The simplest way is to install the WordPress Studio app, then click the Add site (+) button, choose Blank site under Create, enter a Site name and click Create site. It runs on localhost by default. Prefer doing it by hand? Create a database, place the WordPress files on your server and visit their URL.
The folder and domain rules to know before you begin
Studio has two rules, and the folder comes first. The Local path, which is the folder for the site, has to be empty, or already contain a WordPress site. A folder with your holiday photos or a half-finished project in it won't do, so make a fresh one for each new site.
The second rule is about names. New Studio sites use localhost by default, which is all most people need. If you decide on a custom domain, it has to end in .local, and anything else won't be accepted.
Creating a local site with WordPress Studio
WordPress Studio runs a WordPress instance on your own computer, and each site you make is listed in its sidebar. With the app open, this is the route:
- Click the Add site (+) button next to Sites at the top of the sidebar, or press Ctrl+N on Windows and Linux (Command+N on Mac).
- Stay on Create.
- Under Create a new WordPress, click Blank site.
- On the Create a blank site screen, enter a Site name.
- Click Create site.
You don't need to start the site afterwards. Any new one is started by default and opens in the site preview, so you'll see it as soon as it's made.
Give each Studio site a name you'll recognise later, because they all sit together in the same sidebar and a list of test sites gets confusing fast.
From there it behaves like the WordPress you're used to, which makes it a safe place to try things. A sensible first move is to add the theme you plan to use, then bring in any plugins you want to test before they go near a live site.
Doing the install by hand on your own server
The manual route needs a web server already running on your machine, because you've got to have somewhere to put the files and a database to connect to.
- Download and unzip the WordPress package.
- Create a database for WordPress, plus a MySQL (or MariaDB) user with all privileges for it.
- Optionally, rename wp-config-sample.php to wp-config.php and add your database information.
- Upload the WordPress files to the desired location on your server.
- Run the installation script by visiting the URL for that location in a web browser.
Step 3 is the one you can skip. Leave the file alone and the install program creates it for you, which removes the easiest place to make a typing mistake.
Which of the two routes suits your setup
If you just want a private site to build on, Studio is less work: no database to create, no files to move and no configuration file to think about. The manual method is worth the extra effort when you specifically want to control the database and files yourself, or when you're learning how an install fits together.
When a local install goes wrong
Studio won't accept the folder I chose
Check what's inside it. The path has to be empty or hold an existing WordPress site, so point it at a new folder.
My custom domain gets rejected
Look at the ending. It must finish in .local, or you can drop the custom name and stay on localhost.
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I've made a site and can't find it again
Open the Studio sidebar, as that's where every site you've created is listed.
The manual installer can't connect to the database
Go back to step 2 and confirm the user you created has all privileges on that database, then check the details you've entered match it.
Nothing seemed to happen after Create site
Look at the site preview and the sidebar. A new site starts up by itself, so you shouldn't need to press anything else.
The installer page won't appear
Check the address you're visiting. It needs to be the URL for the location you uploaded the files to.
There's no wp-config.php in my folder
That's expected if you skipped the optional rename. Run the installation script and the file gets created for you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use MariaDB instead of MySQL?
Either one is fine for the manual route. What matters is giving the account you set up full access to that database.
Can one Studio install hold several sites?
Yes, each one gets its own entry in the sidebar.
Can other people see a site on localhost?
A Studio site is a WordPress instance running on your own computer. If you want to show it to somebody else, check the WordPress Studio help page for the options.
Can I move a local site to a live host later?
Check the WordPress Studio help page for the current route before you build anything you'll need to move.
Can I follow the manual steps on a hosting account?
They're written for a web server with a database, so they apply wherever you've got those. Check your host's help page for where to create the database and upload the files.
