Category: WordPress • Est. reading time: 6 minutes
By now you should be logged into your hosting account and have poked around inside cPanel. Most cPanel hosts include a one-click WordPress installer, and it is fine. But we are going to do this by hand, because installing WordPress manually the first time teaches you how the pieces actually fit together.
Step 1: Download WordPress
Head to wordpress.org (not .com) and download the latest version. It arrives as a zip file.
Step 2: Create Your Database
In cPanel, open MySQL Databases. Create a database, create a user with a strong password (copy it somewhere safe), and add the user to the database with all privileges. Naming both after a shortened version of your domain keeps them recognizable.
Step 3: Upload and Extract WordPress
Open File Manager, go into public_html, click Upload, and upload the WordPress zip. Select it and choose Extract. For a standard setup, move the contents of the resulting “wordpress” folder up into public_html so the files sit at the root.
Step 4: Run the Installer
Visit your domain in a browser. Choose your language, then enter your database name, username, password, and host (almost always “localhost”). For the table prefix, change the default wp_ to something custom, like a few random characters (xk7p_). It is a small, free hardening step: it won’t stop a determined attacker, but it quietly turns away bots that assume the default, and on a fresh install there’s no reason not to. Submit, and click Run the install.
Step 5: Enter Your Site Details
Set a Site Title, a login username (skip the obvious “admin”), a strong password, and your email. For Search engine visibility, leave the box unchecked if you want Google to find you. Only check it if the site is not ready, and remember to uncheck it at launch. Click Install WordPress, and you are done.
Note: that search-engine-visibility checkbox is the reverse of what old guides imply. Checking it hides your site. Leave it off for a live site.
Want a Hand, or Want to Skip It Entirely?
We teach the whole process in our live classes at allydrez.com/learn-how-to-use-wordpress. Would you rather we set it up on managed hosting? Reach us at support@allydrez.com or 1-321-209-2004.