Installing WordPress manually is a great way to learn how it works under the hood. Here’s a clear, step-by-step guide to help you set up WordPress manually on a web server (like Apache with PHP and MySQL support).

🔧 Prerequisites

• Web hosting with PHP and MySQL support (e.g., Apache/Nginx)
• Access to cPanel or FTP/SFTP
• MySQL database ready or ability to create one
• A domain name pointed to your server

📝 Step-by-Step Guide to Install WordPress Manually

1. Download WordPress

• Go to https://wordpress.org/download/
• Click “Download WordPress”
• Extract the .zip file on your computer

2. Upload WordPress to Your Server

You can use either:

• cPanel File Manager
• FTP client (like FileZilla)

Upload Location:

• Upload the extracted files to your website’s root directory (often public_html/ or www/)
• If you want it under a subfolder (e.g., yourdomain.com/blog), upload it to public_html/blog

3. Create a MySQL Database

If you're using cPanel:

1. Go to MySQL Databases
2. Create a New Database
3. Create a New Database User and set a strong password
4. Add the user to the database and give ALL PRIVILEGES

🔑 Note: Save your Database Name, Username, and Password

4. Configure wp-config.php

1. In the WordPress files you uploaded, locate wp-config-sample.php
2. Rename it to wp-config.php
3. Open it in a code editor or through cPanel File Manager
4. Update these lines:

define('DB_NAME', 'your_database_name');

define('DB_USER', 'your_database_user');

define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your_database_password');

define('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); // Usually 'localhost'

1. (Optional) Set unique security keys:
   • Generate keys from https://api.wordpress.org/secret-key/1.1/salt/
   • Replace the existing placeholder keys

5. Run the Installation Script

In your browser, go to:

yourdomain.com/wp-admin/install.php

Or, if you installed it in a subfolder:

yourdomain.com/subfolder/wp-admin/install.php

You’ll see the WordPress setup wizard. Enter:

• Site Title
• Admin Username
• Admin Password
• Your Email

Click Install WordPress

✅ 6. Login and Start Using WordPress

After successful installation, go to:

yourdomain.com/wp-admin

Log in with the credentials you just created. You’re in!

🎉 You're Done!