Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Download WordPress Locally

Whether you are a website designer or simply a WordPress enthusiast, downloading the CMS locally can be a great way to experiment with new themes, plugins and content without affecting your live website. In this article, we will guide you through the process of downloading WordPress locally using WAMP or MAMP.

Step 1: Download WAMP or MAMP

The first step in downloading WordPress locally is to install a local server environment on your computer. WAMP and MAMP are two free options that provide a complete package of Apache, MySQL and PHP. You can download WAMP for Windows and MAMP for Mac from their respective websites.

Step 2: Install and Run the Server

After downloading WAMP or MAMP, launch the installer and follow the setup instructions. Once the installation process is complete, you will need to start the server. This can usually be done by clicking on the WAMP or MAMP icon in your system tray and selecting 'Start All Services'.

Step 3: Download and Extract WordPress

The next step is to download the latest version of WordPress from their official website. Once the download is complete, navigate to the directory where you installed WAMP or MAMP. In most cases, this will be 'C:\wamp' or 'Applications/MAMP' on Mac. Now, create a new folder called 'wordpress' and extract the contents of the downloaded WordPress zip file into this folder.

Step 4: Create a Database

WordPress requires a database to store all of your website's content and settings. To create a new database, visit the phpMyAdmin interface by clicking on the WAMP or MAMP icon and selecting 'phpMyAdmin'. In here, click on the 'Databases' tab and enter a name for your new database. Remember to select 'utf8generalci' as the collation.

Step 5: Configure WordPress

With the server running, WordPress downloaded and database created, it's time to configure WordPress. Navigate to the 'wordpress' folder that you created in step 3 and look for a file called 'wp-config-sample.php'. Open this file in a text editor and enter your database details, including the database name, username and password. Save this file as 'wp-config.php'.

Step 6: Launch Local WordPress

The final step in downloading WordPress locally is to launch it. To do this, simply enter 'localhost/wordpress' in your web browser's address bar. You should be greeted with the WordPress installation screen. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup process and you're all done!

Summary

By following these simple steps, you can easily download and run WordPress locally using WAMP or MAMP. This allows you to experiment with new themes, plugins and content without affecting your live website. Happy developing!