Improved Guide on WordPress Installation in 2025
Markdown Format:
WordPress Installation Guide: A Step-by-Step Approach
Outline:
Choose a Hosting Provider
A. Selecting a Reliable Host
PHP 8.3+ and MySQL 8.0+ Support
Recommended Hosts
B. Domain Registration
Install WordPress
A. Auto-Installer (Simplest Method)
Accessing the Control Panel
Locating the Auto-Installer
Installing WordPress
B. Manual Installation
Downloading WordPress
Uploading Files via FTP
Creating a Database
Running the Installer
Configure Basic Settings
A. Logging In
B. General Settings
C. Permalinks
D. Security
Install the React WordPress Theme
A. Purchasing and Downloading the Theme
B. Uploading and Activating the Theme
C. Installing Required Plugins
D. Importing Demo Content (Optional)
Customize Your Site
A. Using the Customizer
B. Adding Content
Part 1: Choose a Hosting Provider
A. Selecting a Reliable Host
1. PHP 8.3+ and MySQL 8.0+ Support
💻 Ensure your chosen hosting provider supports the following minimum requirements:
PHP: Version 8.3 or higher (for compatibility with WordPress 5.8+)
MySQL: Version 8.0 or higher (for optimal performance and functionality)
2. Recommended Hosts
🌐 Consider the following hosting providers, known for their reliability, performance, and WordPress compatibility:
Bluehost: Offers affordable plans with PHP 8.3+ and MySQL 8.0+ support, as well as a free domain for the first year.
SiteGround: Known for its exceptional speed, security, and customer support, SiteGround offers managed WordPress hosting plans with PHP 8.3+ and MySQL 8.0+ support.
Hostinger: Provides budget-friendly hosting with PHP 8.3+ and MySQL 8.0+ support, along with a free domain for the first year and a user-friendly control panel (hPanel).
B. Domain Registration
📝 Purchase or register a domain name (e.g., yourdomain.com) to create a professional online presence. You can register a domain through your hosting provider or use an external registrar like Namecheap or GoDaddy.
A. Auto-Installer (Simplest Method)
1. Accessing the Control Panel
🔒 Most hosting providers offer a user-friendly control panel (e.g., cPanel, Plesk, or hPanel) to manage your hosting account. To access your control panel:
Log in to your hosting account using your credentials.
Look for a Control Panel or Website Builder icon in the account dashboard.
2. Locating the Auto-Installer
🔑 Once you’re in the control panel, find the WordPress auto-installer tool. The location may vary depending on your hosting provider:
cPanel: Look for Softaculous or Website Builder under the Software section.
Plesk: Find WordPress under Applications.
hPanel: Look for Auto Installer or WordPress under the Home section.
3. Installing WordPress
🛠 With the auto-installer tool open, follow these steps to install WordPress:
Enter Site Details:
Site Name: Choose a name for your WordPress site (e.g., “My Blog”).
Admin Username: Create a username for the WordPress admin area (e.g., “admin” or “myusername”).
Admin Password: Set a strong password for your WordPress admin account.
Set the Installation Directory:
Select your domain or subdomain as the installation directory (e.g., public_html or www.example.com).
Click Install:
Initiate the WordPress installation process.
Wait for the installation to complete (this may take a few minutes).
Part 1: Manual Installation – A. Downloading WordPress & B. Uploading Files via FTP
A. Downloading WordPress
📄 To begin the manual installation process, download the latest stable version of WordPress from the official WordPress.org website:
Visit WordPress.org and click on the Download WordPress button.
Choose the Latest Version (e.g., 5.9.3 as of this writing) and click Download WordPress.
Save the .zip file to your local device.
B. Uploading Files via FTP
1. Setting up an FTP client
🔧 To upload WordPress files to your server, you’ll need an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client. Popular FTP clients include:
FileZilla (https://filezilla.com/)
WinSCP (https://winscp.com/eng/download.php)
Cyberduck (https://cyberduck.io/)
Transmit (https://transmitfile.com/)
2. Connecting to your server
🔗 After installing an FTP client, connect to your hosting server using the following credentials:
Hostname: Your hosting provider’s server address (e.g., ftp.example.com).
Username: Your FTP username (usually your cPanel username).
Password: Your FTP password (often the same as your cPanel password).
Port: The FTP port number (usually 21 for standard FTP or 992 for SFTP/FTP over SSL).
3. Uploading WordPress files
📂 Once connected to your server, follow these steps to upload the downloaded WordPress .zip file:
Navigate to the public_html folder: On your server, locate and open the public_html folder, where your website’s files are stored.
Upload the WordPress .zip file:
Drag and drop the file into the public_html folder, or
Right-click and select Upload (or similar options) to upload the file.
Extract WordPress files: After uploading, extract the contents of the .zip file, keeping the folder structure intact.