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Step 1: Install XAMPP

On Windows

1. Download XAMPP: https://www.apachefriends.org
2. Run the installer and select:
   • Apache (web server)
   • MySQL (database server)
   • PHP
   • phpMyAdmin
3. Install to C:\xampp and complete setup.

On Linux (Debian/Ubuntu-based)

1. Download XAMPP for Linux: https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html
2. Open terminal, navigate to downloads, make it executable:

chmod +x xampp-linux-x64-x.x.x-installer.run

Install:

sudo ./xampp-linux-x64-x.x.x-installer.run

Start XAMPP:

sudo /opt/lampp/lampp start

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Step 2: Download and Place WordPress Files

1. Download WordPress from: https://wordpress.org/download/
2. Unzip it.
3. Move the unzipped wordpress folder into:
   • Windows: C:\xampp\htdocs\
   • Linux: /opt/lampp/htdocs/ (use sudo):

sudo mv wordpress /opt/lampp/htdocs/

1. Rename the folder if desired (e.g., mywebsite). Your website would be at:
   👉 http://localhost/mywebsite (initially).

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Step 3: Create a Database for WordPress

1. Open phpMyAdmin:
   👉 http://localhost/phpmyadmin
2. Go to the Databases tab.
3. Create a new database, set collation to utf8mb4_general_ci.
   • Example: wordpress_db

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Step 4: Link WordPress to Database

Visit:
👉 http://localhost/wordpress (or http://localhost/mywebsite)

Fill in:

• Database Name: wordpress_db
• User: root
• Password: (leave empty for XAMPP default)
• Host: localhost

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Step 5: Configure a Real Domain Name

This is where we step away from localhost and link your WordPress site to a proper domain name, such as yourdomain.com.

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Domain Name Purchase

You need to buy a domain from a registrar like:

• Hostinger

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Port Forwarding & Public IP

Since XAMPP is running on your home PC, visitors need to reach your home server. This requires:

Knowing your Public IP

Find your public IP:
👉 Visit https://whatismyipaddress.com

Setting up Port Forwarding

In your router’s admin panel (usually at 192.168.1.1), forward ports:

• TCP 80 (HTTP)
• TCP 443 (HTTPS – optional)

Forward both ports to the local IP address of your XAMPP machine (e.g., 192.168.1.100).

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Point Domain to Your Public IP (DNS Settings)

In your domain registrar’s control panel, go to DNS Management and set:

• A Record:
  Name: @
  Value: Your public IP address
• CNAME Record (optional) for www:
  Name: www
  Value: @ (points to root domain)

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Optional: Use a Dynamic DNS Service (if you have a Dynamic IP)

Most home internet users don’t have a static IP, so if your IP changes, the site will go offline. To fix this, use a Dynamic DNS (DDNS) service (like DuckDNS, No-IP, or your registrar’s built-in DDNS).

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Step 6: Configure Apache for Your Domain

Now Apache needs to know which website to serve when people visit your domain.

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Windows — Edit httpd-vhosts.conf

Path:
👉 C:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\httpd-vhosts.conf

Add a block like this:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    DocumentRoot "C:/xampp/htdocs/mywebsite"
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    ServerAlias www.yourdomain.com
</VirtualHost>

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Linux — Edit httpd-vhosts.conf

Path:
👉 /opt/lampp/etc/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf

Add similar:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    DocumentRoot "/opt/lampp/htdocs/mywebsite"
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    ServerAlias www.yourdomain.com
</VirtualHost>

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Restart Apache

• Windows: Restart via XAMPP Control Panel.
• Linux:

sudo /opt/lampp/lampp restart

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Step 7: Set WordPress URL to Your Domain

Visit:
👉 http://localhost/mywebsite/wp-admin

Go to Settings → General, and change:

• WordPress Address (URL): http://yourdomain.com
• Site Address (URL): http://yourdomain.com

Save changes.

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Optional: Add SSL (HTTPS)

If you want https://yourdomain.com, you need to install an SSL certificate.

1. Use Let’s Encrypt (free) with a tool like Certbot.
2. Follow instructions to generate a certificate.
3. Edit your virtual host to handle HTTPS (example):

<VirtualHost *:443>
    DocumentRoot "/opt/lampp/htdocs/mywebsite"
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    SSLEngine on
    SSLCertificateFile "/path/to/cert.pem"
    SSLCertificateKeyFile "/path/to/privkey.pem"
</VirtualHost>

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Linux Permission Fixes (if needed)

On Linux, WordPress may need write access to upload files or install plugins:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /opt/lampp/htdocs/mywebsite
sudo chmod -R 755 /opt/lampp/htdocs/mywebsite

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Troubleshooting Tips

Issue	Fix
Site only works locally	Check port forward & public IP
Wrong site appears	Virtual host misconfigured
Can’t upload media	Fix folder permissions (Linux)
SSL not working	Double-check certificate paths and domain match

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Done! Your WordPress site is now accessible at:

👉 http://yourdomain.com

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Written by Artem Kotov