How To Install WordPress - WordPress Manual Installation Guide

How To Manually Install WordPress — Install WordPress Manually Guide

WordPress is one of the most popular tools for creating a website or blog. This will help guide you through the process of installing WordPress manually. Manual installation or one-click installation can suit different needs. The manual WordPress install method is usually for special scenarios or advanced WordPress users.

• Step 1: Download WordPress
• Step 2: Upload WordPress
• Step 3: Create MySQL Database and User and Assign Privileges
• Step 4: Configure wp-config.php
• Step 5: Run the Installation
• Step 6: Complete the Installation
• Additional Resources
• Summary

Step 1: Download WordPress

1. Download the WordPress package from https://wordpress.org/download/ to your local computer.
2. Unzip the downloaded file to a folder on your local computer.
   Tip: You can extract or unzip files with your File Manager following the steps in this guide How to Extract Files - Zip, Tar, GZip, and Zip Tar Archive.

Step 2: Upload WordPress

When uploading WordPress to your hosting account, you have three options. When you unzipped the file in Step 1 above, you were left with a folder named ‘WordPress’, and the contents of that folder must be uploaded to the file manager of your hosting account.

Once you log in to your Bluehost Bluehost Account Manager. You can do this in one of three ways:

• Upload via FTP - See FTP General FTP Settings for more information.
• Upload via File Manager - See File Manager - How to Upload Files for instructions.
• Upload via SSH - See SSH Access for instructions.

Step 3: Create MySQL Database and User and Assign Privileges

Databases are important in managing a large amount of data efficiently and are an important and required part of a WordPress website.

Access cPanel

1. Log in to your Bluehost Bluehost Account Manager.
2. Navigate to the Hosting tab located on the left side of your Account Manager dashboard and click on it.
   
   
3. Under the All My Hosting Packages section, select the name of the hosting package you wish to manage:
4. — If you have multiple Hosting packages associated with your account, click the MANAGE button for the specific Hosting package you want to manage.
5. — If you have only one Hosting package, you will be redirected to the Hosting Overview page.
6. Access cPanel by locating the Quick Links section and clicking the cPANEL button.
   
   

How to Create MySQL Database

1. Navigate to the Database section and select MySQL Databases.
   
2. Enter a name for the database in the field New Database.
   
3. Click on the Create Database button.
4. Click on the option Go Back.
   
5. The newly created database will be displayed in the Current Databases table.
   

How to Create Database User

After creating the database, a MySQL user account must be created. The database user you create is separate from mail and web administrator accounts. Once created, the user account will need to be granted privileges to access the newly created database.

1. Navigate to the Database section and select MySQL databases.
   
2. Locate the MySQL Users section of the MySQL Databases tool. To quickly find this section, click "Jump to MySQL Users".
   
3. Enter a username in the Add New User field.
   
   Note: The username must be 7 letters or shorter.
4. Input a password into the designated Password field.
   Tip: If you need assistance creating a strong password, click the Generate Password button.
5. Enter your password again in the Password (Again) field to confirm it.
6. Click on the Create User button.
7. Click on the option Go Back.
   

Add User to the Database and Define a User’s Privileges

The user can be attached to the database, and you can also set the privileges. This means you set the type of access a user will have, for example, whether or not the user can add and delete information.

Assign a Database User

1. Go to the Database section and MySQL databases.
   
2. Add a user to the database and choose the desired user from the User drop-down menu.
   
3. Choose the database from the drop-down menu you want to grant user access to.
4. Click Add.
5. On the MySQL Account Maintenance screen, you can choose the privileges to grant the user or select ALL PRIVILEGES.
   
6. Click Make Changes.
7. Your new database is now ready for WordPress. Next, configure your wp-config.php file.
   

Step 4: Configure wp-config.php

The wp-config.php file contains the database information and tells WordPress which database to pull data from. This step is important to ensure the correct database relating to the corresponding WordPress installation is properly connected.

Manual WordPress installations typically require you to locate the file wp-config-sample.php and rename the file to wp-config.php.

Access the File Manager and locate the wp-config-sample.php file.

• Once you locate the file wp-config-sample.php, it is time to rename the file. Simply right-click on the file name, and a pop-up will appear. Select Rename. Modify the name of the file. Ensure the name of the file is wp-config.php.
• Right-click the file again, and options will pop-up. Select the Edit option. Enter the new database information, including the database name, database user, and database password.
• After making the necessary updates, save the changes by clicking the Save Changes button.

1. Locate the wp-config-sample.php file.
   
2. Right-click this file, then choose the Rename option.
   
3. Rename the file to wp-config.php.
4. Right-click the new wp-config.php file.
   
5. Right-click this file, then choose the Edit option.
   
6. New windows appear. Click the Edit button again.
7. A new pop-up window will appear. Select the Edit option.
8. Look for the following information when the file opens.

   	/** The name of the database for WordPress */ 
   	define( 'DB_NAME', 'database_name_here' ); 
   	 
   	/** MySQL database username */ 
   	define( 'DB_USER', 'username_here' ); 
   
   	/** MySQL database password */ 
   	define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'password_here'' ); 
   
   	/** MySQL hostname */ 
   	define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

   • • Replace database_name_here with the name of the database and user you created in the steps above.
     • Replace username_here with the username of the database you created.
     • Replace password_here with the password of the database that you created.
    
   Note: Make sure there are no spaces before or after your database name, username, and password.
9. Once finished, click the Save Changes button in the upper right corner, followed by Close to exit and return to the File Manager.

Step 5: Run the Installation

To run the installation script, open a new browser tab or browser window and enter your domain. You will be automatically redirected to one of the following URLs, depending on where you installed the script.

If you uploaded WordPress to your main domain’s (root directory) folder, you should automatically be redirected to the following URL:

https://example.com/wp-admin/install.php

If you uploaded WordPress in a subfolder of your main domain’s directory, the following URL will appear:

https://example.com/yoursubfolder/wp-admin/install.php

• When you navigate your correct WordPress URL in a browser, you will be prompted to select your preferred language. Choose your preferred language and then press the Continue button.
• You should now see a welcome page that says, "Welcome to WordPress. Before getting started, you will need to know the following items." Click Let's Go!
• Enter the database name and user you previously created, and then click Submit.

Step 6: Complete the Installation

1. When you navigate your correct WordPress URL in a browser, you will be prompted to select your preferred language. Choose your preferred language and then press the Continue button.
   
2. Once you are on the Welcome page, fill out the following fields under the Information needed section:
   • Site Title: This can be changed at any time.
   • Username: This is the site's admin username. We strongly advise against using 'admin' because it can pose a security risk.
   • Password: A strong password will be generated for you automatically, but you can create your own. The password strength indicator will tell you how secure your password is.
   • Your Email: Login information will be sent to this email address, so make sure it is one that you have access to.
   • Search Engine Visibility: Leave this unchecked if you want your website to appear in search engine results. Check this box if you do not want your site to be indexed.
3. Click the Install WordPress button, and you should be taken to a final screen that says, "WordPress has been installed; thank you, and enjoy!" It will show the username you selected on the previous page and a placeholder for your password. 
4. That's it; you can now log in to your WordPress site.

Additional Resources

• WordPress Overview and elevate WordPress with these 9 Tips
• How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress
• Free vs. Premium WordPress Themes
• How to Install WordPress Theme
• How to Create and Edit a Page in WordPress
• How to Create WordPress Blog Post and Edit or Remove WordPress Posts
• WordPress Navigation Menu and Widgets
• Using WordPress Block Editor or Website Builder for WordPress
• Install and Activate WordPress Plugins
• Build an Online Store with easy E-commerce WordPress Plugins with WooCommerce
• Marketing Packages and Plans for SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• Digital Marketing Services

Summary

If you want or need a guide on how to install WordPress manually to create, migrate, or rebuild your website to ensure WordPress functions properly, the process involves a few steps. When the following are performed: downloading WordPress, uploading WordPress to your hosting account or server, creating a MySQL database and user, configuring wp-config.php, and running the installation, these measures ensure a complete installation of how to perform a WordPress manual installation.