How to Use WordPress with Docker – Guide 

Key highlights 

• Docker is a containerization platform that ensures WordPress runs consistently across different environments. 
• Docker eliminates compatibility issues, simplifies deployments and enhances scalability. 
• The tool allows you to run multiple versions of WordPress and test configurations without affecting the live website. 
• Install Docker and Docker Compose to Dockerize WordPress on your system. 

Introduction 

Tired of dealing with WordPress compatibility issues? Docker lets you set up a fast, portable and scalable WordPress environment in minutes.   

Imagine a world where setting up, managing and scaling WordPress is as effortless as a single command. No more version conflicts, no more deployment headaches—just a streamlined workflow that works the same across local, staging and production environments. That’s the power of Docker for WordPress. 

Whether you’re a developer working on multiple projects or an agency managing client websites, Dockerized WordPress simplifies deployment. It also provides businesses with a scalable and efficient way to manage WordPress seamlessly. 

This guide will walk you through the entire process of setting up WordPress with Docker, along with essential security and optimization tips. Whether you’re looking to streamline development or enhance site performance, this step-by-step walkthrough has you covered. Let’s dive in! 

What is Docker? 

Docker is an open-source containerization platform that allows developers to package applications, including WordPress, into isolated environments. This ensures consistent performance across different systems and simplifies deployment.   

Containers ensure that applications run consistently across different environments, eliminating compatibility issues between development and production. 

Key features of Docker 

There are many features of Docker that make it a flexible tool to be used by WordPress users such as: 

• Portability: It allows users to run WordPress on any system without thinking about the environment. This means that whether you’re on a local development machine or deploying to a production server, the setup remains consistent. 
• Scalability: Easily scale your WordPress site by adding or replicating containers. This ensures seamless traffic management and load balancing, especially useful for high-traffic websites. 
• Resource efficiency: Compared to traditional virtual machines, Docker containers use fewer system resources while maintaining the same level of isolation and functionality. This results in faster performance and lower operational costs.
• Simplified deployment: Deploy, modify and remove containers quickly with minimal setup. Docker allows version-controlled application deployment, making rollbacks and updates seamless. 
• Isolation & security: Each container operates within its own isolated environment, minimizing application conflicts and enhancing security by restricting potential vulnerabilities.   

Why use Docker with WordPress? 

Using docker with WordPress is called doing work smartly. Docker eliminates all headaches by providing a consistent, portable and scalable environment for WordPress, ensuring that it runs the same way everywhere.  

Think of Docker as a pre-arranged kitchen where all ingredients (WordPress, database, server settings) are neatly organized inside a container. No matter where you cook, the setup remains identical.  

Here’s why using Docker with WordPress makes sense: 

• Eliminates dependency issues: Docker packages WordPress, MySQL and necessary configurations into isolated containers, preventing version conflicts and compatibility issues. 
• Provides an isolated development environment: Run multiple versions of WordPress and test configurations without affecting your host system or live production environment.
• Enables faster deployments and seamless updates: With predefined configurations, setting up WordPress using Docker takes just minutes. Updates and modifications can be executed without manual intervention, improving workflow efficiency. 
• Enhances flexibility with multi-environment setups: Docker simplifies the transition from development to staging and production environments, ensuring that the setup remains identical across all stages. 

Related read: What is a Staging Website and Do You Need One? 

Prerequisites: Essential requirements for running WordPress with Docker 

Before installing WordPress with Docker, ensure your system meets the required specifications and has the necessary tools. This section details the hardware and software prerequisites, installation steps and verification process. 

System requirements 

To run WordPress in Docker efficiently, your system should meet the following minimum requirements: 

Hardware requirements 

• CPU: Dual-core processor or higher 
• RAM: Minimum 2GB (4GB+ recommended for optimal performance) 
• Storage: At least 10GB of free disk space 

Software requirements: 

Operating system compatibility: 

• Windows 10/11 (Pro, Enterprise) with WSL 2 enabled 
• macOS (Big Sur or later) 
• Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS) 

Essential tools: 

• Docker Engine (Latest stable version)
• Docker CLI for command-line management 
• Docker compose for multi-container applications 

Also read: WP-CLI: A Comprehensive Guide 

Installing Docker and Docker Compose 

To use Dockerized WordPress, you need to install Docker and Docker Compose on your system. Below is installation steps based on your operating system. 

For Windows & macOS (using Docker Desktop) 

1. Download Docker Desktop: 

Visit the Docker Desktop download page and download the installer for your operating system. 

2. Install the Application: 

Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen instructions. 

3. Enable WSL 2 Backend (for Windows users): 

Ensure that the WSL 2 feature is enabled on your system. Docker Desktop will prompt you if any additional setup is required. 

4. Verify Installation: 

Open a terminal (Command Prompt, PowerShell or Terminal) and run: 

docker --version 
docker compose version 

These commands should display the installed versions of Docker and Docker Compose

For Linux (Using package manager) 

1. Install Docker Engine:

• Set up Docker’s Apt repository: 

Add Docker’s official GPG key: 

sudo apt-get update  
sudo apt-get install ca-certificates curl  
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings  
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc  
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc 

Add the repository to Apt sources: 

echo \ 
"deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu  
$(. /etc/os-release && echo "${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-$VERSION_CODENAME}") stable" |  
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null  
sudo apt-get update 

• Install Docker packages: 

sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin 

2. Install Docker Compose plugin: 

sudo apt-get install docker-compose-plugin 

3. Enable and start Docker: 

sudo systemctl enable docker 
sudo systemctl start docker 

Post-installation setup & verification 

After installing Docker and Docker Compose, perform the following actions to ensure everything is operating correctly. 

Verify Docker installation

• Run the following command to confirm Docker is installed and running: 

docker run hello-world 

• If Docker is configured properly, you should see a message confirming that your installation is successful. 

Verify Docker compose installation

• Check the installed version of Docker Compose by running: 

docker-compose –version 

• This should display the version of Docker Compose installed

Ensure Docker service is running

• If Docker is not running, start it manually: 

sudo systemctl start docker 

Add user to Docker Group (Linux only)

• To run Docker without sudo, add your user to the Docker group: 

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER 

• After running this command, log out and log back in to apply the changes. 

Setting up WordPress with Docker 

Setting up WordPress with Docker involves creating a dedicated environment where WordPress and its database run in isolated containers. This ensures that your setup remains consistent across different machines and is easily replicable. Following these steps will Dockerize WordPress in a few minutes: 

1. Create a project directory for WordPress files. 
2. Write a docker-compose.yml file to define WordPress and MySQL services. 
3. Run the containers using docker-compose up -d. 
4. Access WordPress by visiting http://localhost:8080 in your browser.

Step 1: Creating a project directory 

To start, you need a workspace where all your WordPress-related files and configurations will reside. Navigate to your terminal or command prompt and create a new directory specifically for this project: 

mkdir wordpress-docker && cd wordpress-docker 

This will serve as the root folder for our Docker-based WordPress setup. 

Step 2: Defining the Docker configuration 

To orchestrate multiple services like WordPress and MySQL, you need a docker-compose.yml file. This file will define how your services interact, ensuring that WordPress connects seamlessly to the database. 

Create a new file named docker-compose.yml in the project directory and add the following content:

version: '3.8' 
services: 
  wordpress: 
    image: wordpress:latest 
    ports: 
      - "8080:80" 
    environment: 
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db 
      WORDPRESS_DB_USER: user 
      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: password 
      WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: wordpress 
    volumes: 
      - wordpress_data:/var/www/html 
  db: 
    image: mysql:5.7 
    environment: 
      MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress 
      MYSQL_USER: user 
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: password 
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: rootpassword 
    volumes: 
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql 
volumes: 
  wordpress_data: 
  db_data: 

This configuration defines two services: 

• WordPress: Runs the latest WordPress image and exposes port 8080 to access the website. 
• MySQL database: Uses MySQL 5.7 and provides a database named wordpress with the credentials specified. 

The volumes wordpress_data and db_data ensure that our website and database persist even if the containers are stopped or removed. 

Step 3: Starting the WordPress environment 

Once the docker-compose.yml file is in place, we can start our containers using the following command: 

docker-compose up -d 

This command runs the containers in detached mode, allowing them to function in the background. To verify that everything is running smoothly, use: 

docker ps 

If there are any issues, you can check the logs with: 

docker logs <container_id> 

Step 4: Accessing your WordPress site 

Once your containers are running, open your browser and go to http://localhost:8080. This will take you to the WordPress installation screen, where you can set up your site. 

Follow these steps: 

1. Select your preferred language and click continue.
2. Enter your database details:

• Database name: wordpress
• Username: user
• Password: password
• Database Host: db

3. Click submit and then run the installation. 
4. Fill in your site information:

• Site title
• Admin username and password
• Your email

5. Click install WordPress and log in using the credentials you just created.
6. Customize your site by selecting themes, installing plugins and configuring settings.

With this setup, you now have a fully functional WordPress site running inside Docker containers. You can start developing, experimenting or even hosting your projects in a controlled environment. 

Managing and maintaining WordPress with Docker 

Managing a Dockerized WordPress site requires routine maintenance to ensure stability, security and performance. Here’s how you can efficiently manage your setup: 

Basic container management 

Docker provides simple commands to manage running containers: 

Stopping containers: Shut down your WordPress and database containers: 

docker-compose down 

Restarting containers: Restart all services: 

docker-compose restart 

Checking logs: Debugging issues? View logs using: docker-compose pull 

docker-compose logs 

Updating WordPress & Docker images 

Keeping WordPress and its Docker environment up to date helps prevent security vulnerabilities: 

• Update Docker images: 

docker-compose pull 

• Restart services: 

docker-compose up -d 

Backup and restore 

Ensuring regular backups of your WordPress site is critical for data security, protection against cyber threats and easy recovery in case of failures. With a Dockerized setup, you have multiple options to back up and restore your WordPress site efficiently. 

Bluehost provides daily and real-time backup features with WordPress hosting plans, ensuring seamless website recovery whenever needed. This feature helps safeguard your data, allowing you to restore your site quickly and efficiently without manual intervention. 

Manual backup with Docker volumes 

If you prefer manual control, you can back up your WordPress files and database using Docker volumes: 

docker run --rm --volumes-from wordpress_container -v $(pwd):/backup ubuntu tar cvf /backup/wordpress-backup.tar /var/www/html 

For the database: 

docker exec db_container mysqldump -u user -p password wordpress > wordpress-db.sql 

Best practices for securing Docker containers 

Security is a crucial aspect of running a Dockerized WordPress environment. Containers bring convenience and flexibility, but they also introduce new security challenges that need to be addressed. By following best practices, you can protect your WordPress site from data breaches, malware and unauthorized access. 

Managing sensitive data securely 

One of the primary security concerns when using Docker is handling sensitive data, such as database credentials, API keys and configuration files. Exposing this information in your container environment can lead to security vulnerabilities. 

Use environment variables and .env files 

Instead of hardcoding sensitive credentials in your docker-compose.yml file, store them in an .env file. This ensures that your secrets are not exposed in the container’s configuration. 

Example of an .env file: 

WORDPRESS_DB_HOST=db 
WORDPRESS_DB_USER=user 
WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD=strongpassword 
WORDPRESS_DB_NAME=wordpress 

Then, reference these values in docker-compose.yml: 

environment: 
  WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: ${WORDPRESS_DB_HOST} 
  WORDPRESS_DB_USER: ${WORDPRESS_DB_USER} 
  WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: ${WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD} 
  WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: ${WORDPRESS_DB_NAME} 

Utilize Docker secrets for additional security 

For even more security, especially in production environments, Docker secrets can be used to securely manage confidential data. Unlike environment variables, secrets are encrypted and only accessible to authorized services. 

echo "strongpassword" | docker secret create wordpress_db_password - 

Regularly updating Docker images 

Outdated Docker images can be a major security risk. Older versions of WordPress, MySQL or even the base operating system may contain vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit. 

Keep base images up to date 

Always ensure that you are using the latest stable version of your images. To update your images, run: 

docker-compose pull 

After pulling the latest images, restart your containers: 

docker-compose up -d 

Automate updates with watchtower 

To simplify updates, consider using Watchtower, a tool that automatically checks for new versions of your Docker containers and updates them. 

To install and run Watchtower: 

docker run -d --name watchtower -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock containrrr/watchtower 

Protecting against malware and vulnerabilities 

Securing your WordPress installation inside Docker requires proactive protection against malware and potential threats. Malware can infiltrate WordPress through outdated plugins, themes or weak credentials, compromising your website’s integrity. 

To safeguard your site, Bluehost offers SiteLock, a security solution that provides malware protection, vulnerability scanning and automated threat detection. By integrating SiteLock with your WordPress site, you can detect and remove malware before it causes damage. 

Securing your website with an SSL certificate is essential for encrypting data transfers between users and your WordPress site. SSL ensures that sensitive information, such as login credentials and customer details, remains protected from interception. 

When you host your WordPress site with Bluehost, SSL is automatically installed and configured, ensuring that your website meets modern security standards without any extra effort. 

Implementing DDoS protection 

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks can cripple websites by overwhelming servers with excessive traffic, causing downtime and performance issues. To mitigate this risk, Bluehost offers built-in DDoS protection that detects and blocks malicious traffic before it can affect your site. 

Our security infrastructure is designed to filter out illegitimate requests while allowing legitimate users to access your site without interruption. This built-in protection ensures that your WordPress site remains stable, secure and accessible, even during traffic spikes or attempted attacks. 

By utilizing Bluehost’s SSL security and DDoS protection, you gain two crucial layers of security, safeguarding your website against cyber threats while maintaining a reliable user experience. 

Common use cases for WordPress with Docker 

Docker makes managing WordPress more efficient and scalable. Here are some common scenarios where using Docker for WordPress can be beneficial: 

Local development environment 

Developers often need a controlled and consistent environment to build and test WordPress websites before deploying them to production. With Docker, you can: 

• Set up a local WordPress environment within minutes. 
• Avoid conflicts with other projects by running isolated containers. 
• Easily switch between different WordPress versions for compatibility testing. 
• Share the development environment with team members using Docker Compose. 

This approach ensures that what works in the local setup will work in production, reducing the chance of unexpected issues. 

Automating CI/CD for WordPress 

For development teams, Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) is a must for efficiency. Docker integrates seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines by: 

• Automating WordPress deployments using GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD or Jenkins.
• Running automated tests before pushing updates live. 
• Ensuring deployments are consistent and error-free across different environments. 

This method is particularly useful for large-scale WordPress projects requiring frequent updates. 

WordPress staging and testing 

Before launching a new website or implementing significant changes to an existing one, it’s crucial to test in a staging environment. This practice allows you to: 

• Clone your production site: Create a duplicate of your live website to experiment without affecting the active site. 
• Test updates and changes: Safely evaluate new themes, plugins or custom code. 
• Ensure stability: Confirm that modifications function correctly before deploying them to your live site. 

Bluehost’s built-in staging feature 

Bluehost offers a user-friendly staging environment as part of its WordPress hosting solutions, enabling you to manage this process efficiently. Here’s how you can utilize this feature: 

Accessing the staging environment: 

• Log in to your WordPress dashboard. 

• Navigate to the ‘Bluehost’ menu on the left-hand side and click on ‘Staging’ to enter the staging management area. 

Creating a Staging Site: 

• Within the staging management area, click on ‘Create Staging Site’. 

• Bluehost will generate a replica of your live site in a secure staging environment. 

3. Making and testing changes: 

• Once the staging site is ready, a success message will appear with a link to access it. 

• Click on ‘Go to staging site’ to start working on your test site. 
• Implement and test your desired changes in this isolated environment. 

4. Deploying changes to the live site: 

• After confirming that all changes function as intended, return to the ‘Staging’ section in your WordPress dashboard. 

• Scroll to the ‘Deployment Options’ section. 
• Choose to deploy only files, only the database or both, depending on your modifications. 

• Click on the appropriate deployment button to apply the changes to your live site. 

This integrated staging feature streamlines the process of testing and deploying changes, ensuring your live website remains unaffected during development. For more detailed guidance, refer to Bluehost’s official documentation on creating a staging site. 

Final thoughts 

Docker revolutionized the way WordPress websites are developed, deployed and managed. Whether you are a developer looking for a seamless local environment, an agency managing multiple client sites or a business striving for high availability and scalability, Docker provides the flexibility and reliability needed to optimize workflows. 

By leveraging Docker for WordPress, you gain consistent environments, streamlined deployments and simplified scaling. No more compatibility issues or tedious setup processes—Docker ensures that your WordPress installation runs smoothly across all environments. 

In addition, Bluehost offers powerful WordPress hosting plans that seamlessly integrate with your workflow. From one-click staging environments for safe testing to built-in SSL certificates and advanced security features like SiteLock and DDoS protection, Bluehost ensures that your WordPress site remains secure and optimized.  

Get started with Bluehost today and enjoy hassle-free WordPress hosting with robust security, performance optimization and seamless scalability. 

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