 2026), for stable and secure CMS operation, the server must meet the following parameters:

• PHP: Version 8.3 or higher.
• Database: MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.11+.
• Web Server: Apache (with mod_rewrite module) or Nginx.
• Security: HTTPS and SSL certificate support.

It is important to understand: using outdated PHP versions (e.g., 7.4) not only slows down site performance but also creates critical vulnerabilities. If your hosting does not support PHP 8.3+, this is a direct signal to change providers.

Choosing the Environment: Hosting or Local Computer

The choice of environment depends on your end goal. A local installation is ideal for development, testing themes and plugins without risks to the live site. Hosting is necessary for public access, search engine indexing, and working with real clients.

Table 1: Comparison of Local Installation and Hosting Installation

Important: Before any manipulations with the database or CMS files, always make a backup. Based on our experience, data loss during failed updates or errors in wp-config.php is one of the most common reasons for requesting technical support. This rule applies even if you are installing WordPress locally.

How to Perform Automatic WordPress Installation on Hosting?

If you want to launch a site as quickly as possible without deep technical skills, automatic installation is your choice. This method eliminates the need for manual work with FTP clients and databases, reducing the risk of human error to an absolute minimum. The entire process, from logging into the control panel to having a ready site, takes an average of 3–5 minutes.

Preparation: Choosing Hosting and Domain

Before starting, ensure you have an active hosting account and a linked domain (or subdomain for tests).

Simply put, modern hosting is not just a place to store files. Special installer scripts are already built into the control panels of most reliable providers. Usually, in the "Knowledge Base" section of the hosting or in the welcome email, you will find direct instructions on where exactly to look for the tool in your panel. You do not need to download or compile anything: the system will do it for you.

Step-by-Step Algorithm for Installation via Softaculous / cPanel / ISPmanager

Regardless of whether you use cPanel, ISPmanager, or a panel from a specific hosting provider, the logic of actions is the same everywhere. Below is a universal step-by-step instruction.

1. Log in to the hosting control panel. Use the login and password provided to you during registration.
2. Find the section with CMS or applications. It may be called "App Installer," "Softaculous Apps Installer," "My Sites," or "CMS."
3. Select WordPress. Find the WordPress icon in the script catalog and click on it.
4. Fill in the basic data. The system will request several parameters:
   • Protocol and Domain: select https:// and your domain.
   • Installation Directory: leave the field empty to install WordPress in the root of the site (if you specify blog, the site will be available at https://your-site.com/blog).
   • Site Settings: enter the site name and short description.
   • Administrator Account: definitely create a unique username (do not use the standard admin) and a complex password. Specify your real email for access recovery.
5. Complete the process. Scroll down the page and click the "Install" button.

In a few seconds, the script will create the database, copy the files, and configure the settings. Voila, everything is ready! You will receive two links: to the home page of your new site and to the admin panel (/wp-admin).

"Based on our experience at IWS.BY, beginners choose automatic installation. And this is absolutely justified: scripts like Softaculous not only deploy the CMS but also immediately offer to enable basic protection and configure automatic updates. However, always check that you did not leave the default value 'admin' in the 'Administrator Login' field — this is the first thing bots check when attempting a hack."

How to Install WordPress Manually via FTP and phpMyAdmin?

If automatic installation is like "taking a taxi," then manual installation is driving a car with a manual transmission. It requires slightly more effort but gives you full control over every file, database structure, and server security level. This detailed step-by-step algorithm is perfect for advanced users or situations where the hosting auto-installer is unavailable for some reason.

Step 1: Creating a MySQL Database

WordPress stores all content, settings, and user data in a database. Before uploading CMS files, we need to prepare a "storage" for them.

1. Log in to the hosting control panel and find the "Databases" or "phpMyAdmin" section.
2. Create a new database. Come up with a clear name (e.g., wp_main_db). Choose utf8mb4_unicode_ci encoding — this is the standard for correct Cyrillic and emoji support in WordPress.
3. Create a database user. Come up with a unique username and a strong password. These details (login and password) will be needed to ensure security and restrict access only to WordPress.
4. Assign privileges. Link the created user to the new database and grant them full rights (ALL PRIVILEGES).

Write down or copy three values to a safe place: database name, username, and password. They are critically important for the next stage.

Step 2: Downloading and Preparing the WordPress Archive

To eliminate the risk of downloading malicious code, download the distribution only from the official source.

1. Go to the official website wordpress.org and click the "Download WordPress" button.
2. Save the ZIP archive to your computer.
3. Unpack the wordpress archive into a separate folder on your local drive. Inside, you will see a set of files and folders (wp-admin, wp-content, wp-includes, and root PHP files). Unpacking in advance saves time and avoids errors when uploading to the server.

Step 3: Uploading Files and Configuring wp-config.php

Now we will transfer the files to the server and link them with the created database.

1. FTP Connection. Download and install an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla). Enter your hosting details: host (usually the server IP address or domain), FTP account login and password, port 21.
2. Uploading Files. In the right part of the FileZilla window, open the root directory of your site (most often named public_html, www, or htdocs). Drag all unpacked WordPress files from the left part of the window to the right. Wait for the upload to complete.
3. Configuring Settings. In the root folder on the server, find the wp-config-sample.php file. Rename it to wp-config.php.
4. Editing the File. Open wp-config.php in a text editor (or directly in FileZilla by clicking "View/Edit"). Find the following lines and replace the values with those you created in Step 1:

define( 'DB_NAME', 'your_database_name' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'your_database_username' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'your_strong_password' );
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' ); // In 99% of cases on hosting, this is localhost

It is important to understand: after configuring wp-config.php, it is recommended to set strict file permissions to enhance security. According to official WordPress documentation on file permissions, set permissions to 755 for all directories and 644 for all files. The wp-config.php file itself can be further protected by setting permissions to 440 or 400, if your hosting configuration allows.

After saving the wp-config.php file and uploading all files to the server, go to your domain address in the browser (e.g., https://your-site.com). You will see the WordPress installation welcome screen, where the system will ask you to choose a language, come up with a site name, and create an administrator account. Voila, everything is ready!

How to Install WordPress Locally on a Computer or Ubuntu?

Local installation is creating a "sandbox" on your own hardware. If you want to install WordPress on a computer to safely test new themes, experiment with plugins, or layout mockups without risking breaking the working site, this method is for you. Main advantage: you don't need internet, no hosting payment is required, and performance speed is limited only by your hardware power.

Let's analyze two main scenarios: simple (with graphical interface) and advanced (via terminal).

Installation on Windows and macOS (Easiest Way)

If you don't want to work with the command line, it is optimal to use pre-built local servers. They automatically install all necessary components (web server, PHP, database) in one click.

Popular tools:

1. Local WP (Recommended): Modern, free application with an intuitive interface. Perfect for quickly installing a WordPress blog or test site.
2. OpenServer Panel: Classic and powerful solution for Windows, popular in the Russian-speaking segment. Allows easy switching of PHP versions and web server types.
3. XAMPP: Cross-platform solution (Windows, macOS, Linux) that installs the full stack of Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Perl.

Step-by-step algorithm (using Local WP as an example):

1. Download and install the Local app from the official website.
2. Launch the program and click the "Create a new site" button.
3. Come up with a site name (it will become part of the local address, e.g., mysite.local).
4. Select the preferred environment (usually "Preferred" is recommended for stability).
5. Enter the WordPress administrator username and password.
6. Click "Add Site". In 1–2 minutes, the system will notify you that the site is ready and provide a "WP Admin" button for login.

Installing WordPress on Linux Ubuntu (For Advanced Users)

For Linux users, the standard is manual deployment of the LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) or LEMP (with Nginx) stack. This method provides maximum control and most accurately mimics a real hosting server.

Below is a basic set of terminal commands for installing the LAMP stack and preparing the environment:

1. Update package lists:

sudo apt update

2. Install the Apache web server, MySQL DBMS, and PHP with necessary modules:

sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-xml php-curl php-mbstring

3. Start and enable services (usually happens automatically, but worth checking):

sudo systemctl start apache2
sudo systemctl start mysql

4. Download and unpack the WordPress archive into the web server's root directory:

cd /tmp
curl -O https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
tar -xvzf latest.tar.gz
sudo mv wordpress /var/www/html/

5. Set access permissions for correct operation (similar to manual installation on hosting):

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/wordpress
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/wordpress

After this, you will only need to create a database in MySQL and open http://localhost/wordpress in the browser to go through the standard installation wizard.

LAMP

An acronym denoting a set of free software for creating a web server: Linux (operating system), Apache (web server), MySQL (database), PHP (programming language).

Localhost

Standard domain name pointing to the current device (your computer). Addresses like 127.0.0.1 or localhost allow the browser to access the server running on the same machine.

phpMyAdmin

A web interface for administering MySQL databases. Allows creating tables, users, and executing SQL queries via browser without using the command line.

FileZilla

A popular free open-source FTP client. Used for transferring files between your computer and a remote server (or local virtual machine).

"Based on our experience at IWS.BY, the local environment is not just a "sandbox" for experiments. We always configure the local site so that its URL structure and, critically, the PHP version match the client's live hosting as closely as possible. This avoids the classic situation where a plugin or theme works perfectly on your computer but breaks the site on hosting due to differences in the software environment."

Setting Up WordPress After Installation: First Steps

After seeing the cherished message about successful installation, it might seem that the work is done: installation is complete, WordPress is installed, and voila — the site is already working. However, competent WordPress setup after installation is the foundation that will ensure your resource's security and its correct indexing by search engines. Simply put, after installing WordPress, it is better to spend 15–20 minutes on basic configuration than to later spend days fixing vulnerabilities and losing positions in search results.

Security: Changing Login and Setting Permalinks

The first thing to do is secure the admin panel. If you used the standard admin login when creating the user and password, attackers already have half the keys to your site for brute-force attacks.

1. Create a new administrator: Go to the "Users" → "Add New" section. Come up with a unique name (e.g., alex_web) and assign the role "Administrator."
2. Delete the standard user: Log out, log in with the new login, and delete the admin account, transferring all existing content to the new user.
3. Configure permalinks (SEO-friendly URLs): Go to "Settings" → "Permalinks." By default, WordPress uses a structure like ?p=123, which is uninformative for both people and search engines. Select the "Post name" option. This makes your URLs readable (e.g., https://your-site.com/how-to-install-wordpress/) and significantly improves SEO.

Installing and Activating a WordPress Theme

Visual design is what your visitor interacts with. Installing and activating a WordPress theme is an intuitively understandable process but requires attention to performance details.

1. Go to the "Appearance" → "Themes" section.
2. Click the "Add New" button.
3. You can choose one of thousands of free themes in the official catalog or upload a premium archive by clicking "Upload Theme."
4. After the upload completes, click "Activate."

Tip: Choose lightweight, well-optimized themes (e.g., Astra, GeneratePress, or Kadence) that are regularly updated by developers. This directly affects site loading speed and Core Web Vitals metrics.

Checklist: Why Not to Start Publishing Content Immediately

Many beginners make the mistake of starting to write articles or add products immediately after installation. However, it is better not to start publishing content until you have performed basic hygiene procedures for the site. Lack of these steps can lead to duplicate pages, slow loading, and critical data loss during the first server failure.

Before launching the project, configure the site step-by-step: this will save you time in the future and protect against typical errors.

"After installing WordPress, it is better to spend 15 minutes on basic security and permalink setup than to later spend days fixing errors, cleaning spam, and losing search positions. Step-by-step site configuration is not a formality, but a direct investment in its stability and future traffic."

Troubleshooting Common WordPress Installation Errors

Even with the most thorough preparation, sometimes things don't go according to plan. This is a normal part of the process. The main thing is not to panic: the vast majority of problems during CMS deployment have standard causes and proven fixes. Let's analyze step-by-step how to diagnose and resolve WordPress installation errors, relying on official documentation and our practice.

Error "Error establishing a database connection"

This is perhaps the most famous and frightening message for beginners. Simply put, it means that the WordPress core cannot "reach" the database to read or write information.

Causes and step-by-step solution:

1. Typo in data. This is cause #1. Open the wp-config.php file via FTP or hosting file manager. Carefully verify the values of constants DB_NAME, DB_USER, and DB_PASSWORD with those you created in phpMyAdmin. Even an extra space at the end of the password will cause a failure.
2. Incorrect database host. In 99% of cases, DB_HOST should be localhost. However, some hosting providers use dedicated database servers (e.g., mysql.yourhost.com). Check this in your hosting knowledge base.
3. Database corruption. If the data is correct but the error persists, try repairing the database via phpMyAdmin (select the database → "Operations" tab → "Repair table").

"Cases with the 'Error establishing a database connection' are solved by banal checking for typos in the wp-config.php file. Before diving into server configuration depths, always start by copying and pasting the login and password from the hosting panel to eliminate the human factor."

Error "Access Denied" (403 Forbidden)

If after uploading files you see a message about denied access, this is a signal that the web server (Apache or Nginx) is blocking file reading for security reasons due to incorrect file permissions.

Solution: You need to recursively change permissions for files and folders via an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla):

• Set permissions to 755 for all directories (folders) (owner can read, write, execute; others — read and execute only).
• Set permissions to 644 for all files (owner can read and write; others — read only).

White Screen of Death (WSOD)

A situation where instead of the site you see an absolutely white screen without any error messages. Usually, this indicates a fatal PHP error suppressed by server settings. Most often, this happens at the final stage when you click install WordPress, but some plugin or theme conflicts.

Solution:

1. Connect to the site via FTP.
2. Navigate to the wp-content folder.
3. Find the plugins folder and rename it, for example, to plugins_old. This forcibly disables all plugins.
4. Refresh the page in the browser. If the site started working, the problem is in one of the plugins. Return the folder name to plugins, go inside, and rename plugin folders one by one until you find the culprit.

Why does the database connection error appear?

Most often, it is a typo in the wp-config.php file (parameters DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD) or an incorrect database host address (DB_HOST). Less frequently — damage to the database itself or exceeding hosting limits.

How to fix the "White Screen of Death" (WSOD)?

First, disable all plugins by renaming the wp-content/plugins folder via FTP. If the site revived, enable plugins one by one to find the conflicting one. Also check if the PHP memory limit (WP_MEMORY_LIMIT parameter) has been exceeded.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Below are brief, atomic answers to the most frequent questions arising when users try to install WordPress themselves. These blocks are optimized for direct quoting by search assistants (SGE).

Summary: Key Takeaways and Next Steps

We analyzed the full cycle: from choosing the environment to eliminating unforeseen failures. To consolidate the material, here are the main points:

1. Method Choice: For 95% of users, automatic installation via hosting panel is optimal. The manual method via FTP is needed only for specific tasks or maximum control.
2. Security from the First Step: Immediately after installation, change the admin login, configure permalinks, and install an SSL certificate.
3. Local Environment is Your Testing Ground: Use Local WP or OpenServer to safely test changes before migrating them to the live site.
4. Errors are Solvable: Most failures during installation are related to typos in wp-config.php or file access permissions, and are fixed in a couple of minutes.

What to Do Next?

• If you are a small business owner: Move on to choosing a light, fast theme and installing a backup plugin (e.g., UpdraftPlus) before adding content.
• If you are a beginner web developer: Try performing manual installation on a local computer (Ubuntu or Windows) to deeply understand the architecture of interaction between PHP, MySQL, and WordPress files.

This article was prepared considering current requirements and system standards of 2026. If you have questions regarding specific settings of your hosting, contact your provider's technical support section or study specialized guides.