After years of building WordPress websites, we’ve learned how important it is to have a local WordPress setup on your computer.
Having WordPress on your personal machine lets you experiment with new features without risking your live site, dive deep into WordPress development, and even build entire websites before they go live. It’s like having a private sandbox for all your WordPress projects.
If you’re a Windows user, there are numerous ways to set up WordPress locally. But we’ve narrowed it down to the two easiest methods. In this guide, we will show you how to easily install WordPress on a Windows computer, no matter which version you’re using.
Why You Should Install WordPress on Windows?
If you’re a Windows user, then installing WordPress locally on your computer offers several benefits.
A local WordPress installation creates a testing environment that doesn’t affect your live website. This setup, often called a local server or localhost, is your personal playground for WordPress.
WordPress developers regularly use local installations for their work. For instance, they may use it to experiment with new plugins or themes or test the site before updating to the Gutenberg block editor.
But it’s not just for the pros. If you’re new to WordPress, a local setup is perfect for learning. You can explore features, test themes and plugins, and experiment freely without worrying about breaking a live site.
It’s important to note that when you install WordPress locally on Windows, only you can see the site. If you want to create a public website, then you’ll need a domain name and web hosting.
Now, technically, you can install WordPress on Windows using XAMPP, and we’ve written a tutorial on it before.
That being said, we’ve found 2 even simpler ways than XAMPP for setting up a local WordPress environment, making them great for beginners or users who need to create a local site quickly. You can click the link below to jump ahead to any method you’re interested in:
Method 1: Install WordPress on Windows Using Studio (Quick and Simple)
For the first method, we will use Studio. It’s a local WordPress software made by Automattic, the company that manages and runs WordPress.com, which is a website builder based on the WordPress software.
We will talk about this method first because it’s much quicker and simpler to follow, making it perfect for complete beginners.
First, you need to open the Studio by WordPress.com website. Then, click on the ‘Download for Windows’ button.
Once you’ve done that, just open the downloaded file to start the installation.
A popup window will now appear, showing you that the application is being installed.
With that done, you can add your first site.
To do this, just enter your new local WordPress site name and click ‘Add site.’ You can name the site however you like so long as it helps you easily identify it.
You should now see your local WordPress site dashboard.
To access your WordPress dashboard and edit your website, just click the ‘Start’ button at the top right corner. This will make your local website accessible to you on your computer.
Once the ‘Start’ button changes to ‘Running,’ you can click on the ‘WP Admin’ link at the top left side of the page.
This will bring you to your local WordPress admin page.
And that’s pretty much it for the setup. Let’s explore the other settings that may be necessary as you build your local website.
As you can see in the ‘Overview’ tab, you can immediately access the WordPress full-site editor menu right from the Studio dashboard. You can also click ‘File explorer’ to open your WordPress website’s folders and files and click on ‘Terminal’ to manage your website using WP-CLI.
If you switch to the ‘Share’ tab, you can log in to your WordPress.com account, clone your local website, and upload it to WordPress.com’s servers. This will temporarily make the cloned site online, which is useful for sharing demo sites with your clients or team members.
At times, you may want to log in to your local website directly through your browser instead of using Studio. In that case, you need to know your wp-admin credentials.
To find them, you can switch to the ‘Settings’ tab and find your WordPress admin username, password, and login URL there.
Another neat feature of Studio is its built-in AI chatbot, which you can communicate with by clicking on the ‘Assistant’ button.
Here, you can ask Studio for help with tasks like updating all your plugins at once, updating your core WordPress version, or creating code for a custom block.
When you’re done working on your local site, just hover over the ‘Running’ button at the top right corner until it says ‘Stop.’
Then, click on the button to stop the website.
One downside of Studio is you cannot configure the WordPress environment to your liking. This means you need to use the PHP version, web server, and database that have been pre-selected for you.
This can be a drawback if you need to test your website or plugin with specific server configurations.
If you require more control over your local WordPress environment or need to match your local setup with a specific live server configuration, then you can check out the next method using Local WP.
Method 2: Install WordPress on Windows Using Local WP (More Customizable)
First, you need to download and install the Local WP software on your Windows computer. Simply go to the Local WP website and click the ‘Download for Free’ button.
After that, a popup window will appear where you’ll need to select your platform. Go ahead and choose ‘Windows’ from the dropdown menu.
Next, you can enter your details like first and last name, work email address, and phone number to download the software.
Upon entering the details, simply click the ‘Get it Now’ button.
After that, the software will be automatically downloaded into your computer. Otherwise, you can click on the ‘click here’ link to start the download.
Once the file is downloaded, go ahead and launch the setup wizard.
Now, you’ll need to select whether you’d like to install the software for all users or only for you.
Once you’ve selected an option, click the ‘Next’ button.
In the next step, you can select the ‘Destination Folder’ where the software will be installed.
Simply click the ‘Browse’ button to set the path and then click the ‘Install’ button.
The Local WP software will now install on your Windows computer.
Once it’s done, you can check the ‘Run Local’ checkbox and click the ‘Finish’ button in the setup wizard.
The software will now launch on your Windows device.
The next step is to add a new local website. To do that, simply click the plus ‘+’ button at the bottom.
After that, you can create a site in the Local software.
Select the ‘Create a new site’ option and click the ‘Continue’ button. There are also options to create the site from a blueprint or an existing website file, but we’ll go with the first option for the sake of demonstration.
Next, you can enter a name for your local website, like ‘My WordPress Website.’
There are also advanced options where you can enter the local site domain and local site path. By default, the domain will use your website title but separated with dashes.
Once you’re done, simply click the ‘Continue’ button.
After that, you will need to choose an environment for your local website.
You can use the ‘Preferred’ environment where the software will automatically select the PHP version, web server, and MySQL version. On the other hand, you can also select ‘Custom’ and enter the environment details.
Local WP offers the latest PHP versions. As for the web server, you can choose between Nginx or Apache. You can also select between MySQL or MariaDB for the databases.
Do note that some PHP, web server, and database versions require downloading some dependencies for them to work properly.
Next, you can enter a WordPress username and password for your local website. Plus, there’s also an option to choose a WordPress email address where you’ll receive all the email notifications.
Other than that, there is an advanced option where the software will ask whether you have a WordPress multisite network. If not, just click ‘No.’
After entering these details, simply click the ‘Add Site’ button.
The software will now install WordPress and set up your website.
To launch the local website, go ahead and click on the ‘Start site’ button at the top right corner.
Next, click on the ‘WP Admin’ button, and you’ll see the WordPress admin login page.
Simply enter the username and password you entered earlier when setting up the local website, and then click the ‘Log In’ button.
You can now edit your local website on your Windows computer.
When you’re done, don’t forget to stop the website from the Local WP software by clicking the ‘Stop site’ button.
Pro Tip: If you want to skip the login process, you can enable a one-click admin login in Local WP.
To do this, just go back to the Local WP dashboard and toggle the ‘One-click admin’ button until it says ‘On.’ Then, in the dropdown menu, select the admin user that can use this one-click login feature.
Alternative: Use WordPress Playground to Test Themes, Plugins, and More
WordPress Playground is an innovative tool that lets you experiment with WordPress directly in your web browser. It’s a virtual sandbox where you can try new WordPress themes, plugins, and features without affecting any real website.
WordPress Playground differs from a local WordPress environment in several key ways.
First, it doesn’t require installation on your computer and resets after each use, unlike permanent local setups. You can access it from any device with a browser, while local installations are tied to one computer.
While WordPress Playground is ideal for quick tests and learning, a local WordPress environment on your Windows computer offers more flexibility for long-term development projects.
For a detailed walkthrough, check out our guide on how to use WordPress Playground in your browser.
I’ve Installed WordPress on My Windows Computer, What Now?
Now that you have WordPress on your computer, here are some things you can do:
- Learn basic WordPress tips and tricks to use your site better.
- Try different WordPress themes to see how your site can look.
- Install and test must-have WordPress plugins to add new features to your site.
- Learn how to fix common WordPress errors on your own.
- Try different drag-and-drop page builders to make your site look nice.
- Learn how to reset the WordPress admin password on localhost to recover access to your site.
- Set up automated workflows to make managing your site easier.
- Learn about WordPress security to keep your site safe from hackers.
- Move your local WordPress site to a live server when you’re ready to share it with everyone.
We hope this article helped you learn how to install WordPress locally on a Windows computer. You may also want to see our article on how to install WordPress locally on a Mac computer and our ultimate guide to creating a WordPress staging site.
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.
Francesco
Hi,
Can I use this system to test a previous back up I did via the server control panel?
I have a zip file which is a mirror of my directory on the server, including database and WP-admin file.
I would line to test if the backup I have works fine and possible run it on a precioys version of the WP
WPBeginner Support
You would want to check with the tool you are using for the specifics but it should allow you to do what you’re wanting.
Admin
Melissa T
Installed WAMP and WordPress – thanks for the wonderfully detailed instructions! So now it’s time to create the web site — is there a guide on wpbeginner for that?
thank you!
WPBeginner Support
There are many different types of sites so there is no complete guide but for a starting point you may want to take a look at our article below. Step 3 and beyond in the guide should help.
https://www.wpbeginner.com/guides/
Admin
kwestyon
First, thank you so much for the guide! It’s working. Second, is there a way wherein after you create the website, would there a way to view the site after you clicked the published button. Sorry for the dumb question.
WPBeginner Support
If you are logged in, in the top right you should be able to open the dropdown that has your site title, and there you should find a link to view your site.
Admin
Yomi
Hello,
If I install WordPress on a localhost based on the content of this blog, will I be able to use plugins like woocommerce, elementor, astra & kadence?
Thank you.
WPBeginner Support
Yes, installing locally you would be able to use plugins and page builders like those on your site
Admin
Lisa
Hi,
I am at the point where I would put localhost/mysite/ in the browser. I am getting the “404 not found error”.
I named the copy of wordpress to wamp the same and have double checked the address to see if it’s typed in correctly. This still happens, what am I doing wrong?
Thanks!
WPBeginner Support
You would want to ensure you’re not running into the Skype error where it is trying to use port 80 while WAMP is.
Admin
WPBeginner Support
Currently, the WAMP website is down which is why we’ve added a different link and included a note above and are working on updating this article as quickly as we are able
Admin
mark
WAMP link redirects to a different site.
Faten
Hi team,
I followed the guide but when I go to local host/my site/ I have this error: your don’t have permission to access my site on this server.
Can you please help?
My folders are in this order: c/wamp/www folder/mysite, is that correct?
WPBeginner Support
That is the correct location, you would want to ensure WAMP is running when you see that specific error message.
Admin
Sam
Our published website was created using an older versions of WP, themes, and plugins. I would like to test against the latest versions of WP, themes, and plugins on a local PC installation.
If I backup the website data from the live online WP account using UpdraftPLus, can I restore the files on the local installation to test against the latest versions of WP, themes, and plugins?
If not, what is the most effective method to do so?
Thank you so much!
WPBeginner Support
You can do that or you could create a staging environment here:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-create-staging-environment-for-a-wordpress-site/
Admin
Jerelyn
Hi, the WampServer link (website) has not been working the past few days. Is there an alternative place to get it? Thanks.
WPBeginner Support
Not that we would recommend at the moment, hopefully, the issues on the site at the moment are resolved and the site starts working again soon.
Admin
Harry
I am trying to do the localhost/mysite/ part but every time I search this it says url not found how do I put the WordPress folder with the WAMP folder
WPBeginner Support
You would go to where you installed WAMP on your computer, and place the mysite folder inside the www folder
Admin
Jyoti
I installed WAMP and able to see a GREEN icon in system tray.
But i am not able to see anything when i click on that icon.No PHP database nothing at all.I uninstalled and reinstalled but didn’t work.
Would you please help?
thank you so much.
WPBeginner Support
You would normally want to enter localhost in your browser while the green W is in your icon tray to find that
Admin
Pete
I installed WampServer, but it wouldn’t run. All I saw was a couple of windows with command prompts briefly appear and then disappear.
WPBeginner Support
You should see the WAMP icon if you expand your icon tray in the bottom right
Admin
HSM
it happened with me, and solved it like that:
when entering the database name, and user name,
you may forgot and left the default password as written “Password”
(as happened with me)
without change it to a private password or at least remove the word “Password” and keep the field of password blank,
WPBeginner Support
Thanks for sharing the issue you ran into should others have this issue
Admin
Tracy De
Thanks for this. I was having trouble at this point. Have reinstalled everything and couldn’t work out what I was doing wrong.
Bain Dom
Can I install Wordpress plugins in this Wordpress on Windows 10 environment?
WPBeginner Support
Unless the plugin specifies otherwise(mainly plugins that connect to 3rd party services), you would be able to use plugins on a local installation
Admin
Chloe
Hi, I followed this guide a few weeks ago and set up the very beginnings of a test site. I now can’t remember or work out how to get back to editing the site! It’s maddening as I can launch WAMP, go to localhost/testsite/ and view the site I made but please can someone let me know how to enter editing mode!! Many thanks
WPBeginner Support
You would want to add /wp-admin to be able to log into your local installation of WordPress to be able to start editing it again
Admin
Kathleen
Thank you!!! Exactly what I needed to develop before making a site live
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad our guide could be helpful
Admin
Kathleen
Installed Wamp with no trouble thanks to your concise directions. However, after creating my database and starting the WP install I get this message:
“We were able to connect to the database server (which means your username and password is okay) but not able to select the ericajlester database.” I have been over and over checking everything to make sure the information is correct, but WP will not connect to the database. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you for such great information and support!
WPBeginner Support
The most common reason for this would be a typo in your database name, you would want to ensure the database information and prefix are both correct compared to what you have set
Admin
Alexis
Thank you so much!
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Linda
Good job is done by Wpbeginner team!!!
Have a great day!
WPBeginner Support
Thank you, hope you have a great day as well
Admin
Daniel
Developing WP plugin for a client. Wanted to create a dev environment without paying for hosting space to do it. Thanks for the quick and dirty path to get there.
WPBeginner Support
Glad our article could help
Admin
Vic Iyke
This is a real life saver, thank you for the detailed instructions, it saved my time.
WPBeginner Support
Glad our guide was helpful
Admin
Erica
Thank you for the guidance..
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Harish Nemade
After doing work on Wordpress from WAMP, should we click on ‘Stop all services’?
WPBeginner Support
only if you wish to turn of WAMP and your local installation
Admin
Harish Nemade
The Website of WAMP which you had mentioned is not working anymore. The download is not responding from Sourceforge.net,
WPBeginner Support
From testing, the link is page is still working on our end, you may want to ensure this isn’t due to a browser or browser addon preventing your download.
Admin
Harish Nemade
Hey, I installed WAMP in the Internet Explorer folder, but once when I checked to search for my same localhost running on Explorer appeared in Chrome. But can I also Use the same Localhost from Chrome?
WPBeginner Support
If you installed your site in the wamp folder then you should be able to visit the site at localhost on any browser on that computer
kamodh singh
localhost/phpmyadmin not opening with any browser. when trying to open there are showing an error ( This site can’t be reached – ERR_CONNECTION_RESET )
How can i fix this error plz tell me .
thanks…
WPBeginner Support
If you’ve shut down your computer since the last time you used WAMP you would want to ensure it is running before visiting localhost.
Admin
Divyanshu Garg
Thank you very much for your guidance step by step.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Nena Rahin
The code execution cannot proceed because MSVCR120.dil was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix the problem.
The code excicution cannot proceed because VCRUNTIME140.dil was not found.
Reinstalling the program may fix the problem.
I get this error even after reinstalling many times.
Please help
WPBeginner Support
You would want to download the C++ redistributable we link to in the article and that should get you past these errors.
Admin
Dean
Hi, Thank you so very much for being here! All your information etc. is truly a gift, and it’s appreciated very much!
I’ve successfully installed WAMP and WordPress on my local computer and have played around somewhat. I’d like to refresh WordPress to start fresh again. Can you point me in the direction of doing this?
Thanks much!
Dean
WPBeginner Support
You could either delete the WordPress folder and install a new WordPress site or you could reset your database using the method in our article here: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-database-reset/
Admin
Dean
Thanks so much!
WPBeginner Support
Glad we could help
Elizabeth
Great tutorial. I’ve been building sites for a long time in Dreamweaver, switched to WordPress in 2015 and am now using Divi by Elegant Themes to build my sites. I need to rebuild an existing website for a yoga studio I did in 2015 without bringing down the current site and this is just the answer! Fabulous job in explaining step-by-step how to do it. Thank you so much! I am so excited to get working on this!!!
WPBeginner Support
Glad our tutorial could help
Admin
Marama
I’ve been thinking about the blogging thing and didn’t want to go straight into a Live site. This tutorial is awesome Thank you. I have installed Wordpress to a localhost and now I can put everything in my test site. So Stoked!!
WPBeginner Support
Awesome, glad our article could help you get a localhost site set up for you to test
Admin
Mike
Quick question, Which ports rely on this, so i can create firewall rules in our firewall as well as have our Server Team create them in windows? Thanks for any info.
WPBeginner Support
Sadly, there are too many programs that may or may not use the ports for us to give a list at the moment.
Admin
Thelynx
Thank you for this excellent tutorial. I have been a WP webmaster for about a year at work and finally decided to set up my own page about flight simulation. I followed the instructions to the letter and now have WP setup on my home PC ready to build the next earth shattering website. I am by no means a noobie to the net, but never dug into all this. Without your help, I’d be floundering. Thank you again. The WPverse is truly a grand community.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad our guide could help you
Admin
Anupama
I am having an issue with my login setup it says. (see it below) even though I login in PHP server with new data still says that. what am I gonna do.?
Error establishing a database connection
This either means that the username and password information in your wp-config.php file is incorrect or we can’t contact the database server at localhost. This could mean your host’s database server is down.
Are you sure you have the correct username and password?
Are you sure that you have typed the correct hostname?
Are you sure that the database server is running?
If you’re unsure what these terms mean you should probably contact your host. If you still need help you can always visit the WordPress Support Forums.
WPBeginner Support
You would want to edit your wp-config file in a text editor and ensure your information in this file is correct. We have an article on how to edit it here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/how-to-edit-wp-config-php-file-in-wordpress/
Specifically, the database name is normally where problems can happen
Admin
Mike
Thank you very much for this awesome solution. I was searching for something like that and I have seen that you have provided an additional tutorial of how to deploy the offline WP website to a web hoster. Great work THX again.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad our guides can be helpful
Admin
Emm Man
For all who faced the issue ‘404’ when tried ‘localhost/{yourSiteName}’, one possible solution (for me at least) is to add also the port of wamp server e.g. localhost:8080/{yourSiteName}
WPBeginner Support
Thanks for sharing a possible solution
Admin
Su
I am building a website for a friend. She already has an old site which is live. I plan to build the new one locally using WAMP.
However, while working on it how do I share my progress with her? So that she can revert for any changes.
WPBeginner Support
There isn’t a simple method for allowing someone to view your local installation, you may want to check with the hosting provider to see if there is the option of a staging environment for an easier method of what you’re wanting.
Admin
Caragh
Thanks for the great step by step guide.
Just wondered if I could screen share say through skype or Zoom?
WPBeginner Support
That is one possibility it just means that the user can’t directly interact with the site.
JAcob
Hi I would like to install/ run my sample wordpress site off of an external harddrive on various machines of my choosing. Is there any special instructions for this or do I simply install WAMP as described except onto the external drive?
WPBeginner Support
It is an older article, but for what you’re wanting you would use XAMPP: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-install-wordpress-on-a-usb-stick-using-xampp/
Admin
Adam Bermingham
Hi, you missed an entire step, and it’s a complicated one. All the MS C++ applications. I don’t know what to download or where to save them. Very confusing. There must be an easier way to host a demo WordPress site than this??
WPBeginner Support
Thanks for letting us know, we will certainly look to include that information when we update this article. For the time being, you should be able to go to the WAMP forums and the specific files should be linked and you would only need to install them where they automatically set their installations
Admin
Duncan McCormack
You don’t need all of them, just the ones shown in the WAMPserver page when you click either download (it’s the second “warning” – yes, it’s in French) – just get the 64/32bit versisons of those.
Richard
hi, first of all thanks for the amazing tutorials!
i have a question – I want to create my first website with wordpress. i thought about using wamp to save the money of the domain use and hosting and then move the website to the domain after it is done.
do you think that’s a good idea? will it be a problem to move the website from the local server to the live site as described it this tutorial? –
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-move-wordpress-from-local-server-to-live-site/
WPBeginner Support
You could certainly create your site locally and then follow the steps in that article to move your site and you shouldn’t run into any problems.
Admin
Sakil Ahmed
I uninstalled Skype and installed visual C++ but after installing WAMP Server app, clicking the wamp icon in the system tray doesn’t effects and the pop-up to create a database from myphpadmin doesn’t open.
WPBeginner Support
You may want to check the Skype conflict we mention in the article and should that not be the issue, reach out to WAMP’s support to see if there is a possible known issue.
Admin
Deepti
Hi
I am planning to make a website of my own . Its basically a food blog. I ahve a good knowledge of programming. However, I have a gap of around 7 yrs and really dont know the new stuff in programming like bootstrap, etc..I am still in learning phase for these concepts.
Would u suggest me to make a website using wordpress.org or wordpress.com?
WPBeginner Support
We would normally recommend a WordPress.org site, you can see our comparison here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/self-hosted-wordpress-org-vs-free-wordpress-com-infograph/
Admin
Jem
Hi there,
I am building wordpress.com site as the client didn’t want to manage hosting separately. I have only ever used wordpress.org. Can you still design the site on a local server and upload in when completed onto a wordpress.com site? I am a little unsure of the limitations of the .com version.
Thanks so much
WPBeginner Support
You would not be able to upload a new site on WordPress.com, you would normally need to build the site from the beginning on WordPress.com due to their restrictions.
Admin
Seema
Hi,
This is a great tutorial.
I am stuck with “Error establishing a database connection” error since a day. For me WAMP works fine, I created a DB then unzip the WP. After localhost/mysite it goes till language selection page get the DB details and when i submit it gives above mentioned error. Tried putting DB details in wp-config-samle.php, same error. Deleted DB created again, deleted mysite folder created again but still same error. Can somebody please help?
WPBeginner Support
For that error on localhost you may want to ensure you have all of your database information set properly. The database information is normally root with a blank password or you could add a space if it is preventing you from leaving it blank unless you changed that login information.
Admin
Onur SANIR
Hey I found the solution.
Left Click Wamp Icon > Mysql x.x.x > Use port other than 3xxx > Press Ok
Bobby
Any way to take a copy of my live hosted site from iPage and put a copy on the WAMP for testing with plugins, etc?
If so how would I do that?
WPBeginner Support
You would want to take a look at our guide on how to do that here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-move-live-wordpress-site-to-local-server/
Admin
Hang
Thank you so much <3
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Jason
Worked awesome. Thank you.
WPBeginner Support
Glad our guide helped
Admin
Barbara
Wow! So straightforward! Thank you!
WPBeginner Support
Glad our article was helpful
Admin
Henrik
Hi, first of all thanks for a very helpful post. Secondly, a question: will having multiple wordpress installations in a single database affect the migration to a live environment when the time comes? Or should I just deploy a new database to be on the safe side? cheers
WPBeginner Support
You would want to use a database for each site to make transferring environments easier.
Admin
Joe
Thanks so much. Very well written installation guide. Installed without a single glitch.
WPBeginner Support
Glad our guide could help you
Admin