Do you want to create a local WordPress site on your computer using XAMPP? Installing WordPress on your computer helps you try out WordPress, test themes / plugins, and learn WordPress development. In this article, we will show you how to create a local WordPress site Using XAMPP.
Why Create a Local WordPress Site?
Creating local WordPress sites is a common practice among developers and site owners. It allows you to test WordPress without creating an actual website on the internet.
Local websites are only visible to you on your computer. You can try different WordPress themes and plugins, test their features, and learn the WordPress basics.
If you already have a WordPress website, then you can create a local copy of your website on your computer to try out new plugin updates before implementing them on your live website.
Important: Local website will only be visible to you on your computer. If you want to build a live WordPress site, then you will need a domain name and WordPress hosting. Follow the step by step instructions in our how to start a WordPress blog guide when you are ready to create a live website.
Having said that, let’s check out how to install WordPress locally on Windows, Mac, or Linux using XAMPP.
What is XAMPP?
In order to create a local WordPress site, you will need to set up a web server software (Apache), PHP, and MySQL on your computer.
PHP is a programming language and MySQL is a database management software. Both of them are required to run WordPress.
Installing each of these software separately is quite difficult for beginners. This is where XAMPP comes in.
XAMPP makes it easy for you to build WordPress websites locally. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux based computers.
Let’s get started.
Installing XAMPP on Your Computer
First, you need to visit the XAMPP website and click on the download button for your operating system.
Depending on your operating system, your installation wizard and the application interface may differ from the screenshots here. For the sake of this article, we will show you the Windows version of the software.
After downloading XAMPP, you will need to click and run the installer.
XAMPP will ask you where you want to install the software and which packages you’d like to install. The default settings will work for most users. Keep clicking on ‘Next’ to finish the setup wizard.
After finishing the wizard, check the ‘start the control panel now’ option and then click on the finish button.
This will launch the XAMPP control panel. Go ahead and click on the start button next to Apache and MySQL.
XAMPP will now start Apache and MySQL. You may see a Windows Firewall notification, it is important that you click on ‘Allow Access’ button for both applications to run on your computer.
Once both applications are started their names will be highlighted in Green.
You have successfully installed XAMPP on your computer.
Now you are ready to create a local website and install WordPress using XAMPP.
Creating a Local WordPress Site with XAMPP
First, you will need to download WordPress. Visit the WordPress.org website and click on the ‘Download WordPress’ button.
After downloading WordPress, you need to extract the zip file, and you will see a wordpress folder. You need to copy this folder.
Next, head over to your XAMPP installation folder.
On Windows it would be C:/Program Files/XAMPP/htdocs or C:\Xampp\htdocs folder.
On Mac, it will be /Applications/XAMPP/htdocs folder.
Paste the wordpress folder you copied earlier inside htdocs.
We recommend renaming the wordpress folder to website1. This will help you easily identify your local site.
Next, you need to open your favorite web browser and visit localhost/website1. You will see a page like this:
This page will tell you that WordPress needs a database name, database username, password, and host information.
Let’s create a database for your WordPress site.
You’ll need to open a new browser tab and visit localhost/phpmyadmin/. This will launch phpMyAdmin app that comes pre-installed with XAMPP. It allows you to easily manage your databases using a simpler interface.
You would need to click on Databases, provide a name for your new database, and then click on the create button to continue.
Now that you have created a database, you can use it for your WordPress site.
Switch back to /localhost/website1/ browser tab and click on the ‘Let’s Go’ button.
On the next screen, you will be asked to provide your WordPress database information.
Enter the database name you created earlier. Your username is ‘root’ and you should leave the password field blank. For the database host field, you need to use localhost.
See the screenshot below:
Once you are done, click on the ‘Submit’ button to continue.
If you are on Windows or Linux, WordPress will now store these settings in your WordPress configuration file called wp-config.php file.
However, if you are on Mac, then it will show you the contents of the file and will ask you to create it.
You will need to create this file in your website’s root folder.
After creating the file, paste the text you copied earlier inside it. Next, you need to save the file and return back to WordPress installer to continue.
In the next step, WordPress will ask you to provide information about your website. First, enter the title you want to use for this site.
After that you need to enter a username, password, and an email address for your admin account.
Once you have filled all the information, click on the ‘Install WordPress’ button to continue.
WordPress will now run the installation and prompt you to login once it’s done.
You can login to your website by going to /localhost/website1/wp-admin page and use the username / password that you entered during installation to login.
Things to Try After Creating a Local WordPress Site
Now that you have created your local WordPress site using XAMPP, you can work on it like you would do on a live WordPress site.
Head over to Appearance to customize your site’s appearance or install a new theme. Here are some great free themes that you can try.
The next thing you would want to try is WordPress plugins. Plugins are like apps for your WordPress site and allow you to add cool features like contact form, photo galleries, eCommerce store, etc.
Need help installing plugins? See our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
After working on your local WordPress site you may want to move it to a live server. Head over to our step by step guide on how to move WordPress from local server to live site.
We hope this article helped you learn how to create a local WordPress site using XAMPP. You may also want to look at alternate ways to create local WordPress sites on Windows using Wampserver, and on Mac using MAMP.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Hi, I am getting following error when I connect to localhost/website1
You don’t have permission to access /website1/ on this server.
Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
Hi, I get the following error when I access localhost/website1 –
You don’t have permission to access /website1/ on this server.
Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
your article is very helpful for wp beginner.
Thanks for the Knowledge but how can i make it live through Xampp. Let us know if theres any tutorial
yes there is a way to put your localhost online, you should redirect your domain name to your computer’s ip address
Hi,
I followed your tutorial and created a wordpress site. How can I create another local wordpress site with this setup?
Thanks. Simple and Straightforward
Hi Guy. Your tutorial is very straightforward. I liked it. Very clear and easy to follow. Tkanks
Very straight forward tutorial! Thank you.
Very helpful tutorial for me… Thank you so much
hi, i have been able to login to wordpress using xampp, but when i click on the themes area i only see three themes. when i try to install a new theme, im notified that there is an error. please i need your help.
This article was really helpful for me . Hope You will be doing good works like this for us in future ..
Thanks
Hi Team
I have problem with xampp server once installation itz working fine after shutdown if am going to using again in the xamm server buttons not working
it asking again and again tomcat file….please let me know how to fix it
you’r article was really helpful. i do have a query for you though, what should i do if i wanted to extract my wordpress live website so i could use it in future.
Hi,
Thanks for your article really helpful. Everything works fine, installation etc., but I try to install a theme on my WP and i got this message ”The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize in php.ini.” What can I do to install my theme??
Thank you to help me.
Mario Bergeron
Hi Mario,
Please see our guide on how to increase maximum file size upload limit in WordPress.
Hi ALL,
im stuck at localhost/website1 …it will give the error page
This site can’t be reached
localhost refused to connect.
Search Google for localhost website1
ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED
Please help
Make sure your apache and mysql is running. Then try again
Hello WordPress, I have installed and used Xampp yesterday and it worked very fine but whike trying to open and use it today, its taking back to the installation process and asking for a new storage location. How do I go about this?
Sir , when i try opening localhost/website1
then something else opens which is not similar to yours.
that is showing index of website ..
what should i do now
Hi Ayush,
Restart XAMPP and then try again.
When I finish with a website and wish to build another different website, how do I go about it? Thanks.
Hi Stanley,
Create a new folder for your website inside htdocs folder and repeat all the steps mentioned under ‘Creating a Local WordPress Site with XAMPP’ section.
Great tutorial, and works 99% for Linux. (I had to create wp-config.php manually for some reason).
Only other issue: trying to use the Elementor Page Builder plugin, but it requires an FTP login/password. Tried starting FTP server, but can’ figure out how to configure it so that I can give Elementor FTP access/download the plugin.
(Hope this makes sense).
nice and practically perfect. can i add email functionality here installing gmail smtp or wp smtp plugin
This was so easy to follow. Thank you very much,
When I want to upload a theme in my new wordpress I get this error: ‘The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive in php.ini.’
Can I do anything about this?
Hi Jane,
Please see our guide on how to increase maximum file upload size in WordPress.
Thank you! Wonderfully detailed step-by-step instructions. Was able to install WordPress on my local machine without a problem. Much appreciated.
I am having the same problem James had:
Hi! I have successfully installed my xamp server, wordpress and database. My question is, after logging in to wordpress, I cannot see any dashboard panel wherein I can edit my themes and install plugins. Please help! Thanks.
Has anyone found a solution?
Thanks!
Hi, I have issues at login, when I try to log on, wp server says its invalid, what can I do?
Hi! I have successfully installed my xamp server, wordpress and database. My question is, after logging in to wordpress, I cannot see any dashboard panel wherein I can edit my themes and install plugins. Please help! Thanks.
when I am submitting my data base name,username and password it is saying try again i have written each and every thing right name
Leave the password space blank
To anyone having an issue with the localhost/website1 link not working, how I got it to work (on mac, might work for windows) was heading over to the Network tab in XAMPP and pressing enable. Then I took the port number (in my case it was localhost:8080) and then added that to the url. It looked like localhost:8080/website1.
Good luck!
Dani, Thanks so much for your post. I was having the same issue. After reading your post, I was able to get to the next step. few!
I have set up the WordPress website, but yet i am still having issues upload some plugins that come with the themes i want to use. How do i get to correct this?
Thanks
Thanks you so much.. Your step by step contents helps me lot.
Thanks you so much ..
But i have faced one problem, after putting WordPress files into htdocs, i went to my browser and searched for “localhost/WordPress ” and i got ” error 404 Object not found ” how can i please fix that problem?
Thanks
Did you start services in your local server(xamp)? if not please navigate xamp control panel and make sure that you start apache and mysql services
I really like your post, thank you for sharing such a great post. Setting up wordpress website on localhost using XAMPP is the best solution you have. It gives you an option to explore themes and plugins as well. When i was researching how to work on localhost i have found two great resources through which anyone can easily learn to launch wordpress using localhost.
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-create-a-local-wordpress-site-using-xampp/
Thank you very much for this article.. I really followed it and was successful in creating the website
Thank you for this article — it is great to be able to work at the website locally before exposing it to the world.
Is it possible to have more than one website locally? I have another site that I need to modify/see locally. How would I add this to the other without getting them mixed?
Thank you
Hi,
You can add more websites by simply adding a new folder under /XAMPP/htdocs/.
Thank you – the WPBeginners site/articles/support team have been a God-send.
Please keep doing what you are doing!(:0)!
Thanks at WP team. I added another WordPress folder and it’s not working. I named this second folder WordPress1 since the first site database is WordPress and it didn’t work. Please, do help. Thanks.
Hi Stanley,
Do you see an error when you visit the website in your browser?
For Mac users you recommended:
“You will need to create this file in your website’s root folder.”
Can you elaborate? Where can i find this folder?
Hey Triffina,
Normally, your XAMPP website folders are stored in /Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs/ folder.
followed all the steps but when i put “localhost/website1”, it shows an error saying “Error establishing a database connection”, also tried restarting my xampp, yet still the same problem exist.
Get an Object not found message when I put the localhost/website1 in my browser. It reads the following:
Error 404
localhost
Apache/2.4.25 (Win32) OpenSSL/1.0.2j PHP/5.6.30
Any ideas guys?
Thanks
good afternoon,
thank you for your article. It was easy to follow. I have managed to install WP offline on my pc but I cannot figure out how to login to wp-admin and start working offline.
I know you mentioned that we should login at /localhost/etc…. but where do I enter that? do I open it on my browser?
thank you
Hi Chris,
Yes, you will need to enter that in your browser’s address bar.
Hi, thanks for this great tutorial.
I need to update the php.ini as I am getting the error ‘The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive in php.ini.’ how do I find this on localhost ?
Thanks!
Great article sir, but I am not able to login into WordPress admin panel.
Please provide solution
am not getting the welcome to word press page what’s wrong, it’s got — Index of /website1 —at the top
please it showing me database not found when I try to input database name in my wp
Yeah, It happened to me too. You’ve gotta create your database name in the localhost/phpMyAdmin section in your browser before going back to fill the pieces of information and also the username will be root and the password will be empty. You’re good to go
Good one thanks for sharing
Which is much faster, XAMPP or WAMP?
Thanks for the detailed guide… i followed the steps as outlined above an it all worked out well until i tried to launch wordpress on my browser by entering “localhost/website1” Instead of launching, its showed “Index/website1”
please what could be the problem?
Hi Shaeder,
Try to restart XAMPP, make sure you copied the WordPress folder and the website1 folder actually contains your WordPress files.
Thanks so much… working perfectly now.
Having a local WordPress site is great hence testing functionality, plugins, and themes before making it live.
It’s also much faster compare to live.
Thanks, great article.
This worked to perfection. Can’t believe I actually did this. Instructions were “Right On”. This made my day!
Much creative way to just design put up the content … experiment and when you are done!! get your site online
What about Wampserver is it the same ?
WAMPserver is also an Apache distribution maintained by different folks. But yes it also allows you to create local WordPress sites on your Windows computer.