Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Download WordPress Locally: A Skillcrush Guide

WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world. It powers a significant chunk of the internet, including blogs and websites of all sizes and complexities. However, setting up a WordPress site can be intimidating, especially if you're just starting out with web development. That's where local installations come in handy.

A local installation of WordPress lets you set up a development environment on your computer, where you can experiment with WordPress, create custom themes and plugins, or test different configurations and settings. It's also an excellent way to learn how WordPress works without the risk of breaking your live site.

In this guide, we'll show you how to download WordPress locally, specifically using a resource from Skillcrush, a community of web developers and coders.

Step-by-step guide

1. Install local server software

Before you can install WordPress locally, you'll need a local server that mimics a web server and processes PHP scripts, which WordPress is built on. We recommend XAMPP, a free and open-source cross-platform web server solution that includes Apache, MySQL, and PHP. You can download it from the Apache Friends website and install it following the instructions.

2. Download WordPress

Next, you need to download the latest version of WordPress from the official website. Save the ZIP file to your computer's local disk (e.g., C:\xampp\htdocs), where XAMPP puts its web files.

3. Extract WordPress

Open the ZIP file and extract its contents to a new folder under C:\xampp\htdocs (e.g., C:\xampp\htdocs\mywordpress).

4. Set up a database

WordPress uses a database to store and retrieve content, user information, and settings. You need to create a new MySQL database to use with WordPress. Open your browser and go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin. Click the "Databases" tab, enter a name for the database (e.g., mywordpress), and click "Create." You can leave the other settings at their default values.

5. Configure WordPress

Now you can configure WordPress to use the database you just created. Navigate to the WordPress folder you extracted earlier (e.g., C:\xampp\htdocs\mywordpress) and open the "wp-config-sample.php" file in a text editor. Rename it to "wp-config.php" and edit the following lines:

define('DB_NAME', 'mywordpress'); define('DB_USER', 'root'); define('DB_PASSWORD', ''); define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Change the DBNAME value to the name of your database, leave the DBUSER and DBPASSWORD values as they are unless you've set up MySQL differently, and leave the DBHOST value as localhost.

6. Run the installation

That's it! You're ready to run the installation script and set up your local WordPress site. Open your browser and go to http://localhost/mywordpress (replace "mywordpress" with your folder name). Follow the prompts to enter your site title, username, password, and email address. When you're done, you'll see the WordPress dashboard, where you can start creating content and customizing your site.

Final thoughts

Downloading WordPress locally using Skillcrush is an easy and reliable way to create a development environment for WordPress. Once you've set it up, you can experiment with different themes, plugins, and configurations, and master WordPress without affecting your live site. Just remember to keep your local installation up-to-date and secure, similar to your live site. Happy coding!