How to Install WordPress: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

WordPress powers a large share of the web, and setting it up is easier than most people expect. This guide shows how to install WordPress with a one-click installer or manually, and which settings to change straight away.

What you need before you install WordPress

• A domain name, such as yourbusiness.com.
• A hosting plan that supports PHP and MySQL or MariaDB.
• An SSL certificate, which most hosts provide free.
• About 15 minutes.

Option 1: install WordPress with one click

1. First, log in to your hosting control panel.
2. Next, find the WordPress installer, often called Softaculous or WordPress Toolkit.
3. Then choose your domain and leave the directory empty for the main site.
4. After that, set the site title, admin username, password and email.
5. Finally, click install and open the login link you receive.

Option 2: install WordPress manually

1. Download the latest version from WordPress.org.
2. Upload the files to your web folder with SFTP or the file manager.
3. Create a database and a database user in your hosting panel.
4. Open your domain in a browser and enter the database details.
5. Finally, choose your site title and admin account.

The manual route takes a little longer. However, it teaches you how WordPress fits together, which helps later when troubleshooting.

First settings after you install WordPress

1. Permalinks: choose “Post name” for clean URLs.
2. Time zone: set your city, so scheduled posts publish on time.
3. Site title and tagline: replace the defaults.
4. Discussion: decide whether you want comments.
5. Users: add a display name and remove unused accounts.

Choose a theme and essential plugins

Next, choose a fast, well-supported theme such as Astra, GeneratePress or Kadence. Then add a handful of essentials: an SEO plugin, a backup plugin, a security plugin and an SMTP plugin for reliable email. As a result, your site starts on a solid foundation.

Secure your new installation

• Use HTTPS everywhere.
• Turn on automatic updates for minor releases.
• Use two-factor login for administrators.
• Take a first backup before adding content.

Common installation problems

If you see “Error establishing a database connection”, the database details are usually wrong, so check them in wp-config.php. Similarly, a blank page often means a PHP memory or version issue, which your host can fix quickly.

Install WordPress on a staging site first

If you are rebuilding an existing website, avoid working on the live site. Instead, install WordPress on a staging subdomain, such as new.yourbusiness.com. Then build and test everything there. Finally, move the finished site to the main domain in one step. As a result, visitors never see a half-finished website, and mistakes stay private.

Choosing hosting before you install WordPress

Good hosting makes installation and everything afterwards easier. For example, managed WordPress hosts install WordPress for you, handle updates and include backups. In contrast, basic shared hosting is cheaper but leaves more work to you. Therefore, match the hosting to how much maintenance you want to do yourself.

After you install WordPress: next steps

Once WordPress is running, plan your main pages first: home, about, services and contact. Next, create a simple menu and add your logo. Then write one or two blog posts to test the layout. Meanwhile, connect Google Search Console and an analytics tool, so you can measure visitors from day one. In short, a little planning now saves a lot of rework later.

In addition, the WordPress hardening guide is a useful, independent reference if you want to read further.

Frequently asked questions