Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Self-Hosted WordPress Website

Here is a step-by-step guide to creating a self-hosted WordPress website:

1. Choose and Register a Domain Name
   Pick a unique domain name that represents your website or brand. Register it through a domain registrar.

2. Select a Web Hosting Provider
   Choose a hosting plan that supports WordPress (most do). Hosting providers store your website files and make your site accessible on the internet.

3. Set Up Your Hosting Environment

   • If using a local environment (for testing), install a local server software like XAMPP or MAMP.
   • For live sites, your hosting provider usually offers a control panel (like cPanel) to manage files and databases.

4. Create a MySQL Database
   Use your hosting control panel to create a new MySQL database and user. Note the database name, username, and password for later.

5. Download WordPress
   Get the latest WordPress package from wordpress.org and extract it.

6. Upload WordPress Files
   Upload the extracted WordPress files to your hosting server’s root directory (often public_html or www). If local, place files in the local server’s root folder (e.g., htdocs in XAMPP).

7. Configure wp-config.php
   WordPress will prompt you to enter your database details during installation. Alternatively, you can manually create or edit the wp-config.php file with your database name, username, password, and host.

8. Run the WordPress Installation Script
   Open your web browser and go to your domain or local URL followed by /wp-admin/install.php (e.g., yourdomain.com/wp-admin/install.php or localhost/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php).
   Follow the on-screen instructions:

   • Choose your language
   • Enter site title
   • Create admin username and password
   • Provide your email address
   • Decide if you want search engines to index your site

9. Complete Installation and Log In
   After installation, log in to your WordPress admin dashboard using the credentials you created.

10. Customize Your Website
    From the dashboard, you can install themes, add plugins, create pages, and start publishing content.

Additional Notes:

• For local installations (testing on your computer), tools like XAMPP simplify the process by bundling Apache, MySQL, and PHP. After installing XAMPP, start Apache and MySQL, place WordPress files in the htdocs folder, create a database via phpMyAdmin, then run the installer via localhost/yourfolder.

• For live hosting, your provider often offers one-click WordPress installers or manual setup via FTP and control panel.

• Make sure your database user has the correct permissions and that the database server is running to avoid installation errors.

This process typically takes less than an hour once you have all the necessary information and access.