WordPress is the most popular blogging platform. It powers more than 50 million blogs including the majority of the greatest blogs online.Installing WordPress is a great start to a great blog.This is the complete step-by-step guide on how to install WordPress and start your blog.
Free 1-Click WordPress blog install
You need a domain name and a hosting account to run a WordPress blog. Click here to get started - Bluehost is recommended by WordPress for domain names and blog hosting.
Bluehost features WordPress Auto-Install, which makes it simple to install a new blog – no tech knowledge needed. They also give you 1 free domain name and have a 99% uptime guarantee.
It takes 5 minutes to have your blog up and running! Click here to get your blog started today!
The above is the easy and recommended way of installing WordPress and having a blog ready in 5 minutes. If you prefer to install your blog manually, please follow the process below:
Manual WordPress install
Get domain name and hosting
- First step to is to get a domain name and hosting.
- Bluehost offers free domain names.
Setup your hosting account
- Login to your hosting account
- Click on Hosting and chose My Hosting Account
- Find your hosting plan and click on Setup Account
- Select the checkbox and click Next
- Chose username and password and click Next
- Chose Select a domain from this account, find the domain and click Submit
Get your FTP Account Information
- You will get an email titled “Hosting Account Setup”
- Find your “FTP Account Information” in the email
Hosting/FTP User Name: your username
Web Site URL: your domain URL
FTP Site URL: your FTP URL
Your Web Site Visitor Statistics: Your stats URL
Create MySQL database
- Click on Hosting and chose My Hosting Account
- Find your domain name and click on Manage Account
- Click on Databases, chose MySQL and click Create Database
- Write description, chose username and password
- Click OK and wait until your MySQL is setup
Click on the pencil to “Edit/view details” and save the following:
MySQL Database Information Status:
Setup Host Name: your host name
Database Name: database name you have chosen
Database Version: 4.1
Description: description you have chosen
User Name: username you have chosen
Installing WordPress files
- To install WordPress, go to WordPress.org and download the latest version
- WordPress 3.2 comes in a .zip file so unzip it
- In WordPress folder rename wp-config-sample.php file to wp-config.php
Open wp-config.php in text editor and find this part:
// ** MySQL settings – You can get this info from your web host ** //
/** The name of the database */
define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘putyourdbnamehere‘);
/** MySQL database username */
define(‘DB_USER’, ‘usernamehere‘);
/** MySQL database password */
define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘yourpasswordhere‘);
/** MySQL hostname */
define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost‘);
Take MySQL Database info and insert in places marked in bold:
- Your MySQL Database Name should replace putyourdbnamehere
- Your MySQL User Name should replace usernamehere
- Your MySQL password should replace yourpasswordhere
- Your MySQL Host Name should replace localhost
Now find following in your wp-config.php:
define(‘AUTH_KEY’, ‘put your unique phrase here’); define(‘SECURE_AUTH_KEY’, ‘put your unique phrase here’); define(‘LOGGED_IN_KEY’, ‘put your unique phrase here’); define(‘NONCE_KEY’, ‘put your unique phrase here’);
Visit secret key, copy the details, insert them and save wp-config.php
Login to your web hosting
- Open FTP client and log in to your hosting using the FTP account logins
- Place all the files from your WordPress folder onto your server
- Go to http://www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin/install.php
This is what you will see when you enter the address:
- Fill in your Blog Title and Your E-mail
- Click on Install WordPress
- Next screen says Success! and has your Username and Password.
- Click on Log In to log in to WordPress dashboard.
Your blog is now setup and is live online. You will get an email titled New Blog which includes your URL and your username / password. That’s it, it’s that simple to install WordPress. Get your blog started now and enjoy!