Download WordPress: The Essential Guide

If you ’ re ready to download WordPress, this guide will walk you through all the things you need to know about how the WordPress download summons works .
Downloading WordPress is quick and easy, but you may have a few more questions about how to get your WordPress web site up and running. Let ’ s dive in !
In this guide

In this article, we ’ ll be talking specifically about using WordPress.org as a message management system. This data does not necessarily apply to using the WordPress.com platform ( we ’ ll cover charge more on that later ) .
Let ’ s count at how to download WordPress .

The WordPress Download Process Explained

The WordPress download march is ampere simple as clicking the download button available at WordPress.org/download .
Standard use of the WordPress software involves downloading the WordPress core files in concert in the form of a travel rapidly file. You initially download the WordPress software in a slide fastener file, directly to your computer .
After downloading the WordPress effect travel rapidly file and properly installing it on a web server, you ’ ll have wide entree to all WordPress core functionalities for build and managing a new web site .
equitable remember the WordPress software doesn ’ t do much on its own. Before you can get started with WordPress, you ’ ll beginning need to :

• Purchase a domain and WordPress web hosting package
• Download the WordPress core software (which we’ll show you how to do below)
• Set up a WordPress database for your website

After these steps are completed, you can then :

• Install WordPress core, either on a web server or locally
• Install a WordPress theme to design your website
• Upload WordPress plugins to add more features and functionality, depending on your needs.

Can You Download WordPress for Free?

Yes ! WordPress is 100 % free to download, install, and put to use .
Unlike many of the content management systems or web site builders, when you download WordPress, you won ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate ever be asked for a credit wag or PayPal requital .
This is because WordPress is open-source software. WordPress is freely shared, accessed, changed and otherwise used ( in modified or unmodified form ) by any person .
WordPress is besides licensed under the GNU GPL Public License, a software agreement that exists to “ guarantee your exemption to parcel and change all versions of a program—to make certain it remains free software for all its users. ”
so when you run a locate on WordPress, the lone things you ’ ll need to pay for are your domain name and web site host. Additional charges for site design upgrades such as paid themes, paid plugins or developer aid are wholly up to you .

WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org

As you download WordPress, you might still be wondering what the difference is between WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org. To fully understand the differences, you should read our broad article covering WordPress.com volt WordPress.org .
When you download WordPress, you ’ re downloading the WordPress.org version of the software. by and large speaking, the best site customization options are found by using the WordPress.org software with a dependable horde .
WordPress.com, on the other hand, is a platform for build websites or blogs. On WordPress.com, you don ’ t need any external host report or world appoint ( although you can upgrade to a paid domain ). You simply go to WordPress.com, sign up for a complimentary report and start building your site. You don ’ t have to download WordPress if you use WordPress.com .
WordPress.org, conversely, can be described as the celebrated open-source software that ’ south used as the function system for millions of websites and blogs. As we mentioned before, the WordPress software is 100 % free, but it ’ mho about useless unless you get a host account for the WordPress software to ride on .
Keep in mind that some WordPress hosts offer one-click WordPress installation options that allow you to wholly skip over the download process. We ’ ll cover that in a sting .

How Do I Download WordPress?

To download WordPress, simply go to WordPress.org/download .
The official WordPress Download foliate is where you ’ ll find the WordPress core files available to download, a well as free themes and plugins to use on your web site .
Click on the blue button to download the WordPress software, and the WordPress files will mechanically begin downloading .
once the download process is complete, you ’ ll notification a new nothing file on your computer with the name “ WordPress, ” followed by the current version number .
notice : The WordPress zip up file will be in your Downloads booklet unless you specified it go to another placement on your calculator or drive .

What Files Are Contained in the WordPress Download?

After downloading WordPress, you may want to double-click on the WordPress folder to unzip the contents .
If you ’ re mark new to WordPress, the files in the WordPress folder may look confusing when you first look at them. however, with time, you ’ ll familiarize yourself with the WordPress core files and folders .

A few of the most significant files and folders contained in the WordPress zip code charge you barely downloaded include :

• wp-config.php – This file controls all the basic settings of your WordPress website, including your database connection information.
• functions.php – This file is one of the most important operating files of WordPress. Your theme will also have functions.php file.
• wp-content – This folder will contain your website’s plugins, themes and media uploads.
• wp-admin – This folder contains all the files that power the WordPress admin dashboard, or the backend of your website.

How to Install WordPress

After WordPress is downloaded, your next step is to install all the WordPress files to get your new web site up and running .
You have two different options for where to install the WordPress files :

• Install WordPress on a live web server (for “live” websites)
• Install WordPress locally (for “development” websites)

The option you choose will depend on your frame-up, cognition and preferences .

How to Install WordPress on a Web Server

Installing WordPress on a network server is how the huge majority of newfangled WordPress users install WordPress and begin creating their fresh websites .
Installing WordPress on a exist web site begins when you ’ rhenium looking for a web horde. As you ’ rhenium denounce for a quality WordPress server, look for hosting plans that specialize in WordPress websites .

One-Click WordPress Installation

Some world wide web hosts will offer a one-click WordPress initiation as function of their host packages. With a one-click WordPress facility option, you ’ ll be able to skip over closely all of the steps detailed in this article .
In fact, with One-Click WordPress Installation, you won ’ t even be required to download WordPress. That ’ ll all be taken worry of for you within the one-click install option .
One-click WordPress initiation is normally available from your web hosting control empanel, such as cPanel. Login to your vane hosting control panel ( cPanel ), using the information sent to you when you purchased your web host bill .
From cPanel, you should see an picture that allows you to install the web site CMS of your choice. In this shell, we ’ ll use Softaculous. This application allows you to choose to install WordPress .
equitable note that there are some implicit in web site security risks involved with one-click WordPress installation. While it takes a snatch more work, the manual method of installing WordPress means you can customize ( and impregnable ) your web site a bite more .
Get the bonus capacity : A Guide to WordPress Security For the manual method acting of installing affect, you ’ ll want to follow these steps .

How to Install WordPress with sFTP

The beginning thing you ’ ll want to do is get an FTP/sFTP platform. FileZilla is your best option for this .
Find your download transcript of the WordPress software and use FileZilla to upload it into your public directory, which will look as such : public_html .
After the file transfer completes, you ’ ll see the WordPress files uploaded to your server .
following, go into your host ’ s cPanel and look for the button that says “ MySQL Databases. ” Depending on the host you use, the MySQL release can be found in a number of unlike locations. Poke around a small morsel and you ’ ll find it .
After you click on it, you ’ ll be prompted to enter the mention of your database. Once that ’ s done, click on “ Create Database. ”
With your database now created, it will ask you to create a drug user for the MySQL account. Simply complete the information, including a new password, and create the new user. If the fresh drug user bill is for person other than yourself, make sure that you give the new exploiter access to the database by giving them their login information .
On the following page, it ’ ll ask you about the privileges you wish to give to the fresh exploiter. For an admin report, it ’ second always best to check all of these boxes .
With your FTP transfer successful, you should now be able to navigate to your domain for installation completion. If the transfer has in fact succeeded, the first gear thing you ’ ll see is WordPress prompting you to choose what speech your web site will be displayed in .
Choose the desire terminology and continue .
You ’ re now asked to input your database :

• Name
• Username
• Password
• Database Host
• Table Prefix

After you ’ re done with that, go ahead and click on the submit button .
then, click “ Run the Install, ” and you ’ ll be prompted to enter your admin information for WordPress. This will be the web site title, username, password and electronic mail that you entered previously .
last, it ’ s time to click on “ Install ” and let it do it ’ second thing. After it ’ sulfur done, go ahead and login with the username and password you set up earlier .
Your manual initiation of WordPress is now complete. Congratulations !

How Do I Install WordPress Locally (Windows or Mac)?

If you ’ re opposed to buying server space for your web site testing and development environment ( before you go live with your locate ), you can choose to use WordPress locally using a local server or master of ceremonies .
When you bypass the use of a be waiter by enabling a local host, you basically turn your calculator into the server. This is a good choice for users and developers that work remotely or don ’ t have a stable and sweetheart internet connection .
Using a local host allows you to build a site with WordPress that ’ s completely freelancer of a connection to the internet .
What ’ randomness bang-up about local WordPress sites is that you ’ ra allowed multiple installations. This gives you multiple environments for testing and development .
The software required for hosting locally is besides exempt, which makes it the perfective way to work with WordPress without poking about in a hot web site .

How to Install WordPress Locally for Windows

These steps will go over the local anesthetic install and shape of WordPress on your Windows car .

1. Download WordPress and XAMPP

Before running your WordPress download, you first need to get a proper environment set up on your machine. You can do this by installing XAMPP from the Apache web site to get a server set up .
When you go to download XAMPP, you ’ ll see several options that work with diverse versions of PHP. Choose the option that works best with the latest version of PHP .
once your download is finished, go ahead and run it to install XAMPP on your Windows organization .
After the installation, launch your master panel to view ( and set ) your condition for MySQL and Apache .
You can ’ t install WordPress locally until you have both MySQL ( database ) and Apache ( webserver ) started .

2. Install WordPress

After your database and webservers are set up, download your application of WordPress from the official WordPress site, linked earlier in this article .
When the download is complete, move the travel rapidly file to the XAMPP directory under the /htdocs folder. then, unzip the file before navigating to the directory .
This will alone work if you have MySQL and Apache services running in your XAMPP control condition jury .
After this, go to your phpMyAdmin portal vein and create a database for your newly locate. Most probable, you can find the phpMyAdmin portal vein at this url :
It could be different, depending on your specific configuration .
After your database has been created, launch your WordPress installation by going to a alone URL that looks like this :
Choose your hope language and cluck on “ Continue. ”

3. Add Database Credentials

The following screen will have you following steps to add credentials for your database to the wp-config.php file .
Use your code editor program of choice to open the wp-config.php file. then, define the database credentials as such :

// ** MySQL settings - You can get this info from your web host ** //
/** The name of the database for WordPress */
define( 'DB_NAME', 'newsite' );
/** MySQL database username */
define( 'DB_USER', 'root' );
/** MySQL database password */
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', '' );

then, save your file and go back to the WordPress installation charming .
here, plainly enter your database name, username and password. You can besides define a board prefix. For nowadays, go ahead and keep the default measure .
When you ’ re done, click on “ Submit. ”
The blind that follows will confirm a successful shape. Click on “ Run the facility ” to start the process.

After this, just provide specific information about your site. Set your username and password to login to the WordPress splashboard .
once you ’ re done, pawl on the “ Install WordPress ” link. You ’ ll see a success message and a button to launch the login page for your dashboard .
You now have a exploit local copy of WordPress on your Windows machine .

How to Install WordPress Locally for Mac

If you prefer using a Mac over a Windows machine, you can besides locally install WordPress on your Mac. As with Windows, you ’ ll want to set up your database and webserver before you install your application of WordPress .
The steps for Mac differ a bit than with Windows, but the overall process remains identical alike .

1. Download MAMP

Before you do anything, download MAMP which will set up a database and webserver for your Mac WordPress installation .
All you need to do is go to the MAMP web site to download the setup for your Mac OS .
once your download has completed, install it by running the installation ace. notice that you ’ ll probably be asked to install their Pro adaptation. This international relations and security network ’ thyroxine mandate. You can begin with the unblock interpretation if you click on the grey folder .
once the installation has finished, voyage to the MAMP restrainer and fire up the server .
After that ’ sulfur running, snap “ Open Webstart page ” and launch the phpMyAdmin portal .

2. Download WordPress

Download the software for core WordPress from the official site .
After you download your installation, unzip the charge and position it inside the text file settle booklet in MAMP .
Feel exempt to rename this folder to the name of your WordPress web site .

3. Add Database Credentials

then, create your database using phpMyAdmin, right through the operate panel of MAMP. You ’ ll see that phpMyAdmin works the lapp in a Mac environment as it does in Windows .
put in the name of your database, then headway to the wp-config.php file to add credentials for the database .
You can now run the initiation sorcerer for WordPress by going to your site-specific connect that looks like this :
The remainder of the Mac installation steps will be the like as installing on Windows .

How to Download a WordPress Site

You may be wondering how to download a WordPress site. The well news is this is possible with the BackupBuddy plugin .
In regulate to download a WordPress web site, you ’ ll need to make a replicate of it. This is where you ’ ll need to know how to copy a WordPress locate .
A copy of a WordPress web site is basically a backup of that web site. You ’ ll need a dispatch backing of a WordPress web site, a type of backup that contain all parts of the web site, including the WordPress database, the WordPress effect files, plugin files, root files, and the WordPress media library .
thankfully, a complete backup is one of the 5 types of WordPress backups that the BackupBuddy plugin can handle .
note : To download a WordPress web site, you ’ ll need to be an admin of that locate .
1. From your WordPress admin dashboard, upload and activate the BackupBuddy plugin .
2. voyage to the BackupBuddy > Backups page. From here, run a Complete backup .
3. You can watch as the backup works to make a copy of all the files and the database .
4. After the accompaniment completes, you can click the Download backup file button to download the WordPress web site .
even if you don ’ t need to download a WordPress web site, all web site owners need to know it ’ s crucial to constantly have a backup of your web site available in the font of a hack rupture or early technical catastrophe. Imagine watching your integral finished locate disappear when you don ’ t have it in full backed up and restorable. What a nightmare !
This is precisely why you need a WordPress backup plugin like BackupBuddy. With it, you can download your entire finished WordPress locate as a zip up file, then restore it on your server in an blink of an eye, for any reason you need to .

What Is the Latest Version of WordPress?

You can find information on the latest version of WordPress located in two places : the WordPress releases page and on the WordPress.org/downloads page .
The WordPress interpretation number allows you to compare the interpretation total you have running on your WordPress web site .
You can find the current WordPress version number of your WordPress site from your WordPress admin splashboard on the Home page in the At a Glance appliance. You can besides view it on the Updates page. The Updates page besides includes authoritative notices if you have pending updates for WordPress core, or any of your plugins or themes .
Keeping WordPress updated is an authoritative contribution of having a WordPress web site. Why ? Running outdated versions of WordPress or any themes and plugins can be a major security vulnerability. so be indisputable you read this guide on how to update WordPress .
One of the most substantial holocene upgrades to WordPress core came earlier in 2020, with the liberation of the Gutenberg WordPress Editor ( besides normally referred to as the WordPress block editor ). The Gutenberg Editor is a brand newfangled page builder released in 2020 that was included in WordPress adaptation 5.0 and ahead .
The first translation of WordPress, translation 0.7, was released on May 27, 2003. In engineering years, that sounds like many lifetimes ago. Since that time, major upgrades and re-toolings of the WordPress platform have been made by its community of developers .

Why Download WordPress?

long gone are the days when the main function of a WordPress download was to serve only personal bloggers. In fact, WordPress has been the driving force for developing and managing websites of all kinds since its origin in 2003 .
Because of its continue advancements and emergence, WordPress now powers over 37 % of all sites on the world wide web. This statistic even includes sites that are custom-coded or who don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate use a CMS ( message management system ). In other words, WordPress presently powers well over one-third of the entire Internet .
And while that ’ s an impressive statistic, you ’ re credibly more concerned with what WordPress can do as your locate ’ sulfur CMS. You can read more on why WordPress is such a great option for powering your web site .

WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS)

A content management system is defined as a software broadcast that facilitates the initiation, organizing, editing and publication of content .
If you ’ ve researched ways to build websites, no doubt you ’ ve seen that there are several CMS options. Why is WordPress the CMS you should download and use to create your site ?
The WordPress CMS gives users complete control over how their websites look, serve and react across all user devices .
It ’ mho besides known to be quite user-friendly, tied for beginners .
Some democratic sites that you credibly frequent that utilize WordPress as their chosen CMS, include :

• BBC America
• Variety
• TechCrunch
• The New Yorker
• Bloomberg Professional
• Sony Music
• MTV News
• The Official Star Wars Blog
• Many more

If WordPress is the best curium solution for these giants, could it besides be the solution for your stick out ? Before diving into the details of how to download this content management system, beginning get ’ s look at some brawny reasons why you should use WordPress as your CMS .

Access a Worldwide Community

WordPress is what ’ sulfur known as capable reservoir software. Because of this, there are many experts and volunteers that are fix to assist you with questions as you begin your visualize .
But beyond this, there are already thousands of current and helpful WordPress tutorials, easily accessible on-line, that will walk you through solving closely any trouble or interview you can think of within the WordPress platform .
even better, you can take insightful WordPress trail courses that will turn you from novice to expert within a few weeks .
With the apparently countless forums, chew the fat boards and on-line lessons presently available, you ’ ll be able to troubleshoot any return or solve any trouble without ever sitting on hold waiting for a customer service person to come on-line .
WordPress simply doesn ’ thymine solve that means. It ’ s much better defined as a community of users .

WordPress Is Highly Versatile

You can use WordPress to create anything from a high-scale eCommerce web site to a fully interactional on-line community. And yes, you can placid use it to create a simple personal web log ( we ’ ll touch on the differences between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org in a bit. hint : WordPress.com is normally used for personal blogs ) .
It ’ sulfur unmanageable to imagine any limits with this versatile CMS. Because of its extreme point flexibility, you ’ re not confined to specific layouts, appearances or functionalities for your site. You ’ re wholly free to create your site in any way you choose, by tapping into the huge myriad of site themes and plugins .
For those in truth interest in digging into site personalization, you can even customize your WordPress site using custom cryptography .
The versatility and exemption WordPress brings makes it the perfect solution for corporations, small businesses, personal bloggers and anyone else you can think of .

Endless Themes and Plugins for Customization

A subject on WordPress is defined as “ a collection of templates and stylesheets used to define the appearance and expose of a WordPress-powered web site. ”
With thousands upon thousands of free and paid themes available in the WordPress repository and throughout the web, you can find a customizable theme that will suit any design ideas .
Plugins are downloadable and installable software accessory tools that accomplish particular functions on your site. For case, you can use the WooCommerce plugin to turn your WordPress site into a full-featured eCommerce locate .
Or, you can use a plugin such as PeepSo to create a stand-alone social media site that looks and functions about precisely comparable Facebook or Twitter .
The WordPress plugin depository has about 58,000 plugins available for download. The extra issue of available plugins scattered throughout the web are in the hundreds of thousands. The reality is that there is a WordPress plugin for about anything you can think of .
For the sake of web site security, a WordPress security plugin like iThemes Security Pro should be the first gear plugin you download and install after setting up WordPress ( we ’ rhenium about there ) .
By combining the power of themes and plugins, you can turn your WordPress-powered site into about anything you can imagine .

WordPress Integrates With the Best Marketing Tools

You want a CMS that seamlessly integrates with all of the most popular marketing tools. WordPress does just that, by integrating with :

• Hootsuite
• Constant Contact
• CoSchedule
• Disqus
• Buffer
• Google Analytics
• LinkPatrol

This is by no means an extensive list .

Choose the Host and Domain That You Want

Since WordPress is a wholly open and free CMS, WordPress gives you the exemption to research and buy any host and sphere diagnose service you want to use .
On the other hand, if you choose one of the competing web site builder CMS options to build your site, you ’ ll be pigeonholed into using their host services .
This could cause a wide range of problems with your locate vulnerability and security because you ’ ll have no personal master over most of the security configurations .

Wrapping Up: Download WordPress and Get Started Today

We hope we ’ ve answered all your questions about how to download WordPress. once you figure out the WordPress download process and install WordPress, you ’ re on your way to building the web site of your dreams !
Get the bonus content : get Started with WordPress Have more questions about getting started with WordPress ? Let us know in the comments below .
Kristen has been writing tutorials to help WordPress users since 2011. You can normally find her working on newfangled articles for the iThemes blog or developing resources for # WPprosper. Outside of workplace, Kristen enjoys journaling ( she ’ south written two books ! ), hiking and camp, cooking, and daily adventures with her kin, hoping to live a more deliver liveliness .
partake via :

• Facebook

• Twitter

• LinkedIn

  Read more: Collocations | Vocabulary | Flickroom

• More