How to Install WordPress

How to Install WordPress

This is where it all begins. WordPress is very powerful CMS (Content Management System) and currently one of the most used on the web for websites of all purposes and profiles. It currently holds nearly 60% share of all the CMS based website and about 27% of all the websites in the world. Due to its unprecedented modular nature, famous "five minute installation" and ease of use, those numbers are growing each and every day and you, for one, will affect that as soon as you finish this step by step tutorial.

Now, although many hosting companies offer "one-click installation" of WordPress we still prefer manual install. It's not that something is wrong with that "one-click" method but we always like to download WordPress from its source and make sure that we are running the latest version.

At the very beginning, here is a list of the things you will need to go through the simple process of WordPress installation:

• Access to cPanel, phpMyAdmin or something similar used to create a MySQL database on your website
• FTP manager such as Filezilla -All Platforms, FireFTP -All Platforms, Cyberduck -Mac Only, WinSCP -Windows Only
• Good will, attention and about fifteen minutes of your time

Creating MySQL database

Let's first do the "complicated" part and create a MySQL database where your WordPress will reside and store all of it information. This is probably the most important part and should be done properly so, if you are not one hundred percent sure what are you doing here, try not to improvise and assume too much but instead follow this step by step guidelines.

To create the database, we will be using phpMyAdmin. Once you are logged in as root user, you should be looking at something like depicted on the picture below with database server overview and the list of existing databases on the left (if any). It is very important to leave those databases intact. 

Now, search for the User Accounts tab on the top and click on it so that user Accounts page loads.

This is the page where you can see an overview of all the existing user accounts. However, we are currently only interested in adding a new user account. Once you click Add user account, a new page will load. If this is the first time you are doing this, it is perfectly OK to feel overwhelmed with the slew of options. The good thing is that we are going to focus here only on the things of the utmost importance for our new WordPress installation (which are clearly marked on the picture below) while we may skip all the rest for now.

So, from top to bottom, all we need to do now is to enter User name (1), enter the password (2), retype the password (3), check the checkbox next to the "Create database with the same name and grant all privileges (4) and finally, scroll all the way down and click that little GO button (5). All the rest of the fields, checkboxes and options should be left intact, especially if you are not familiar with their meaning and purpose.

The important thing is to write down somewhere the username and password (or to remember it) since you will need it later during the actual WordPress installation.

Once done - that's it. You may close now phpMyAdmin (before your head implodes).

 Copying WordPress files

First you have to download WordPress from official download page. We recommend that you download the latest stable version of WordPress.

When you click on the Download button, the WordPress package will be saved to your hard disk as wordpress.zip file which you should unzip now. Start your FTP manager of choice and connect to your website host. Now, if you want your WordPress to be the main installation on your website domain (www.mydomain.com) then you will need to copy the contents to your /public_html/ directory. However, if you want to place it in the subfolder, then upload it in a folder /public_html/foldername/

Installation process

Now navigate to your website and start with the installation process. If you've uploaded WordPress in your public_html directory you need to go to http://yourdomain.com in browser.

If you have aimed right to where you have copied WordPress files, you should be welcomed with the WordPress' language selection box which means that installation has just begun.

Select the language of your choice and click Continue. That will load a new page which will be a quick reminder on all the things you need to successfully run the WordPress installation.

Since we have previously created a database with the same name as the username and remembered the password (or written it down), this should be no brainer what to enter to those fields while everything else should be left as is.

When done, click Submit.

Now, WordPress will attempt to establish a connection to the database with the credentials you have supplied in this step. If you have entered all the credentials correct, you will be graced with the witty message telling you that everything is fine and you can proceed with the installation.

As soon as you click Run the Install button, you will be asked to enter your website title and to create your first WordPress account. Enter here username and password (or copy somewhere auto-generated one), enter your email address and click Install WordPress.

It will take no longer than couple of seconds for everything to finish after which, WordPress will let you know that the installation succeeded.

Now it is time to log in to your WordPress website for the firs time which you can do by clicking that Log in button and entering your username and password created just couple of minutes ago while installing WordPress.

Aaaaand... that's it. We tried our best to explain everything in order to avoid the bumpy ride. However, if you ever get stuck anywhere during installation of the WordPress, please do not hesitate to contact great guys at our support team who will do their best to run you through the installation process as smoothly as possible.