Installing WordPress on your localhost (your personal computer) is a great way to test and develop your website before making it live on the internet. Below is a step-by-step guide for installing WordPress on localhost using a software stack like XAMPP, which provides Apache, MySQL, and PHP.

Step-by-Step Guide for WordPress Installation on Localhost:

 

Step 1: Install XAMPP

  • Download XAMPP from https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html.
  • Follow the installation instructions for your operating system.

Step 2: Start Apache and MySQL in XAMPP

  • Launch XAMPP control panel.
  • Start both Apache and MySQL services.

Step 3: Download and Extract WordPress

  • Download the latest version of WordPress from https://wordpress.org/download/. 
  • Extract the downloaded ZIP file to the htdocs folder in your XAMPP installation directory. This creates a folder like htdocs/wordpress.

Step 4: Create a Database

  • Open your web browser and go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin/. 
  • Click on "Databases" and create a new database (e.g., wordpress).

Step 5: Configure wp-config.php

  • Navigate to the WordPress folder in htdocs (htdocs/wordpress).
  • Find wp-config-sample.php, and rename it to wp-config.php.
  • Open wp-config.php in a text editor.
  • Update the database connection details:
define('DB_NAME', 'wordpress');
define('DB_USER', 'root');
define('DB_PASSWORD', '');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Save the file.

Step 6: Run the WordPress Installation

  • Open your web browser. 
  • Go to http://localhost/wordpress/ (replace wordpress with your folder name if different). 
  • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the WordPress installation: 
    •  Select your language and click "Continue." 
    • Enter the site information, admin username, password, and email. 
    • Click "Install WordPress."

Step 7: Access the WordPress Dashboard

  • After the installation, click "Login" to access the WordPress admin dashboard. 
  • Enter the admin credentials you set during the installation.

Congratulations! You've successfully installed WordPress on localhost. You can now start building and testing your website locally.