Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Download WordPress on Windows

WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that powers millions of websites. It is free to use, easy to install, and highly customizable. If you are looking to create a website on Windows, you can download and install WordPress on your computer to build and test your site locally before publishing it online.

In this article, we will guide you through the process of downloading and installing WordPress on your Windows machine.

Step 1: Download the Latest Version of WordPress

To download WordPress, go to the official website - wordpress.org. Click on the "Get WordPress" button on the top right corner of the screen. This will take you to the download page where you can get the latest version of WordPress.

You will see two options: "Download WordPress" and "Download WordPress for Windows." Since we are downloading WordPress for Windows, click on the second option.

Step 2: Extract the Downloaded Files

Once you have downloaded the WordPress for Windows file, you need to extract the files from the ZIP file to a folder on your computer. Right-click on the downloaded file and select "Extract All." Choose a location where you want to extract the files and click the "Extract" button.

Step 3: Set Up a Local Server Environment

To run WordPress on your Windows machine, you need to install a local server environment. This will create a platform on your computer that allows WordPress to run, including its website files and databases.

There are several options to choose from when it comes to local server environments, such as XAMPP, WAMP, or Local. Each has its own advantages, but we will use XAMPP for this tutorial.

Go to the XAMPP website - apachefriends.org - and download the latest version of XAMPP for Windows. Once downloaded, run the installer and choose the components you wish to install. For WordPress, you will need Apache, MySQL, and PHP. Make sure they are selected before proceeding.

Step 4: Install and Configure WordPress

After installing XAMPP, you need to configure it to work with WordPress. Open the XAMPP control panel and start the Apache and MySQL services. Then, open your web browser and go to http://localhost/ to confirm whether the XAMPP installation is successful.

Now, it's time to install WordPress. Copy the extracted WordPress files from Step 2 and paste them into the "htdocs" folder located in your XAMPP installation directory (e.g., C:\xampp\htdocs).

Open your web browser and type http://localhost/wordpress, where "wordpress" is the name of the folder where you pasted the WordPress files. You will be prompted to create a WordPress database and username. Follow the on-screen instructions and complete the setup process.

Step 5: Launch and Customize Your WordPress Site

Once you have installed and configured WordPress, you can launch and customize your site. Log in to your WordPress dashboard by going to http://localhost/wordpress/wp-admin/ and start creating your content.

You can download and install WordPress themes and plugins to add functionality and design to your site.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have shown you how to download and install WordPress on your Windows machine. With WordPress installed locally, you can experiment, test, and build your site before deploying it live on the internet. WordPress offers an easy and flexible way to create websites, and you can get started today with just a few simple steps.