To install WordPress on your hosting, log in to your hosting panel (hPanel, cPanel or similar), open the WordPress or Softaculous auto-installer, choose your domain, set an admin username, a strong password and email, and click Install. It takes about five minutes. Then log in at yourdomain.com/wp-admin, enable SSL, set permalinks to Post name, and remove the sample content.
- Almost every host offers a one-click WordPress installer. Use it.
- Never use “admin” as the username, and save your password in a password manager.
- Install SSL (HTTPS) before you start building.
- Manual installation is still useful to understand, and for some servers.
- Configure the key settings straight after installing.
What do you need before installing WordPress?
Picture a new café owner who buys a domain from one company, hosting from another, and then cannot understand why the site will not load. The missing piece is pointing the domain’s nameservers or DNS records at the hosting. Once that is done, installation takes minutes.
- A domain name pointed to your hosting (nameservers or an A record).
- Hosting that meets the WordPress requirements: a modern PHP version, MySQL or MariaDB, and HTTPS support.
- Your hosting panel login.
- An admin email you check regularly.
How do you install WordPress with a one-click installer?
- Log in to your hosting panel. On Hostinger this is hPanel; on many other hosts it is cPanel.
- Open the WordPress installer (often called WordPress, Auto Installer or Softaculous).
- Choose the domain and leave the directory empty so WordPress installs at the root.
- Set the site title, admin username, strong password and admin email.
- Choose the language and, if offered, enable automatic minor updates.
- Click Install and wait for the confirmation with your login link.
- Log in at yourdomain.com/wp-admin.
How do you install WordPress manually?
- Download WordPress from wordpress.org and unzip it.
- Create a database and a database user in your hosting panel, and give the user all privileges on that database.
- Upload the files to public_html with File Manager or SFTP.
- Visit your domain. The setup screen asks for the database name, user, password and host (often localhost).
- Run the install and create your admin account.
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What should you do right after installing WordPress?
| Task | Where |
|---|---|
| Enable SSL and force HTTPS | Hosting panel, then Settings, General URLs with https |
| Set permalinks to Post name | Settings, Permalinks |
| Set time zone, date format, site language | Settings, General |
| Delete the sample post, page and comment | Posts, Pages, Comments |
| Remove unused themes and plugins | Appearance, Themes and Plugins |
| Install a theme and essential plugins | See the must-have plugins guide |
| Set up backups and security | Host backups or a backup plugin |
| Hide the site while building, then allow indexing at launch | Settings, Reading |
What comes next?
Go through the key WordPress settings, pick a theme from the best WordPress themes guide and install the must-have plugins. Not sure your hosting is right? Read how to choose WordPress hosting.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to install WordPress?
About five minutes with a one-click installer. A manual installation takes 15 to 30 minutes.
Is WordPress free to install?
Yes. WordPress software is free. You pay for a domain and hosting.
Why does my domain not show the WordPress site?
The domain is probably not pointed to the hosting yet, or DNS changes are still spreading, which can take a few hours.
Should I install WordPress in a subfolder?
Usually not. Install it at the root of your domain so the site loads at yourdomain.com.
What should I do first after installing WordPress?
Enable HTTPS, set permalinks to Post name, configure general settings, delete sample content and set up backups.
Sources
Get a fast, mobile-first WordPress or Elementor website built and configured properly from day one. Websites from $899, clients worldwide.
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Tanvir H is a Bangladesh-based WordPress and Elementor web designer with 7+ years of experience, 650+ projects and a 4.9 client rating. New websites, redesigns, fixes, speed, security and SEO, handled by one expert who explains everything in plain English and works with clients worldwide.
