Before You Start
PHP 7.4+
WordPress runs on PHP
MySQL or MariaDB
Database to store your content
Web server
Apache or Nginx (or use Local for easy setup)
Get It Running
Local by Flywheel (Recommended for beginners)
The easiest way to run WordPress locally. One-click setup.
These instructions work the same on Mac and Windows.
First, open your Terminal:
Download Local from https://localwp.com
Install and open Local
Click the + button to create a new site
Choose a site name and click Continue
Select "Preferred" environment and click Continue
Set your WordPress username and password
Click "Add Site" and wait for setup to complete
Click "Open Site" to view your new WordPress site
Manual Installation
For those who want more control over their setup.
These instructions work the same on Mac and Windows.
First, open your Terminal:
Install PHP, MySQL, and a web server (XAMPP/MAMP makes this easy)
Download WordPress from wordpress.org
Extract files to your web server's document root
Create a MySQL database for WordPress
Visit your site in a browser and follow the setup wizard
Enter your database credentials when prompted
Set your site title and admin credentials