Installing WordPress – The famous 5-minute install

HomeTutorialsInstalling WordPress – The famous 5-minute install

Installing WordPress has always been the same straightforward process. Known as “the 5-minute install” – It has just three quick steps.

1. Installation files – Place files within the public folder of your local/live server.
2. MySQL – Create a database.
3. Run installation – Enter your database details and install.

We are covering the correct way to install WordPress – manually, not a one-click install solution provided by some hosts – which may also install extras you don’t need.

WordPress also hosts their own official installation docs which you may find helpful.

1. Installation files

Make sure you’ve set up either a local, or live, server or development environment. I have a guide for each:

Setting up a local WordPress development environment.
Setting up a live server for WordPress

Every new install begins by downloading the latest version of WordPress from https://wordpress.org/download (not .com, a hosted blogging solution).

After downloading, you’ll have a zip file. Unzip this file and you’ll be left with a /wordpress folder. If you want your install in a subfolder of your parent directory, you can move this folder into your root public directory as it is, or you can rename it.

If you don’t need a subfolder installation, you can move all files within the /wordpress folder straight into your server’s public directory.

What’s the difference between a root vs sub-directory structure?

The difference is subtle but important to know. If you have WordPress installed in a subdirectory, you’re able to adjust the URL. For example, if you renamed the/wordpress folder to /blog prior to the installation, now you can visit your WordPress install by going to yourdomain.com/blog – this will allow another app or site already existing in your root to continue functioning as normal. Note that you can still keep your WordPress install in a subdirectory and access it without the additional slug – For example: yourdomain.com

Aside from URL changes, a subdirectory can be used purely for organization or a specific setup to track your theme using git.

2. MySQL database

A MySQL database is essential to WordPress. All of your installation data and preferences are stored within the database – users, content, settings, which plugins are active – everything.

Creating a new database can be different for every host – some have interfaces to do it for you, but we’ll focus on using phpMyAdmin which is usually installed and accessible from every host. Whichever way you create your MySQL database, you’ll need to remember the following for step 3:

  1. Database name
  2. Database user name
  3. Database password
  4. Hostname

If you’re using MAMP, WAMP, or XAMP for local development, you won’t have the opportunity to set a username and password – these are set to root and root by default.

3. Edit wp-config.php & run the installation

To run the installation, visit the URL of your WordPress install. In step 1, our example was yourdomain.com and yourdomain.com/blog.

If your files are in the right place, the install process will begin with this language screen:

On the next few steps you’ll be asked for those database credentials from step 2. If you input them wrong, it’ll let you know and you won’t be able to proceed. If they’re correct, the installation will be complete, and you’ll be able to log in to your dashboard by visiting yourdomain.com/wp-admin.

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