WordPress powers a huge share of the web because it is flexible and quick to launch. You can install it two ways: the one-click installer for speed, or a manual install when you want full control.
The one-click way (fastest)
- Log in to your control panel.
- Open the Softaculous or App Installer section.
- Choose WordPress and click Install.
- Pick your domain, set the site title, and create your admin username and password.
- Click Install and wait about a minute.
Your site and the /wp-admin login are ready immediately. Skip to "After you install" below.
The manual way (full control)
- Download WordPress from wordpress.org and upload it to your site's web root.
- Create a MySQL database and a database user, and give that user access to the database.
- Visit your domain in a browser to start the installer.
- Enter the database name, user and password when asked.
- Finish the wizard with your site title and admin account.
Write the database name, user and password down as you create them. The installer asks for all three, and a typo is the most common reason setup fails.
After you install (the first five minutes)
- Set permalinks to "Post name" under Settings, Permalinks. Cleaner URLs are better for readers and search engines.
- Delete the sample content (the Hello World post and the sample page).
- Install a security plugin and keep WordPress, themes and plugins updated.
- Add an SSL certificate so your site loads over https.
- Install only the plugins you need. Every extra plugin is more to update and more that can break.
FAQ
Is the one-click installer safe?
Yes. It sets up the same WordPress you would install manually, just faster and without you touching the database.
How do I log in to WordPress?
Go to yourdomain.com/wp-admin and use the admin username and password you set during install.
Why is my site slow after adding lots of plugins?
Too many or poorly built plugins are a common cause. Remove what you do not use and add a caching plugin. If it stays slow, the host may be the limit. See VPS vs shared vs dedicated hosting.
Want us to move an existing WordPress site over for free? Start a migration and we will handle it with zero downtime.