How to Install WordPress – Complete WordPress Installation Tutorial

You’ve likely heard that WordPress is a popular choice for building a website, but the idea of installing it might seem daunting. Complete beginners may feel frustrated with the complex technical jargon and unclear instructions that overwhelm them.

Many hosting providers do offer one-click installation solutions these days. However, the process can still seem confusing, especially when faced with multiple options and unfamiliar terms.

That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive, no-nonsense guide to installing WordPress. Whether you’re tech-savvy or a complete beginner, we’ll walk you through the process step-by-step.

Things You Need Before Installing WordPress

Before you install WordPress, first you will need a domain name and a good web hosting company that knows WordPress.

We highly recommend that you use Bluehost because they will give you a free domain and up to 61% off their hosting plan (special for WPBeginner users).

The reason we recommend Bluehost is because they are one of the largest hosting companies in the world. They are also an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.

Since this is a very long and detailed tutorial, please use the navigation links below to get to the appropriate section:

How to Install WordPress on Bluehost

Bluehost is an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider and one of the largest hosting companies in the world. They know WordPress inside out and, in our experience, have the most beginner-friendly WordPress installation process.

If you purchase a Bluehost plan using our link, then WordPress will be automatically installed for you after you complete your payment.

That said, if you miss this step or want to add a new WordPress blog or website to your hosting account, then you can follow these instructions.

First, log in to your Bluehost dashboard and navigate to the ‘Websites’ tab. Then, click ‘Add Site.’

Now, the WordPress installation wizard will begin.

On the first screen, go ahead and select ‘Install WordPress.’ After that, click ‘Continue.’

Next, write down your WordPress site title.

It can be anything you want, and you can change it later on if you don’t like the current one. Once you are done, just click ‘Continue.’

Now, let’s connect your WordPress website to your domain.

If you haven’t bought a domain yet, don’t worry. Bluehost offers a temporary subdomain that you can use in the meantime.

After you’ve made your selection, just click ‘Continue.’

At this stage, you can wait a few minutes for Bluehost to install WordPress for you.

If the installation is successful, then you will be directed to the ‘Websites’ tab again and find your newly installed website there.

You can now click ‘Edit Site’ to log in to the WordPress admin area.

That’s it!

How to Install WordPress on Hostinger

Hostinger is another web hosting provider officially recommended by WordPress. With data centers spread across the US, Europe, Asia, and South America, you can host your WordPress site without worrying about slow loading times, no matter where your audience is located.

Hostinger’s prices are also one of the most affordable on the market. And if you use our Hostinger coupon code, you can get 78% off of your first purchase.

First, log in to your Hostinger account. Once you’re in, you’ll land on the dashboard. From the top menu, you’ll see a ‘Websites’ option.

Click on it and look for the ‘+ Add website’ button. Choose ‘WordPress’ from the dropdown menu that appears.

Next, you’ll need to set up your login details. This step is crucial for managing your website later.

Select your preferred WordPress admin language, enter a valid email address, and create a strong password. A strong password helps to keep your site secure.

Once this is done, click ‘Next.’

Now, Hostinger will ask you what type of website you want to create. For this example, let’s choose ‘Blog.’ This option helps tailor the setup to best suit blog features.

Click ‘Next’ after making your choice.

After that, you’ll be prompted to pick a theme. In this case, we’ll go with the Astra theme.

Browse through the available options and select one that you find appealing. Don’t worry, you can always change it later.

Once you’ve chosen, click ‘Next.’

Hostinger also suggests some must-have WordPress plugins for your blog, like All in One SEO (AIOSEO) for SEO and OptinMonster for marketing. You can pick the ones you find useful or skip them for now.

Click ‘Next’ to proceed.

Next, you’ll need to enter your domain name.

If you already have one, just type it in. If not, you can use a temporary web address you can use before getting a full domain.

Click ‘Next.’

You’re almost done! The final step is to finish the setup. Just wait a few moments for the installation process to complete. It usually takes just a minute or two.

Once everything is set up, you will be directed to the Hostinger dashboard.

Here, you can click the ‘Admin Panel’ button. This will take you to the WordPress admin area, where you can write posts, add pages, and more.

And that’s it! You’ve successfully installed WordPress on Hostinger. Now, you’re ready to create an amazing website or blog.

How to Install WordPress on HostGator

HostGator is another popular shared WordPress hosting provider among beginners. They also make it super easy to install WordPress with just a few clicks.

If you want to use HostGator, we recommend using our HostGator coupon code to get up to 81% off of your hosting plan.

First, log in to your HostGator account. Once inside, you’ll see the dashboard with a menu on the left. Click on the ‘Websites’ option.

Look for the ‘Add Site’ button on the right and click it.

After that, you’ll be prompted to choose a site type. Select ‘Install WordPress.’

Hit ‘Continue’ to move forward.

Next, you’ll need to pick a domain name.

You can either enter your existing domain or use a temporary one if you don’t have a domain yet. The temporary domain is free and can be changed later.

Once you’ve entered your domain, click ‘Continue.’

Now, it’s time to name your site.

Enter a catchy and relevant title for your new website. This title will appear at the top of your site and can be changed anytime.

After you’ve named your site, click ‘Continue.’

The setup process will now begin. HostGator will install WordPress and set up everything for you. This usually takes just a few moments.

Finally, HostGator will take you to the ‘Websites’ section in your HostGator account.

Click the ‘Edit Site’ button next to your new site. This will take you to the WordPress dashboard, where you can start customizing and adding content to your site.

Congratulations, you have successfully installed WordPress on your HostGator account.

How to Install WordPress on SiteGround

SiteGround is a popular choice among WordPress beginners. They are known for their excellent support and highly optimized WordPress hosting plans. In fact, it’s what we actually use to power WPBeginner and make it load so fast.

SiteGround offers quick and pain-free WordPress installers with all their plans. You can install WordPress directly from your hosting dashboard.

If you’re interested in SiteGround, you can use our SiteGround coupon code to get 81% off.

To install WordPress on this hosting provider, start by logging into your SiteGround account. Once you’re on the dashboard, click on the ‘Websites’ tab in the top menu.

Here, you’ll find the ‘New Website’ button. Click it to begin.

Next, you need to choose a domain for your website. You can register a new domain, use an existing one, or opt for a temporary domain.

If you’re not ready with a domain name, the temporary domain is a great option. Click ‘Select’ for your chosen option to continue.

Now, you’ll see a screen asking you to set up your site.

Select the ‘Start New Website’ option.

This will open up a new set of choices below.

Let’s click on ‘WordPress’ to proceed.

You’ll then need to set up your login details. Enter a valid email address and create a strong password. Make sure these are easy to remember, as you’ll need them to log into your WordPress dashboard.

Click ‘Continue’ once you’ve filled in the details.

SiteGround will now offer some extra services like email marketing and premium backups. These services can enhance your site, but they are optional. You can always add them later if you’re unsure now.

Click ‘Finish’ to continue.

You’ll see a ‘You Are All Set!’ screen once the installation is done. It shows three options: View Your Site, Access WordPress Admin, and Go to Site Tools.

To start customizing your site, click ‘Log in Admin.’ This will take you directly to your WordPress admin dashboard, where you can begin building your site.

And you’ve now successfully installed WordPress on SiteGround. You’re ready to create and customize your website or blog. 

How to Install WordPress on WP Engine

WP Engine is the best managed WordPress hosting provider. A managed hosting account is a concierge service for your WordPress website.

They take care of managing your WordPress site updates, installation, and performance optimization while you focus on growing your business. This makes WP Engine perfect for complete beginners or small business owners.

They’re also kind enough to give WPBeginner readers a 20% + 2 months free discount if you’re interested in using WP Engine. Just click on this WP Engine coupon code to use it.

To install WordPress, log in to your WP Engine account and navigate to the ‘Sites’ menu.

Here, click the ‘Add Site’ button on the top right to begin.

You’ll be asked what type of site you want to add. Let’s choose ‘Build a new site’ since we’re starting from scratch.

Then, hit the ‘Get Started’ button under this option.

Next, you’ll need to decide who will own the site. Choose ‘I will own it’ if this site counts as one of your billable sites.

Click the ‘Next’ button to continue.

You’ll now see a screen asking you how you want to get started. Choose ‘Blank site’ for a clean WordPress setup.

If you’re planning to run an online store, you can select ‘WooCommerce site’ if you want to install WordPress and WooCommerce right away.

Once done, click ‘Next.’

After that, you’ll need to provide a name for your website.

You can enter a name that represents your site well.

Now, it’s time to set up your site’s first environment.

Under ‘Type,’ you can keep the default ‘Production’ setting if you want this site to be live. Or, you can also set up a staging site with WP Engine.

For the ‘Name’ field, enter a unique name for your site’s environment.

WP Engine might suggest some add-ons to enhance your site, like the smart plugin manager. Check the box if you want to use any add-ons or leave it unchecked if you don’t.

Simply click ‘Add Site’ to move on.

The installation process will now begin. WP Engine will set everything up for you. Once it’s complete, you’ll see your new site listed in the ‘Sites’ section.

To manage and customize your WordPress site, click on the site’s name from the list. Then, look for the ‘WP Admin’ button and click it to access your WordPress dashboard.

One thing you should know about WP Engine is that it doesn’t sell domains. This is different from providers like Bluehost, which makes it easy to connect a domain to your site immediately during the installation.

So, if you get a hosting plan from this company, you have to purchase a domain from a third-party provider and connect it to WP Engine. That being said, they have an automatic feature that makes the DNS configuration pretty easy.

To do this log in to your WP Engine dashboard. On the ‘Sites’ page, click on your website name.

Here, you will see some options for configuring your website.

Simply click on the ‘Domains’ section.

Now, click on the ‘+ Add Domain’ button.

This will initiate the domain setup.

A dialog box will pop up. Here, type your domain name. If you want the www version too, you can tick the appropriate box.

Finally, hit ‘Add domain.’

Once you’ve added your domain, you’ll need to change your DNS records. Instead of doing it manually, let’s use Entri to set it up automatically.

Choose the ‘Automatic’ option, then click ‘Connect with Entri.’

You’ll see a message saying WP Engine uses Entri for DNS setup.

Just click ‘Continue’ to proceed.

Now, sign in to your domain registrar account. This might be Namecheap or another service.

You can enter your username and password, and click ‘Continue’ after that.

Entri will send a verification code to your email. You can check your inbox, find the code, and type it in.

Click ‘Continue.’

Entri will show you the existing DNS records for your domain. You need to confirm you want to update these.

Click ‘Okay, continue.’

Entri will now update the DNS records automatically.

Once it’s done, you’ll see a confirmation message. Your domain is now correctly configured, without you doing all of the manual setup.

Note: Due to DNS propagation, it may take up to 48 hours for your domain to point to your new website.

How to Install WordPress From cPanel

cPanel is a popular software used by many web hosting companies. It provides website owners with a simple web-based interface to manage their hosting accounts.

It is a one-stop access to several useful utilities, including auto-installer scripts that help you install WordPress.

Hosting companies select which auto-installer script they want to use. Generally, Softaculous, QuickInstall, and Fantastico are the most popular options.

We will show you how to install WordPress using all three auto-installers. You can follow the instructions based on the installer you see on your cPanel dashboard.

How to Install WordPress With Softaculous

Softaculous is a popular auto-installer script. It allows you to easily install popular web applications like WordPress with just a few clicks. Hosting companies like SiteGround and InMotion Hosting use Softaculous in their control panel.

Simply log in to your cPanel account and look for the Softaculous or WordPress installer icon. You will find them under the ‘Autoinstallers’ section.

Clicking on any of these icons will launch Softaculous auto-installer for WordPress.

First, you will see an overview of WordPress. You need to click on the ‘Install’ tab to continue.

Softaculous will now ask you where you want to install WordPress. You need to choose http:// or http://www. as protocol.

If your site has SSL and HTTPS, then you can select https:// or https://www. as protocol.

After that, you need to choose the domain name where you want to install WordPress. Most users want to install WordPress in their domain’s root directory, like example.com. In that case, you need to make sure that the ‘In Directory’ field is blank.

Scroll down a little, and you will see the site settings section.

Under this section, you need to provide a title and description for your WordPress site. Don’t worry, you can easily change them from your WordPress admin area after installation.

Next, you need to choose an admin username, password, and email address. Softaculous will automatically fill in the username and password fields for you. It will use a non-dictionary word for a username and a strong password.

You can change them if you want so that they are easy to remember for you. However, we strongly urge you to always use a strong password.

See our guide on the best way to manage passwords for WordPress beginners to learn how you can manage strong passwords easily.

Make sure that you enter the correct email address in the admin email field. This is where WordPress will send notifications and password reset links if you ever forgot your password.

The rest of the options on the screen are optional. You can now click on the ‘Install’ button to run the installer.

Softaculous will run the installer using the settings you provided. You will see a progress bar with installation status. It will take a couple of minutes.

Do not close the window until the progress bar reaches 100%. Otherwise, this may affect your WordPress installation.

You will see a success message after the installation is finished.

It will also show you links to your website and your WordPress admin area.

How to Install WordPress With QuickInstall

QuickInstall is another popular auto-installer used by many hosting companies like HostGator and others.

We will be using HostGator’s cPanel dashboard in the screenshots here. But it wouldn’t be much different if you are using some other host that has QuickInstall.

First, you need to log in to your hosting account’s cPanel dashboard. Scroll down to the Software section and then click on the ‘QuickInstall’ icon.

This will take you to the 1-Click Installers page on QuickInstall. You will see that it offers installations for the most popular web applications, including WordPress.

You need to click on WordPress to launch the WordPress installer.

The installer will now show you the WordPress overview. You will be asked to select your domain name from the drop-down menu.

Most beginners want to install WordPress on the root of their website, for example, wpbeginner.com. In that case, you need to leave the directory field blank.

Now click on the ‘Next’ button to continue.

The installer will now ask you to enter WordPress details like username, email address, and site title.

After filling in all the information, click on the ‘Install’ button.

QuickInstall will now install WordPress for you. After that, you will see a success message with your login details like username and password.

You can now click on the ‘Login’ button to enter the WordPress admin area.

That’s all, you have successfully installed WordPress using QuickInstall.

How to Install WordPress With Fantastico

Fantastico is an auto-installer script used by several WordPress hosting providers. It is similar to the other installer scripts in this guide and offers an easier way to quickly install WordPress.

First, you need to log in to your cPanel dashboard and scroll down to the Software section, and there you will find the Fantastico F3 icon.

Clicking on the ‘Fantastico’ icon will launch the auto-installer script.

Some hosting providers are still using an older version of Fantastico. In this tutorial, we will be showing you screenshots from the Fantastico F3 version.

If Fantastico on your host looks different, then don’t worry. Basic installation steps are the same, and you should be able to easily follow them.

On the main Fantastico screen, you will see a list of web applications on your left. You need to click on Blogs, and there you will find WordPress listed among many other applications.

Clicking on WordPress will show you an overview of the application with the ‘Install’ button.

Simply click on the ‘Click here to install a new copy of [WordPress version]’ button to continue.

Fantastico auto-installer for WordPress will now ask you to fill in your installation settings. First, you need to choose the domain where you want to install WordPress.

If you want to install WordPress in a sub-directory then you can enter the sub-directory name in the field below. Otherwise, make sure that this field is empty.

Under the ‘Administrator Details’ section, you need to provide admin user account information. Enter a username, password, and email address for your WordPress admin account.

Click on the ‘Submit’ button to continue.

Fantastico will now install WordPress for you. Once it has finished installing WordPress, you will see a success message.

How to Install WordPress With FTP

Manually installing WordPress is also known as the famous 5-minute install. It requires a few added steps, and you will need an FTP client to manually install WordPress.

Take a look at our beginner’s guide on how to use FTP to upload WordPress files.

The first thing you need to do is download the latest version of WordPress.

WordPress package comes as a Zip file. You need to unzip the file, and inside it, you will find a WordPress folder. This folder contains all the WordPress files you need to upload to your web server.

Now, go ahead and connect the FTP client to your hosting server.

Once connected, use the FTP client to upload the WordPress files from your computer to your website server.

If you want to install WordPress on your root domain name (like example.com), then you need to upload WordPress files to your website’s root directory. Usually, this directory is called /public_html/.

On the other hand, If you want to install WordPress in a subfolder (like example.com/blog), then upload it in a folder /public_html/blog/.

Once you are done uploading WordPress, go to your hosting control panel to create a database. We will be showing you how to do that using the cPanel.

If your hosting provider has a different control panel, then you just need to look for MySQL databases. The rest of the settings will be quite similar.

From your cPanel dashboard, click on the ‘MySQL Databases’ icon.

You will see a field to create a new database.

Enter a name for your database, and click ‘Create Database’.

Now that you have created your database, MySQL still needs a username. This username will have access to perform actions on the database.

On the MySQL Databases page in your cPanel account, scroll down to MySQL Users section. Simply provide a username and password for your new user and click on the ‘Create a user’ button.

This new user still does not have access to the database you created earlier. For that, you will need to add the user to the database and give them permission to perform all actions.

On the same MySQL Databases page in your cPanel account, scroll down to the ‘Add User to a Database’ section. Select the database user you created from the dropdown menu next to the user, then select the database and click on the ‘Add’ button.

You will now be asked for the privileges you want to allow this user. Select all privileges and click on the ‘Make changes’ button.

Your MySQL database and user are now ready, note down your database name and MySQL username and password. You will need that information later.

Simply go to the URL where you uploaded WordPress. If it is in the main domain, then enter your domain name in the browser window, like yoursite.com or www.yoursite.com.

You will see the language selection page. You can choose a language here so that the rest of the installation is displayed in your language. You can also use English for now and then later change the language.

Click on the ‘Continue’ button to proceed.

You will now see some installation instructions. WordPress will now tell you that it will need your database name, password, and MySQL host information.

Click on the ‘Let’s go!’ button to continue.

WordPress will now show you a form. You need to enter the database information you created earlier.

Fill in the information and then click on the ‘Submit’ button.

WordPress will connect to your database and show you a success message.

Click on the ‘Run the installation’ button to continue.

WordPress will now create tables in your database and then send you to the next step of the installation.

Now, you need to provide some information for WordPress to set up your site. This includes the site title, username, password, and admin email address.

If you want your website to be invisible to search engines, then you can check the box next to search engine visibility.

Later, when you are ready, you can change this from WordPress settings. If you are unsure about what to do, then simply leave it unchecked.

Click on the ‘Install WordPress’ button to continue. WordPress will set up your website and finish the installation.

You will see a success message showing your username. You can now click on the ‘Log In’ button to sign in to your WordPress site.

How to Install WordPress Locally in Your Computer

Many of our beginner-level users often ask us if they could try WordPress on their computer. The answer is yes, but most beginners should not do that.

The reason why some folks install WordPress in a local server environment is to build themes and plugins or to test things out.

If you want to run a blog for other people to see, then you do not need to install WordPress on your computer. If you install WordPress locally on your computer, then the only person who can see the site is you.

If you want to make your WordPress site available to the internet (the rest of the world), then you need to get a web hosting account and install WordPress by using one of the methods we showed above.

Having that said, if you are interested in installing WordPress locally on your computer to learn more about theme development or test plugins, then we highly encourage you to do so.

If you are using a Windows computer, then we recommend that you download and set up WAMP. If you are using a Mac, then you need to download and set up Mamp.

After you have played around with WordPress on your computer, you may want to move your local install to an actual live website. We have a step-by-step tutorial on how to move WordPress from a local server to a live site.

How to Install WordPress in Your Language

Just like Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android, you can use WordPress in your language.

WordPress is available in many languages, including English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Korean, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese (Han), Portuguese, and many others.

You can choose a language during the WordPress installation or change it by visiting Settings » General page in the WordPress admin area.

For more details, see our article on how to install WordPress in other languages.

WordPress is also used widely to create bilingual and multilingual websites. See our tutorial on how to easily create a multilingual WordPress site with TranslatePress.

How to Install a WordPress Multisite Network

WordPress comes with multisite functionality built-in. The multisite network allows you to create multiple WordPress sites using the same WordPress install. It can automatically create new sites on sub-domains or in sub-folders.

This makes sense for businesses, non-profits, and governments with sub-sites for different locations or regions. Many educational institutes also use WordPress multisite networks to allow students to create their blogs.

The setup for a multisite is a bit complex, but we have created a complete step-by-step tutorial on how to install and set up a WordPress multisite network.

Things to Do After Installing WordPress

Now that you have successfully installed WordPress, here are a few things to do after setting up WordPress.

Choosing a Theme

The visual appearance of your WordPress-powered website is controlled by themes. There are thousands of WordPress themes available for you to choose from.

With so many choices, it can become a little confusing for beginners.

We regularly publish lists of WordPress themes that we like in our Showcase section. Following are some of our popular theme showcases.

• Most popular and best WordPress themes (expert pick)
• Best free WordPress blog themes
• Best WordPress business themes
• Best WordPress themes for photographers

Installing and Using WordPress Plugins

The real power of WordPress comes from the massive collection of plugins. They are like apps for your WordPress site, allowing you to extend functionality and add new features to your site.

There are more than 59,000 free plugins available in the WordPress plugin directory alone. More plugins are available from third-party websites as paid plugins.

If you are wondering which plugins to install, then take a look at our expert pick of the essential WordPress plugins for all websites. You may also want to check out the plugins we are using on this site by looking at our WPBeginner blueprint.

We have a beginner’s step-by-step guide on how to install WordPress plugins.

Learning More About WordPress

WordPress is the easiest-to-use content management system (CMS) on the market. Millions of people from all over the world use it every day. However, from time to time, you may need a little help.

This is where WPBeginner can help. We are the largest free WordPress resource site in the world, regularly publishing tutorials and guides written specifically for bloggers and small businesses.

Here are some of the useful resources that you will find on WPBeginner (all of them are totally free).

• WPBeginner Blog – The central place for all our WordPress tutorials and guides.
• WPBeginner Dictionary – Our WordPress glossary is the best place to familiarize yourself with the WordPress lingo
• WPBeginner Videos – New WordPress users can start with these 23 videos to master WordPress.
• WPBeginner on YouTube – Need more video instructions? Subscribe to our YouTube channel with more than 298,000 subscribers and 56 million+ views.
• WPBeginner Blueprint – Check out the plugins, tools, and services we use on WPBeginner.
• WPBeginner Deals – Exclusive discounts on WordPress products and services for WPBeginner users.

We hope this WordPress installation tutorial helped you learn how to easily install WordPress. You may want to check out our article on the differences between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org and how to make a small business website.

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.