How to Set Up WordPress on Localhost?

Running WordPress on localhost gives you a private, disposable environment to build and test without touching a live server. It's where you try a new theme before committing to it, test a plugin update before it hits production, or build an entire site offline and migrate it over once it's ready. No hosting bill, no risk to a live audience, and a full reset is just a matter of deleting a folder and a database.

This guide covers the two most common ways to get WordPress running locally: a bundled stack like Local (by WP Engine) that handles everything for you, and a manual XAMPP/MAMP setup where you configure each piece yourself.

Option 1: Use a Dedicated Local WordPress Tool (Easiest)

Tools built specifically for local WordPress development remove almost all the setup friction. The most popular is Local, a free app available for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

1. Download and install Local from localwp.com.
2. Click "Create a new site." Give it a name — this becomes the local domain, e.g. mysite.local.
3. Choose your environment. Local lets you pick a "Preferred" setup (recent PHP/MySQL/nginx defaults) or a "Custom" one if you need to match a specific production stack.
4. Set an admin username, password, and email for the WordPress install Local creates automatically.
5. Click "Add Site." Local downloads WordPress, creates the database, writes wp-config.php, and starts the local server, all in one pass.
6. Once it finishes, click "Admin" to log into /wp-admin, or "View Site" to see the front end at http://mysite.local.

Local also bundles WP-CLI, one-click SSL for the local domain, and a "Live Link" feature to share a running local site over a temporary public URL for client review — none of which you get from a raw XAMPP install.

Option 2: Manual Setup with XAMPP (or MAMP)

If you want to understand (or need to closely replicate) exactly what's happening under the hood, a manual stack is the way to go. XAMPP bundles Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, and PHP for Windows, macOS, and Linux; MAMP is the macOS/Windows equivalent with a similar workflow.

Step 1: Install XAMPP

Download the installer for your OS and run it, accepting the default components (Apache, MySQL, PHP, phpMyAdmin). Once installed, open the XAMPP Control Panel and click Start next to both Apache and MySQL.

Step 2: Create a Database

1. In the Control Panel, click Admin next to MySQL — this opens phpMyAdmin in your browser.
2. Click Databases, enter a name like wp_local, and click Create.

Step 3: Download and Extract WordPress

Download the latest package from wordpress.org/download and extract it into XAMPP's web root:

• Windows: C:\xampp\htdocs\
• macOS: /Applications/XAMPP/htdocs/

Rename the extracted wordpress folder to something short, like mysite, so your local site is reachable at http://localhost/mysite.

Step 4: Configure wp-config.php

Inside the mysite folder, rename wp-config-sample.php to wp-config.php and open it in a text editor:

define( 'DB_NAME', 'wp_local' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'root' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', '' );
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

XAMPP's default MySQL root user has no password out of the box, which is fine for a local-only environment but should never be mirrored on a live server.

Step 5: Run the Installer

Visit http://localhost/mysite in your browser. WordPress detects the fresh database and walks you through the same five-minute install screen used in any WordPress setup: site title, admin username and password, and admin email. Submit the form and you'll land on the login screen.

Working with the Local Site

Once it's running, a few things behave differently than on a live server:

• URLs are local only. http://localhost/mysite (or mysite.local with Local) only resolves on your machine — nobody else can see it unless you use a tunneling tool like ngrok or Local's built-in Live Link.
• Emails don't send by default. PHP's mail() function has nothing to relay through on a bare XAMPP install. Install a plugin like WP Mail SMTP and route it through a real SMTP provider, or use a mail-catching tool like Mailhog if you just need to see what an email would contain.
• File permissions rarely matter locally the way they do on a shared host, since you're the only user on the machine — but it's still worth testing with realistic permissions if you're specifically debugging a permissions-related bug from production.

Moving a Local Site to a Live Server

Once you're happy with the local build, you'll need to move the database and files to your host. The core steps are the same as any WordPress migration: export the local database, update any hardcoded URLs (http://localhost/mysite → https://example.com), and upload the wp-content folder. If you're doing this for the first time, the full walkthrough in how to move WordPress to a new domain covers URL replacement and the database import in detail — the same process applies whether you're moving from localhost to a live domain or between two live domains.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Setting Up WordPress on Localhost

Conclusion

A local WordPress environment is the fastest way to build, break, and rebuild without any of the stakes of a live site. If you want the least friction, a dedicated tool like Local handles the database, server, and SSL setup for you in a couple of clicks. If you want to understand or replicate a specific hosting stack, a manual XAMPP or MAMP install gets you there with a bit more configuration.

Either way, once the site is where you want it, moving it to production is the same well-worn process as any WordPress migration: export the database, swap the URLs, and upload the files.