
Step one
The first step is to find out which software you want to use. Two of the most popular are XAMPP and WAMPSERVER.
Step two
Your second step is going to be actually installing the software, so go to http://www.wampserver.com/en/ and click the WAMPSERVER download that applies to your system: 32 or 64 bits.


Step three
Once you've installed Wampserver, it's time to get it set up. If you put a shortcut icon on your desktop, click on that and it will start the service, otherwise you will need to go to the Windows start menu > all programs > Wampserver. After starting WAMPSERVER you will notice a pink icon turned to a green icon, then you can simply go to local host in your address bar and you will be greeted with the WAMPSERVER homepage.

(Left PHPinfo) (Right phpMyAdmin) These two services should already be set up for you, so click on the green icon in your taskbar, go to Apache and click on httpd.conf because we need to set up a few things in here.

Step four
Now you can set up your first WordPress site directly on your local server. There are two ways to do this and I will show you each one, but the second is the more preferred and more dynamic way. The first we can do this is by simply clicking on the green icon in your taskbar, and going to Apache > alias directories and adding a new directory such as http://localhost/yoursite. Afterwards you would simply go click on the green icon again and click on www directory. Here you will get an Explorer window where all of your sites folders are listed. Simply create a new folder with the same name as your alias such as "yoursite” and you're done.
ServerName localhost DocumentRoot "I:/wamp/www/"Here is where you will put all of your virtual host directories. To add a new site simply copy the above code and change the information to something like:
ServerName yoursite.dev DocumentRoot "I:/wamp/www/yoursite/"Then save your httpd.conf file. After you've done that, click on the green WAMPSERVER icon again and go to your www directory. Create a new folder and call it something like "yoursite". Next go into My Computer and C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc, here you should see your host file. Right-click on the file and open with notepad, and directly under where it says “127.0.0.1 localhost” create a host name for your new site such as “127.0.0.1 yoursite”.

Step five
Now go to www.WordPress.org and download the latest version, save it into your local WAMPSERVER www directory and extract everything in the zip file to that folder. After downloading WordPress, click on the WAMPSERVER icon again and open phpMyAdmin.

// ** MySQL settings - You can get this info from your web host ** // /** The name of the database for WordPress */ define('DB_NAME', yoursite); /** MySQL database username */ define('DB_USER', 'root'); /** MySQL database password */ define('DB_PASSWORD', ''); /** MySQL hostname */ define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');If you have set a password for phpMyAdmin then go ahead and set it in the appropriate place, otherwise leave it blank. Save the config file and now you can go into your browser, put in www.yoursite.dev and you should see the WordPress installation page. If you used the wp-config-sample file then take out the word -sample and simply save it as wp-config. At this point go ahead and enter your information in the WordPress installation page and click install.


Summary
Now that you understand how to set up and use a local server for WordPress, it's time to start using it and get familiar. There are many benefits to this including the fact that it is never a good idea to work on your website on a live server unless you're testing it for a client, plus your workflow is so much faster. This is poor practice, so you will be happy to know the ways of the local server. Do you use your own local installation of WP for development and testing? Let us know your experiences in the comments!Justin Hubbard
Justin Hubbard has been helping businesses since 2007 by creating timeless, memorable logos as part of a branding package and modern, user-friendly websites.
Read Next
3 Essential Design Trends, December 2023
While we love the holidays, too much of a seasonal theme can get overwhelming. Thankfully, these design trends strike a…
10 Easy Ways to Make Money as a Web Designer
When you’re a web designer, the logical way to make money is designing websites; you can apply for a job at an agency,…
By Louise North
The 10 Most Hated Fonts of All Time
Remember when Comic Sans wasn’t the butt of the jokes? Long for the days when we actually enjoyed using the Impact…
15 Best New Fonts, November 2023
2023 is almost over, and the new fonts are still coming thick and fast. This month, we’ve found some awesome variable…
By Ben Moss
Old School Web Techniques Best Forgotten
When the web first entered the public consciousness back in the 90s, it was primarily text-based with minimal design…
By Simon Sterne
20 Best New Websites, November 2023
As the nights draw in for the Northern hemisphere, what better way to brighten your day than by soaking up some design…
30 Amazing Chrome Extensions for Designers and Developers
Searching for a tool to make cross-platform design a breeze? Desperate for an extension that helps you figure out the…
By Robert Reeve
Exciting New Tools for Designers, November 2023
We’ve got a mix of handy image helpers, useful design assets, and clever productivity tools, amongst other treats. Some…
The Dangers of Doomscrolling for Designers and How to Break Free
As a creative professional, navigating the digital realm is second nature to you. It’s normal to follow an endless…
By Louise North
From Image Adjustments to AI: Photoshop Through the Years
Remember when Merriam-Webster added Photoshop to the dictionary back in 2008? Want to learn how AI is changing design…
By Max Walton
3 Essential Design Trends, November 2023
In the season of giving thanks, we often think of comfort and tradition. These are common themes with each of our three…
30 Obsolete Technologies that will Perplex Post-2000s Kids
Remember the screech of dial-up internet? Hold fond memories of arcade machines? In this list, we’re condensing down 30…