{"id":36673,"date":"2022-09-07T07:00:48","date_gmt":"2022-09-07T14:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhblog.dream.press\/blog\/?p=36673"},"modified":"2026-08-19T18:03:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T01:03:04","slug":"guide-to-manual-wp-install","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/guide-to-manual-wp-install\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Install WordPress Manually"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To install WordPress manually, you do 5 things: create a MySQL database and user, add those credentials to the <i>wp-config.php<\/i> file, upload the WordPress files to your server with an FTP client, run the install script at <i>yourdomain.com\/wp-admin\/install.php<\/i>, and set up your admin account. That\u2019s the whole job. WordPress\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/developer.wordpress.org\/advanced-administration\/before-install\/howto-install\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">own documentation<\/a> says that under most circumstances, installing WordPress \u201ctakes less than five minutes to complete\u201d \u2014 though it\u2019s smart to budget extra time for your first run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WordPress is the most-used Content Management System (CMS) on the web \u2014 as of August 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/w3techs.com\/technologies\/overview\/content_management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">W3Techs<\/a> measures it on 40.7% of all websites, which works out to a 59.0% share of the CMS market. By choosing it to build your site, you\u2019re joining a thriving community of users and developers. However, if you\u2019ve never installed WordPress before, you may be unsure of the process and how to get everything working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fortunately, all you need is a clear plan and a bit of patience. Performing a manual installation will likely take more time than the one-click method. However, by the time you\u2019re done, you\u2019ll have a stronger understanding of what makes the platform tick, as well as valuable knowledge that you can use in the future. In this post, we\u2019ll tell you what tools you\u2019ll need and walk you through the installation process step by step. Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-dreamhost-simplifies-installing-wordpress\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>How DreamHost Simplifies Installing WordPress<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Manually installing WordPress isn\u2019t too difficult, but it can trip you up if you come across an unfamiliar aspect of the platform. We\u2019ll discuss why and how to perform this kind of installation in a moment, but we would be remiss if we didn\u2019t first tell you how you can avoid it altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of installing WordPress on your own, you can often perform this task through your hosting service. If that service is optimized for WordPress, you may be offered features that dramatically simplify the process \u2014 or skip it entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At DreamHost, it works like this: with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/wordpress\/managed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DreamPress<\/a>, our managed WordPress hosting, WordPress comes pre-installed and optimized the moment you choose a plan \u2014 there\u2019s nothing to install at all. On Web Hosting, Managed VPS, and Dedicated plans, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/features\/wordpress-install-assistant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordPress Install Assistant<\/a> in the DreamHost panel walks you through the setup in minutes, no database wrangling required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, if you don\u2019t have access to a one-click installation option, or you simply want to know how to install WordPress manually, read on to learn about everything that\u2019s involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-when-should-you-manually-install-wordpress\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>When Should You Manually Install WordPress<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we\u2019ve discussed, a hosting plan such as DreamPress removes the need to install WordPress at all. However, there are also reasons you may want to perform a manual installation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For starters, a manual install gives you an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of how the platform works under the hood. This gives you extra insight when it comes to troubleshooting and dealing with any issues that may arise, along with a way to become more confident with WordPress and its customization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019ll also be able to parlay that knowledge into creating a local installation using a tool <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apachefriends.org\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">such as XAMPP<\/a> \u2014 a free Apache distribution that bundles MariaDB, PHP, and Perl into one install. This is a great way to test your site before you display it to the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-the-tools-you-ll-need-to-manually-install-wordpress\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>The Tools You\u2019ll Need to Manually Install WordPress<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before diving into the process, there are a few tools you\u2019ll need to install WordPress manually. In addition to a hosting provider that enables you to create databases and users, you\u2019ll also need:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><b>A File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client.<\/b> We recommend <a href=\"https:\/\/filezilla-project.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FileZilla<\/a>, a free, open-source, cross-platform client that supports encrypted transfers over FTPS and SFTP.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>The <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/download\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>latest version of WordPress<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b> You\u2019ll want to download this from the WordPress.org website. As we write this, that\u2019s WordPress 7.1, and WordPress.org recommends PHP 8.3 or greater and MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.11 or greater to run it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>A dedicated coding text editor.<\/b> This is optional, given that every Operating System (OS) includes a standard solution.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On this last point, while you\u2019ll likely be able to edit text files directly via your hosting account panel, we recommend using FTP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while you can edit files using any text editor, an open source code editor such as <a href=\"https:\/\/code.visualstudio.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Visual Studio Code<\/a> can offer you more flexibility and other features to help make life easier down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-to-manually-install-wordpress-in-5-steps\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>How to Manually Install WordPress (<\/b><b>In<\/b><b> 5 Steps)<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With your tools in place, you\u2019re ready to start manually installing WordPress, beginning with setting up a database and admin user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-1-create-a-new-wordpress-database-and-user\"><b>Step 1: Create a New WordPress Database and User<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Full disclosure here: This can sometimes be the most confusing step, as it involves a lot of detail. Not only are we going to create a database and an associated user account, but we\u2019ll also refer back to them later when configuring your <i>wp-config.php<\/i> file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In your hosting panel, create a MySQL database and a database user. Assign that user all privileges for the new database, then save the database name, username, password, and database hostname for Step 2. Panel layouts vary by host and change over time, so consult your host\u2019s current database documentation if you cannot find these controls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the <i>Create a new MySQL database<\/i> section, fill out each field accordingly. When creating a new user, it\u2019s important to choose a strong, hard-to-guess password \u2014 we recommend using a dedicated password generator. Note your credentials for later use, and click <i>Add new database<\/i> <i>now!<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"451\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-1024x451.jpg\" alt=\"Creating a new MySQL database with Dreamhost\" class=\"wp-image-36681 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-1024x451.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-300x132.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-768x338.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-1536x677.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-600x264.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-1200x529.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-730x322.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-1460x643.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-784x345.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-1568x691.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-877x386.jpg.webp 877w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database-1754x773.jpg.webp 1754w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-create-new-database.jpg.webp 1852w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/451;\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, you\u2019ll need to set up privileges for your user account. Since you\u2019re the administrator, you\u2019ll need complete access. To do this, go to the <i>MySQL Databases<\/i> screen, find your database at the top, and click the user you just created under the <i>Users Access<\/i> column:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"452\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-1024x452.jpg\" alt=\"User access to databases in Dreamhost\" class=\"wp-image-36682 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-1024x452.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-300x132.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-768x339.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-1536x677.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-600x265.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-1200x529.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-730x322.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-1460x644.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-784x346.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-1568x691.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-877x387.jpg.webp 877w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users-1754x774.jpg.webp 1754w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-mysql-database-users.jpg.webp 1873w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/452;\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here, simply tick all of the boxes under the <i>What may users do to tables in these databases?<\/i> section, and save your changes. Your database should now be ready to use! The next step is to access it via WordPress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-2-configure-wordpress-wp-config-php-file\"><b>Step 2: Configure WordPress\u2019 wp-config.php File<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this step, we need to tell WordPress where your database is and how to access it using the <i>wp-config.php<\/i> file. In a nutshell, this file tells WordPress where to find every element of your site in the database. As you can imagine, it\u2019s a key WordPress core file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quick reassurance before you open a code editor: this step is technically optional. If WordPress can\u2019t find a <i>wp-config.php<\/i> file when you run the install script later, it will offer to create one for you and ask for your database details then. We still recommend doing it yourself \u2014 it\u2019s the best way to learn how WordPress talks to its database, and that knowledge pays off when you\u2019re troubleshooting later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To get started, navigate to your downloaded WordPress folder, and unzip it. Inside, you\u2019ll find the <i>wp-config-sample.php<\/i> file. You\u2019ll need to open it and find the following code:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\/\/ ** MySQL settings - You can get this info from your web host ** \/\/\n\n\/** The name of the database for WordPress *\/\ndefine('DB_NAME', 'database_name_here');<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\/** MySQL database username *\/\ndefine('DB_USER', 'username_here');<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\/** MySQL database password *\/\ndefine('DB_PASSWORD', 'password_here');<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\/** MySQL hostname *\/\ndefine('DB_HOST', 'mysql.example.com');<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019ll need to replace the placeholders in each relevant define function with the database information from the previous step, specifically:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>database_name_here (including the prefix and underscore outlined in the last step).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>username_here (again, including the prefix and underscore).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>password_here.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>mysql.example.com (replace this with the database hostname supplied by your hosting provider; DreamHost users can find or create the required <a href=\"https:\/\/help.dreamhost.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/221691727\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MySQL hostname<\/a> in the panel).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, save your changes, then rename the file itself to <i>wp-config.php<\/i>. It\u2019s now time to upload WordPress to your server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"article-newsletter article-newsletter--gradient\">\n\n\n<h2>Get Content Delivered Straight to Your Inbox<\/h2><p>Subscribe now to receive all the latest updates, delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p><form class=\"nwsl-form\" id=\"newsletter_block_\" novalidate><div class=\"messages\"><\/div><div class=\"form-group\"><label for=\"input_newsletter_block_\"><input type=\"email\"name=\"email\"id=\"input_newsletter_block_\"placeholder=\"Enter your email address\"novalidatedisabled=\"disabled\"\/><\/label><button type=\"submit\"class=\"btn btn--brand\"disabled=\"disabled\"><span>Sign Me Up!<\/span><svg width=\"21\" height=\"14\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 14\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M13.8523 0.42524L12.9323 1.34521C12.7095 1.56801 12.7132 1.9304 12.9404 2.14865L16.7241 5.7823H0.5625C0.251859 5.7823 0 6.03416 0 6.3448V7.6573C0 7.96794 0.251859 8.2198 0.5625 8.2198H16.7241L12.9405 11.8535C12.7132 12.0717 12.7095 12.4341 12.9323 12.6569L13.8523 13.5769C14.072 13.7965 14.4281 13.7965 14.6478 13.5769L20.8259 7.39879C21.0456 7.17913 21.0456 6.82298 20.8259 6.60327L14.6477 0.42524C14.4281 0.205584 14.0719 0.205584 13.8523 0.42524Z\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n<\/button><\/div><\/form><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-3-upload-your-wordpress-files-to-your-server\"><b>Step 3: Upload Your WordPress Files to Your Server<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This step is arguably the easiest to achieve. Retrieve your FTP or SFTP credentials from your hosting panel, then use them to connect to your server in FileZilla. Once you\u2019re there, open the document root assigned to the domain where you want WordPress installed. Directory names vary by host, so confirm the correct web directory in your hosting panel or host documentation before uploading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You <i>could<\/i> <a href=\"https:\/\/developer.wordpress.org\/advanced-administration\/before-install\/howto-install\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">install WordPress into a subdirectory<\/a> (particularly if you\u2019ve already got a website up and running). However, for this example, we\u2019re using a clean server. To do this, simply navigate to your local WordPress folder in the left-hand panel of FileZilla, copy all of the files within, and drag them to your root folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now that your files are uploaded and your database is set up, the penultimate step is to install and set up WordPress itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-4-run-wordpress-installation-script\"><b>Step 4: Run WordPress\u2019 Installation Script<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the previous steps are completed, it\u2019s time to run the script that will complete your WordPress installation. To begin, navigate to <i>yourdomain.com\/wp-admin\/install.php<\/i>, replacing the placeholder domain with that of your site. (If you installed WordPress into a subdirectory, add that directory to the URL \u2014 <i>yourdomain.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/install.php<\/i>, for example.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You should see a prompt asking you to choose a language for your WordPress installation, which you should do before clicking <i>Continue:<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"390\" height=\"496\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-select-language.jpg\" alt=\"select WordPress language\" class=\"wp-image-36683 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-select-language.jpg.webp 390w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-select-language-236x300.jpg 236w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 390px) 100vw, 390px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 390px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 390\/496;\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next screen enables you to name your site and add a WordPress admin username, password, and email address. When creating your username, it\u2019s important to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/secure-your-wordpress-website\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">make sure it\u2019s secure<\/a>. If nothing else, choose a different name than simply <i>admin<\/i> \u2014 and also generate a complex password.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"633\" height=\"502\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-account-configuration.jpg\" alt=\"create a wordpress username and password\" class=\"wp-image-36680 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-account-configuration.jpg.webp 633w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-account-configuration-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2022\/09\/manually-install-wordpress-account-configuration-600x476.jpg.webp 600w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 633px) 100vw, 633px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 633px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 633\/502;\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This screen also includes a search engine visibility checkbox. Tick it if you want to ask search engines to stay away while you\u2019re still building the site; leave it unticked if you want the site visible to everyone right away. Either way, you can change this setting later from your WordPress dashboard. When you\u2019re finished, click <i>Install WordPress<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-5-finalize-and-test-your-installation\"><b>Step 5: Log In and Choose Your Next Steps<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once WordPress is installed, you\u2019ll be brought to the WordPress dashboard. If not, you\u2019ll want to work through some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/developer.wordpress.org\/advanced-administration\/before-install\/howto-install\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">common installation problems<\/a> and consult your host if you run into difficulty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At this point, you\u2019ll likely be wondering what to do next. Here\u2019s what we recommend:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/how-to-pick-wordpress-theme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">suitable theme<\/a>. In short, this governs how your site looks on the \u2018front end\u2019.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Install some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/intro-to-wordpress-plugins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">essential plugins<\/a>. These add-ons extend WordPress\u2019 functionality, and some are crucial for protecting your site and users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Get writing. You\u2019ll now want to create any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/what-is-wordpress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pages and posts<\/a> you\u2019ll need \u2014 this is the fun part!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our advice is to immerse yourself within WordPress by reading as much content about the platform as possible. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Our blog<\/a> is a great place to start, but there is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/learn-wordpress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wealth of available information on WordPress<\/a> and its workings. For example, the official <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordPress documentation<\/a> will be key in developing your expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-faqs-about-installing-wordpress-manually\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>FAQs About Installing WordPress Manually<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-long-does-it-take-to-install-wordpress-manually\"><b>How long does it take to install WordPress manually?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to WordPress\u2019s official documentation, installing WordPress \u201ctakes less than five minutes to complete\u201d under most circumstances. If it\u2019s your first manual install, give yourself extra time for the setup work around it \u2014 creating the database, editing <i>wp-config.php<\/i>, and uploading files over FTP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-do-i-have-to-edit-wp-config-php-myself\"><b>Do I have to edit wp-config.php myself?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. If WordPress can\u2019t find a <i>wp-config.php<\/i> file when you run the install script, it will ask for your database details and offer to create the file for you. Editing it yourself is still worth doing at least once \u2014 it teaches you exactly how WordPress connects to its database, which makes future troubleshooting much easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-can-i-install-wordpress-locally-on-my-computer\"><b>Can I install WordPress locally on my computer?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Install a local server environment such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apachefriends.org\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">XAMPP<\/a>, which packages Apache, MariaDB, PHP, and Perl for Windows, Linux, and OS X. Then follow the same steps in this guide: create a database, configure <i>wp-config.php<\/i>, place the WordPress files in your local web directory, and run the install script in your browser. It\u2019s a great sandbox for testing before going live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-do-i-manually-install-a-wordpress-plugin-or-theme\"><b>How do I manually install a WordPress plugin or theme?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The easiest way is through your dashboard: upload the plugin\u2019s zip file under <i>Plugins &gt; Add New<\/i>, or the theme\u2019s zip file under <i>Appearance &gt; Themes &gt; Add New<\/i>. If your server doesn\u2019t allow that, you can do it the fully manual way \u2014 extract the zip file and transfer the folder to <i>wp-content\/plugins<\/i> (for plugins) or <i>wp-content\/themes<\/i> (for themes) via your FTP client, then activate it from your dashboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-is-a-manual-installation-better-than-a-one-click-installation\"><b>Is a manual installation better than a one-click installation?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not better \u2014 just more educational. The end result is the same WordPress site either way. Install manually when you want to understand the platform\u2019s plumbing or need a custom setup; use an installer (or a host that pre-installs WordPress, such as DreamPress) when you just want to get building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-install-wordpress-easily\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Install WordPress Easily<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understanding how to manually install WordPress gives you an advantage when building a successful site. You can see exactly how your website interacts with the database, as well as how your files and their permissions work. You can also learn to troubleshoot issues at the source while gaining a skill set that will enable you to confidently build future sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n\tclass=\"article-cta-shared article-cta-small\"\n>\n    <div class=\"tr-img-wrap-outer jsLoading\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-img-lazy \" src=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/blog2018\/assets\/img\/lazy-loading-transparent.webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/blog2018\/assets\/img\/article-small-ad-cta-placeholder.webp 1x, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/blog2018\/assets\/img\/article-small-ad-cta-placeholder-x2.webp 2x\"  alt=\"Ad background image\" \/><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  <div class=\"content-btm\">\n    <h2\n      class=\"h2--md\"\n    >\n      Skip the Manual Install\n    <\/h2>\n    <p\n      class=\"p--md\"\n    >\n      DreamPress comes with WordPress pre-installed and optimized, plus daily backups, 1-click staging, and 24\/7 support from WordPress experts.\n    <\/p>\n\n            <a\n            href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/wordpress\/managed\/\"\n                        class=\"btn btn--white-outline btn--sm btn--round\"\n                                    target=\"_blank\"\n            rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n            >\n                            Check Out Plans                    <\/a>\n\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To install WordPress manually, you do 5 things: create a MySQL database and user, add those credentials to the wp-config.php file, upload the WordPress files to your server with an FTP client, run the install script at yourdomain.com\/wp-admin\/install.php, and set up your admin account. That\u2019s the whole job. WordPress\u2019s own documentation says that under most [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1062,"featured_media":86995,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"Install WordPress Manually in 5 Simple Steps - DreamHost","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"Install WordPress manually with this 5-step guide: set up the database, edit wp-config.php, upload via FTP, run the install script, and create your admin","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"Install WordPress Manually in 5 Simple Steps - DreamHost","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"Install WordPress manually with this 5-step guide: set up the database, edit wp-config.php, upload via FTP, run the install script, and create your admin","toc_headlines":"[[\"h-how-dreamhost-simplifies-installing-wordpress\",\"How DreamHost Simplifies Installing WordPress\"],[\"h-when-should-you-manually-install-wordpress\",\"When Should You Manually Install WordPress\"],[\"h-the-tools-you-ll-need-to-manually-install-wordpress\",\"The Tools You\u2019ll Need to Manually Install WordPress\"],[\"h-how-to-manually-install-wordpress-in-5-steps\",\"How to Manually Install WordPress (In 5 Steps)\"],[\"h-faqs-about-installing-wordpress-manually\",\"FAQs About Installing WordPress Manually\"],[\"h-install-wordpress-easily\",\"Install WordPress Easily\"]]","hide_toc":false,"show_updated_at":"1","footnotes":""},"categories":[13119,550,696],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-getting-started","category-tutorials","category-wordpress"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - 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