How to Install WordPress

By Sprout Reynard on

WordPress is a popular Content Management System that allows users to easily create responsive, complex websites relatively quickly. WordPress can be installed in a variety of ways, including menu-based interfaces as well as command-line operations. In this article, we will outline how to install WordPress on your web hosting server.

Topics Include:

How to Install WordPress Manually
How to Install WordPress via Softaculous
How to Install WordPress via WP-CLI

How to Install WordPress Manually 

WordPress can be installed manually via a simple process that generally takes 5 minutes to complete. 

  1. First, download the latest version of WordPress.
  2. Once downloaded, unzip the file to extract the contents to your computer desktop.
  3. When the files are extracted you can then upload them to your web hosting server via FTP. For the site to function properly, the files need to be placed in the document root for the website. By default, this is generally the public_html folder.
  4. Next, you will need to create a database and a database user for the WordPress site. For cPanel-enabled web hosting plans, you can do this via the cPanel interface in the MySQL Databases section. Be sure to make note of the database name, database user name, and database password for later.
  5. Once the database is created, you can then begin the installation process by visiting your domain name. If done correctly, an installation menu will appear. A list of languages will be available. Select the language you wish to use for the installation and click Continue.
  6. Next, the installation will prompt you to enter the database information from Step 4. Generally, the database hostname is localhost. Once you’ve entered the information, click Submit.
  7. The installation will then ask you to input a site title, username, password, and email address. The site title is a description of your site while the username and password will be used for the administrator account.
  8. After you have entered all of that information, click on Install WordPress to complete the installation process.

Congratulations, you have successfully installed WordPress manually!

How to Install WordPress via WP-CLI

WordPress can also be installed via the WordPress Command Line Interface, also known as WP-CLI. This utility can be accessed via SSH on most cPanel-enabled WordPress hosts. Before doing this you will first need to create a database via the MySQL Databases icon in the cPanel dashboard.

  1. To start using WP-CLI, first connect to your server via SSH.
  2. Once connected to the server, you will want to use the cd command to change directories into the folder you wish to install WordPress in.
  3. While in the desired folder, use the following command to download the WordPress core files:
    wp core download
  1. Once the WordPress files are downloaded, you will then need to configure the installation using the following command:
    wp core config -prompt
    The system will then prompt you to input a variety of information related to the installation. To use the default settings, simply hit enter for each prompt. It is not recommended to use default username, passwords, and other values for security reasons. Please see below for a description of the various prompts you will see during installation:
  • 1/11 dbname: * – This value is the name of the database.
  • 2/11 dbuser:* – This value is the database username.
  • 3/11 dbpass:* – This value is the password for the database user account.
  • 4/11 dbhost:* – This value is the host of the database, generally localhost by default.
  • 5/11 dbprefix:* – This value represents the prefix that will be used to create the database structure.
  • 6/11 dbcharset:* – This value represents the character set that will be used for the installation.
  • 7/11 dbcollate:* – This value represents the database collation used for the installation.
  • 8/11 locale:* – This value represents the locale used for the installation.
  • 9/11 extra-php:* – This value allows you to add additional code to the installation. Enter Y to add code or enter N to skip.
  • 10/11 skip-salts:* – This value generates encryption keys and salts. Enter Y to generate salts and keys or enter N to skip.
  • 11/11 skip-checks:* – This value performs checks on the database connection. Enter Y to test the connection or enter N to skip.
  1. Now that the download is configured, you can install it with the following command: wp core install -prompt
  2. The system will once again prompt you to input a variety of information. Please see below for a description of each prompt:
  • 1/6 url: – This value represents the URL of your website.
  • 2/6 title: – This value represents the title of your website.
  • 3/6 admin user: – This value represents the administrator username.
  • 4/6 admin_password: – This value represents the administrator password.
  • 5/6 admin_email: – This value represents the administrator email address.
  • 6/6 skip-email: – This value determines whether or not a follow-up email is sent to the administrator email with the username and password. Enter Y to send the email, enter N to skip it.

Once you’ve answered all of the prompts, the installation should now be finished and you can close out of your SSH connection.

Congratulations, you have successfully installed WordPress via WP-CLI!

How to Install WordPress via Softaculous

In addition to the previous methods of installation, WordPress can also be installed via the Softaculous Applications Installer. Included in some cPanel-based hosting accounts, Softaculous offers users an easy way to install popular web software.

  1. To install WordPress via Softaculous, first log into your cPanel account. 
  2. Once logged into cPanel, look for the icon labeled: Softaculous Applications Installer. Click on this icon to proceed.
  3. Once in Softaculous, click on the WordPress logo to proceed to the installation page.
  4. To begin the installation, click the Install tab on the installation page.
  5. Under Software Setup, you have a number of options. Select the domain name you wish to use, designate the username, password, and email address for the administrator account. You can also use the In Directory option to specify the folder you wish to install WordPress within.
  6. Once you have filled out the requested information, click Install.
  7. The installation process will then proceed. Once done, click Return to Overview.
  8. To test the installation, try visiting your domain name. If successful, you should see a blank WordPress website.

Congratulations, you have successfully installed WordPress via Softaculous!