If you have decided to build a WordPress site, you may wonder how to create content, try out themes, and test your site before it is public. Building a local WordPress site is an attractive solution.
Building a local site enables you to tinker with your WordPress site as much as you like without having to worry about who is watching. Your site will be hosted on your computer instead of a server somewhere else. You can switch to more robust hosting to get your website online down the road.
What Does it Mean to Build a WordPress Site Locally?
To develop your WordPress site locally means that you will host all the files and content needed to create your website on your computer instead of using a hosting web service. You won’t be able to put your website online to be accessed publicly using local hosting, but you will be able to build and test your site without having to worry about people stumbling onto the site while it is in progress.
It is a great way to create your WordPress site without worrying about it being public. It also has some other distinct advantages:
Reasons to Build a Local WordPress Site
Building your WordPress site locally isn’t the right option for every website, but it works well under certain circumstances. Here are some advantages of a local WordPress site:
- Quick. You can have your locally hosted WordPress site up and running in a matter of hours. There’s no waiting around for external players to get you going.
- Affordable. Assuming you already have the necessary equipment, it is free to develop your WordPress site locally, whereas paying for domain names or hosting comes with a charge.
- You don’t need to have a name. You can start building your site locally before deciding on a domain name, enabling greater flexibility and time to decide what name will be suitable for your site. Down the road, when you get , you can choose your domain name.
- Easy to test. You can try out anything on a local WordPress site before committing to it on the web. That means you can try out themes, plugins, etc. If you mess something up, you don’t need to worry about it since nobody else can see the site yet.
- Speed. It doesn’t get any faster than a local site. Whenever you , you’ll see the change instantaneously, rather than waiting for the server to render it.
Build Your Local WordPress Site with DevKinsta
DevKinsta is free software that makes launching a local WordPress site relatively easy. It will only take minutes to install the software and get your local WordPress site going. You’ll be able to build the site, play around with themes and plugins, and do custom development, all locally.
Building with DevKinsta is best if you later host your WordPress site with Kinsta. DevKinsta is offered by Kinsta and makes it easy to switch from local to Kinsta hosting down the road.
Build Your Local WordPress Site with XAMPP
It’s not relatively easy to build a local WordPress site with XAMPP as with DevKinsta, but there are distinct advantages. You can learn a lot about by running the software. It is open-source, easy to install, and completely free.
Installing the software gives you access to the XAMPP control panel. Run the Apache and MySQL modules included with the software, and your computer becomes a server for your WordPress site. You will also download WordPress and install it using the included installation wizard.
A database is included with XAMPP that can be used to run your local WordPress website. This database will enable you to use a simple interface that you can use to create your WordPress site just as you would if it were hosted externally. You’ll get to your site from the address https://localhost/wordpress/wp-admin. Your site will act exactly as it would if it were publicly on the web, but in fact, it will only be on your computer.
Build Your WordPress Site Locally
Building your WordPress site locally is a very efficient way to get online without the concerns and frustrations of making your site directly on the web. It comes with a few extra steps but offers a lot of advantages.