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The dependable WordPress installation sequence is: verify a compatible host, create a database and database user, download and upload the WordPress files, let the browser installer create wp-config.php or create it yourself, then complete the administrator setup. A managed host can automate much of this; a manual installation gives you direct control over the files, database and URL.
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What you need before installing WordPress
WordPress is downloadable software, not a hosting service. A public site needs a domain name and a web host where the software, database and server configuration can run. You can install WordPress on your own server, but the host remains responsible for providing the operating environment.
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Check the current server requirements
WordPress currently recommends PHP 8.3 or newer, MariaDB 10.11 or newer or MySQL 8.0 or newer, and HTTPS. Apache or Nginx is the recommended web-server choice. Confirm these versions with your host before uploading anything.
| Component | Current recommendation | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| PHP | 8.3 or newer | Runs WordPress and its extensions; newer supported releases receive security maintenance. |
| Database | MariaDB 10.11+ or MySQL 8.0+ | Stores posts, settings, users and plugin data. |
| Connection security | HTTPS | Encrypts logins and site traffic. |
| Web server | Apache or Nginx recommended | Delivers WordPress files and handles web requests. |
Older combinations such as PHP 7.4 or MySQL 5.5.5 may still run some legacy WordPress environments, but those releases are end-of-life. Using them leaves the site exposed to known security and compatibility risks; upgrade the host instead of treating legacy support as a target.
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Gather access and working tools
- FTP or SFTP credentials, or shell access to the server.
- A database name, database username, password and database hostname. The hostname is often
localhost, but your host may use another value. - An FTP client if you will transfer files graphically.
- A plain-text editor for editing configuration files.
- A modern web browser.
- A host that can send email, because WordPress asks for an administrator email address and some site functions rely on delivery working correctly.
Keep credentials in a password manager. Do not paste an administrator password into public notes, shell history that other users can read, screenshots or support tickets.
Choose an installation method
There are three practical routes. The right one depends on how much control you need and which access your host supplies.
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Managed or one-click installation
Many hosts offer a WordPress installer in their control panel. It normally creates the database, copies the files and opens the setup screen for you. This is the simplest path if you are comfortable letting the provider choose file locations and database settings. Read the resulting site URL and administrator details carefully; a one-click tool can place WordPress in a subdirectory if you selected one.
Manual installation with FTP
FTP is the visual, host-neutral method. You download and extract WordPress locally, create the database in the host’s database tool, upload the files to the correct web root or subdirectory, and finish in a browser. It takes more steps than a control-panel installer but makes the destination and configuration visible.
Shell installation with WP-CLI
If you have shell access, WP-CLI replaces repetitive file-transfer and browser work with commands that can be repeated on staging and production. WP-CLI’s documented installation flow downloads WordPress, generates a configuration file, creates the database and runs wp core install. WP-CLI itself requires PHP 7.2.24 or later, but that is only the tool requirement; the WordPress server recommendation of PHP 8.3 or newer still applies.
| Route | Best for | What you control | Main dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed installer | First-time site owners | Basic site and administrator choices | Your host’s control panel |
| FTP/manual | Users without shell access | Upload location, database and configuration | FTP/SFTP and a database tool |
| WP-CLI | Administrators managing servers or repeat deployments | Commands, paths, configuration and installation automation | Shell access and a compatible PHP runtime |
Manual WordPress installation step by step
1. Download and extract WordPress
Download the current package from WordPress.org and extract it on your computer. If you have shell access, the official command-line download is:
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wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
tar -xzvf latest.tar.gzExtraction creates a directory named wordpress. The files inside that directory—not necessarily the enclosing directory itself—are what you will place in the site’s web location.
2. Create a database and database user
Open your host’s database tool or follow its documented SQL workflow. Create an empty MySQL or MariaDB database, then create a database user and grant that user all privileges needed to access and modify the database. Record these four values exactly:
- Database name
- Database username
- Database password
- Database host name
Control panels often create the database and user in one wizard and prepend an account name to each value. Copy the complete names, including any prefix. A mismatch at this stage produces a database connection error later, so do not infer a shortened name.
3. Configure wp-config.php, or let the installer do it
WordPress includes wp-config-sample.php. For an explicit configuration, make a copy named wp-config.php and enter the database name, username, password, host, character set and authentication keys and salts requested by the file. Upload that finished file with the rest of WordPress.
This configuration step is optional. If you leave the sample file unchanged or do not create wp-config.php, the browser installer asks for the database information and can create the file for you. The manual route gives you more control before upload; the browser-created route avoids editing a PHP file.
4. Decide whether WordPress belongs at the domain root or in a subdirectory
Choose the final URL before uploading. The choice determines both the destination path and the address visitors use.
| Choice | Upload destination | Typical URL | Important detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain root | Upload every item inside the extracted wordpress directory directly into the domain’s web root. |
https://example.com/ |
Do not upload the enclosing wordpress directory itself if you want the site at the bare domain. |
| Subdirectory | Create a folder such as blog in the web root and upload the extracted contents into that folder. |
https://example.com/blog/ |
The folder name becomes part of the public URL. |
Your host may call the web root public_html, www, htdocs or something else. If you cannot identify it, ask the provider for the document-root path rather than guessing. In the FTP client, disable any option that automatically converts filenames to lowercase. WordPress relies on the original names and capitalization of its files.
5. Upload the files
Connect with the FTP client, open the correct web-root path and transfer the files. For a root installation, the directory should contain WordPress’s files directly after the upload; it should not contain an extra layer such as wordpress/wp-admin unless that is the intended subdirectory. For a subdirectory installation, the extra layer is deliberate: the files belong under a folder such as blog.
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6. Run the browser installer
Open the URL matching the upload location. A root installation starts at the domain, while a subdirectory installation starts at its path, for example https://example.com/blog/. If WordPress cannot find a configuration file, it offers to create one and requests the database values you recorded.
Complete the prompts for:
- Site title
- Administrator username
- A strong administrator password
- Administrator email address
The process is commonly described as WordPress’s five-minute installation, but upload speed, database setup and host configuration can make the real elapsed time longer. When the installer finishes, sign in at the administration URL it displays and verify that the front page loads at the intended address.
Install WordPress with WP-CLI
WP-CLI is useful when FTP is unavailable or when you need a repeatable deployment. Confirm both prerequisites first: the server must satisfy WordPress’s current PHP and database recommendations, and the WP-CLI executable must run with PHP 7.2.24 or later. The Phar build is the recommended WP-CLI distribution; signature verification is an optional integrity check described in its documentation.
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Replace every uppercase placeholder with a real value. Keep the administrator password private; shell commands can be recorded in history or process logs depending on your environment.
wp core download --path=/var/www/example
wp config create --dbname=DB_NAME --dbuser=DB_USER --dbpass='DB_PASSWORD' --dbhost=localhost
wp db create
wp core install --url=https://example.com --title='Site title' --admin_user=ADMIN_USER --admin_password='STRONG_PASSWORD' [email protected]wp core downloadplaces the WordPress files in the path you specify.wp config createwriteswp-config.phpwith the database connection details.wp db createcreates the database when the database account has permission to do so. If your host requires database creation in a control panel, perform that step there and continue with the other commands.wp core installcreates the WordPress tables and completes the standard installation using the URL, title and administrator details supplied.
If WordPress is installed in a subdirectory, use that full URL in --url, such as https://example.com/blog. WP-CLI’s documentation also describes updating the siteurl value afterward when subdirectory behavior requires it. Check the current WP-CLI command reference before using these commands on a production site, because options and subdirectory handling can change.
Root installation or subdirectory: which should you choose?
Use the domain root when WordPress is the main site
Put the extracted contents directly in the domain’s web root when WordPress should own https://example.com/. This is the normal choice for a site whose homepage, posts and administration all belong to the primary domain.
Use a subdirectory when another site already occupies the root
A folder such as blog is appropriate when the root contains an existing application or when you intentionally want WordPress at https://example.com/blog/. Upload the files into that folder and start the installer at the same path. Do not upload the whole extracted wordpress folder inside blog unless you want the URL to include another unwanted level.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common installation failures
The installer says it cannot connect to the database
- Recheck the database name and username, including any host-account prefix.
- Confirm the password exactly; special characters must be preserved.
- Verify the database host.
localhostis common but not universal. - Ensure the user has privileges on that specific database.
- If your host does not allow command-line database creation, create it in the control panel and rerun the configuration step.
The domain shows a 404 or a directory listing
Inspect the upload location. A root install needs the WordPress files directly in the document root, with the main index file at that level. If the files are one directory too deep, move the contents up. For a subdirectory install, use the subdirectory URL rather than the bare domain.
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WordPress files appear with the wrong capitalization
Reconnect with the FTP client and turn off filename lowercasing or other automatic filename conversion. Reupload affected files with their original names. Case-sensitive servers treat differently capitalized names as different files.
The browser installer cannot create wp-config.php
Use the manual route: copy wp-config-sample.php to wp-config.php, enter the database values, save it as plain text and upload it to the same directory as the WordPress files. Check that the web server account can read the file and that the filename has not gained an extra extension such as .txt.
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Ask the host to provide PHP 8.3 or newer and MariaDB 10.11+ or MySQL 8.0+. Do not choose an end-of-life runtime simply because an older WordPress package appears to support it. Updating the hosting environment is the safer fix.
HTTPS is missing or the site redirects unexpectedly
Complete the host’s HTTPS setup before treating the installation as finished. Open the exact HTTPS URL you intend to publish and make sure it reaches the same root or subdirectory where the files were uploaded. If a control-panel installer selected a different URL, correct the site address before sharing it.
Installation checklist
- Confirm PHP 8.3+, MariaDB 10.11+ or MySQL 8.0+, HTTPS and an Apache or Nginx-compatible host.
- Obtain the domain, hosting login, FTP or shell access and database credentials.
- Verify that the host can deliver email.
- Choose managed installation, FTP/manual installation or WP-CLI.
- Choose the root URL or a subdirectory URL before uploading.
- Download and extract WordPress.
- Create the database and user, then grant the required privileges.
- Create
wp-config.phpmanually or leave it for the browser installer. - Upload the extracted contents to the correct web-root location without lowercasing filenames.
- Open the matching URL and enter the site title and administrator details.
- Sign in and verify the front page, administration URL, HTTPS and intended site address.
Which route is best for you?
Choose a managed installer when your priority is speed and you do not need to control the database or filesystem layout. Choose FTP when you want a visual process and your host supplies file-transfer and database tools but no shell. Choose WP-CLI when you administer servers, need repeatability or want to automate multiple environments. In every case, the non-negotiable order is the same: compatible server, database, configuration, files, URL and administrator setup.
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