WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) for building and managing blogs, websites or ecommerce stores. It is used by over 40% of websites worldwide, has thousands of plugins and themes ready to use, and has a large community of support and developers,
There are two main ways to install WordPress: using your hosting provider’s built-in tools or performing a manual installation. Here’s a quick guide to help you through both methods.
- Method 1: Installing WordPress via Web Host Autoinstaller
- Method 2: Manual Installation of WordPress
Method 1: Installing WordPress via Host Dashboard Auto-Installer
Installing WordPress through your web host’s dashboard is quick and easy. Many offer auto-installers such as Softaculous, allowing you to one-click install popular systems and frameworks. To check, access your hosting account and navigate to your control panel. Depending on your host, this could be DirectAdmin or cPanel or a custom control panel.
Control Panel Softaculous
Depending on your hosting and plan, you may or may not have Softaculous or a similar autoinstall tool. Look for the “Softaculous” link in your DirectAdmin or cPanel control panel.
In Softaculous, search for WordPress in the list of available applications.
Click on the WordPress icon and then select the “Install” button. You’ll be prompted to enter various settings such as your site name, admin username, password, and email address.
After configuring your settings, start the installation by clicking the “Install” button. Softaculous will automatically handle the installation process.
Once the installation is complete, you can access your new WordPress site through the provided URL, usually in the format yoursite.com/wp-admin.
Method 2: Manual Installation of WordPress
If you have web hosting already (with databases), you can manually download and set up WordPress on your hosting.
Download WordPress Source File
You’ll need to download the WordPress zip file from their website. Go to WordPress.org and press the “Get WordPress” button in the header to get the latest version of WordPress.
Now you’ll need to upload the WordPress files. Log in to your hosting account and open the file manager in DirectAdmin or cPanel.
Upload WordPress Archive
Upload the downloaded WordPress ZIP file to your desired directory (often the root or public_html directory, or one named “yourdomain.com” if you have multiple domains).
Extract the files in the file manager by right-clicking or utilizing the File Manager tools. This will create a folder containing all WordPress files.
Create MySQL Database
In your hosting control panel, navigate to the database management section.
You’ll need to create a new SQL database and user, and note down the database name, username, and password for use in the next installation steps
Run Web Page Installer
Now you want to open and run the web installer.
Go to yoursite.com in your browser. You should see the WordPress installation page. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup, including entering your site information, database credentials and admin information.
If all checks out, you have successfully installed WordPress!
Access Admin Dashboard
You can now log in to your WordPress dashboard at your website’s admin url: yoursite.com/wp-admin.
Whether you choose the automated Softaculous method or the manual installation process, setting up WordPress is straightforward and quick. The automated method is ideal for beginners who prefer an easier setup, while the manual method offers a bit more control and understanding of the underlying components and freedom in choice of hosting. Either way, you’ll be ready to start building and managing your WordPress site in no time.
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