How to Run WordPress Locally in 2023

WordPress is a popular open-source content management system (CMS) used to create websites and blogs. It powers over 35% of all websites on the internet and offers a user-friendly interface for managing content, media, and website design.

While WordPress is usually run on a web server, there are times when it’s useful to run it locally on your computer. For example, you may want to test out a new WordPress theme or plugin without affecting your live website, or you may want to develop a WordPress site from scratch without an internet connection.

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to run WordPress locally on your computer using a software called Local by Flywheel. We’ll cover the following topics:

• Prerequisites for running WordPress locally
• Installing Local by Flywheel
• Creating a new WordPress site with Local by Flywheel
• Importing an existing WordPress site into Local by Flywheel
• Common issues and troubleshooting tips

Let’s get started!

Prerequisites

Before you can run WordPress locally on your computer, you’ll need to make sure you have the following prerequisites:

• A computer running Windows, MacOS, or Linux
• A web server software (such as Apache or Nginx)
• PHP 7.4 or higher
• MySQL 8.0 or higher

Installing a web server

If you’re running Windows, you can use the Apache web server that comes with the XAMPP software package. To install XAMPP, follow these steps:

1. Download the XAMPP installer from the Apache Friends website.
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts to install XAMPP on your computer.
3. Launch the XAMPP control panel and start the Apache web server.

If you’re running MacOS or Linux, you can use the Apache web server that comes pre-installed with your operating system. To start the Apache web server on MacOS, follow these steps:

1. Open the Terminal app and type the following command: sudo apachectl start
2. Enter your administrator password when prompted.

To start the Apache web server on Linux, follow these steps:

1. Open a terminal and type the following command: sudo service apache2 start
2. Enter your administrator password when prompted.

Installing PHP

If you’re running Windows, PHP is included with the XAMPP software package. If you’ve already installed XAMPP, you don’t need to install PHP separately.

If you’re running MacOS or Linux, you can use the package manager for your operating system to install PHP. Here are the steps for installing PHP on each platform:

MacOS

1. Open the Terminal app and type the following command: brew update
2. Type the following command to install PHP: brew install php

Linux

1. Open a terminal and type the following command: sudo apt-get update
2. Type the following command to install PHP: sudo apt-get install php

Installing MySQL

If you’re running Windows, MySQL is included with the XAMPP software package. If you’ve already installed XAMPP, you don’t need to install MySQL separately.

If you’re running MacOS or Linux, you can use the package manager for your operating system to install MySQL. Here are the steps for installing MySQL on each platform:

MacOS

1. Open the Terminal app and type the following command: brew update
2. Type the following command to install MySQL: brew install mysql
3. Start the MySQL server by typing the following command: brew services start mysql

Linux

1. Open a terminal and type the following command: sudo apt-get update
2. Type the following command to install MySQL: sudo apt-get install mysql-server
3. Start the MySQL server by typing the following command: sudo service mysql start

Installing Local by Flywheel

Now that you have all the prerequisites installed, it’s time to install Local by Flywheel, the software that will allow you to run WordPress locally on your computer.

1. Download the Local by Flywheel installer from the official website.
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts to install Local by Flywheel on your computer.

Creating a new WordPress site with Local by Flywheel

With Local by Flywheel installed, you can now create a new WordPress site in just a few clicks. Here’s how:

1. Open Local by Flywheel and click the “Add Site” button.
2. Enter a name for your site and select “WordPress” as the platform.
3. Choose a location for your site’s files on your computer and click the “Create Site” button.

Local by Flywheel will now download and install WordPress, as well as all the necessary dependencies, such as PHP and MySQL. This may take a few minutes.

Once the installation is complete, you can access your WordPress site by clicking the “Open Site” button. This will launch your default web browser and load the WordPress login page.

Use the following credentials to log in to your WordPress site:

• Username: admin
• Password: password

You can change the password by going to the “Users” menu in the WordPress admin dashboard and clicking on your user profile.

Importing an existing WordPress site into Local by Flywheel

If you already have a WordPress site running on a web server, you can import it into Local by Flywheel and run it locally on your computer. Here’s how:

1. Make a backup of your WordPress site. This can be done using a plugin such as UpdraftPlus, or by exporting the database and copying the files manually.
2. Install Local by Flywheel on your computer, as described in the previous section.
3. In Local by Flywheel, click the “Import Site” button.
4. Select “WordPress” as the platform and choose the location of your WordPress site’s backup files on your computer.
5. Click the “Import Site” button to begin the import process.

Local by Flywheel will now import your WordPress site, including the database and files. This may take a few minutes.

Once the import is complete, you can access your WordPress site by clicking the “Open Site” button. This will launch your default web browser and load the WordPress login page. Use the same username and password as on your live site to log in.

Common issues and troubleshooting tips

Here are some common issues you may encounter when running WordPress locally with Local by Flywheel, along with some possible solutions:

The site is not accessible from my web browser

Make sure that the Apache or Nginx web server is running on your computer. You can check the status of the web server by looking at the Local by Flywheel control panel. If the web server is not running, start it by clicking the “Start” button.

Also, make sure that your firewall is not blocking the site. If you have a firewall enabled on your computer, you may need to add an exception for Local by Flywheel to allow incoming connections.

I can’t log in to the WordPress admin dashboard

If you’re having trouble logging in to the WordPress admin dashboard, there could be a few reasons for this.

First, make sure that you’re using the correct username and password. If you’ve changed the password on your live site, make sure to use the updated password when logging in locally.

If you’ve forgotten your password, you can reset it by going to the login page and clicking the “Lost your password?” link. This will send a password reset email to the email address associated with your WordPress account.

If you’re still having trouble logging in, it’s possible that there is an issue with the database. You can try resetting the database by going to the Local by Flywheel control panel and clicking the “Reset Database” button for your site. This will erase all data from the database and restore it to its default state.

I’m getting an error message when trying to access the site

If you’re getting an error message when trying to access your WordPress site, there could be a problem with the PHP or MySQL configuration. Here are a few things you can try:

• Make sure that PHP and MySQL are installed and running on your computer. You can check the status of these services by looking at the Local by Flywheel control panel. If they are not running, start them by clicking the “Start” button.
• Check the error logs for more information about the problem. In Local by Flywheel, click the “Logs” button to view the error logs for your site. This may give you a clue about what’s causing the error.
• Make sure that the PHP and MySQL versions on your computer match the versions used by your WordPress site. If you’re not sure which versions your site is using, you can check the wp-config.php file in the root directory of your site. Look for the DB_NAME, DB_USER, and DB_PASSWORD constants, which contain the database name, username, and password, respectively.

I’m getting a “404 Page Not Found” error

If you’re getting a “404 Page Not Found” error when trying to access your WordPress site, it could be due to a problem with the .htaccess file. This file controls how URLs are redirected and can sometimes become corrupt or misconfigured.

To fix the problem, you can try resetting the .htaccess file by going to the Local by Flywheel control panel and clicking the “Reset Site” button for your site. This will erase all data from the site and restore it to its default state.

Alternatively, you can try editing the .htaccess file manually. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the .htaccess file in a text editor. You can find it in the root directory of your WordPress site.
2. Look for any incorrect or obsolete rules and remove them.
3. Save the file and try accessing the site again.

I hope this tutorial has helped you learn how to run WordPress locally on your computer using Local by Flywheel. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. Happy blogging!

I’m getting a “500 Internal Server Error”

If you’re getting a “500 Internal Server Error” when trying to access your WordPress site, it could be due to a problem with the PHP code on your site. This error usually indicates that there is a syntax error or other issue with the code that is causing the server to crash.

To fix the problem, you can try the following steps:

1. Check the error logs for more information about the problem. In Local by Flywheel, click the “Logs” button to view the error logs for your site. This may give you a clue about what’s causing the error.
2. Deactivate all plugins and themes. This will help you determine if a plugin or theme is causing the error. To deactivate plugins, go to the “Plugins” menu in the WordPress admin dashboard and select “Deactivate” for each plugin. To deactivate themes, go to the “Appearance” menu and switch to a different theme.
3. Check the wp-config.php file for any syntax errors. This file is located in the root directory of your WordPress site and contains important configuration options for your site. Make sure there are no extra spaces or other syntax errors in the file.
4. Check the .htaccess file for any syntax errors. This file is also located in the root directory of your WordPress site and controls how URLs are redirected. Make sure there are no extra spaces or other syntax errors in the file.

If none of these steps help, you may need to contact your hosting provider or a WordPress developer for further assistance.

I’m getting a “404 Not Found” error for my images or other media

If you’re getting a “404 Not Found” error when trying to access images or other media on your WordPress site, it could be due to a problem with the media library. This error usually indicates that the media file has been deleted or moved, or that there is a problem with the URL.

To fix the problem, you can try the following steps:

1. Check the media library to make sure that the media file is still there. Go to the “Media” menu in the WordPress admin dashboard and look for the missing file. If it’s not there, try uploading it again.
2. Check the wp-config.php file to make sure that the WP_CONTENT_URL and WP_CONTENT_DIR constants are correct. These constants define the URL and directory path for your site’s media files, respectively. Make sure they are pointing to the correct location on your server.
3. Check the .htaccess file to make sure there are no rules that are blocking access to the media files. This file is located in the root directory of your WordPress site and controls how URLs are redirected.
4. Try re-generating the thumbnails for your media files. You can do this using a plugin such as Regenerate Thumbnails.

If none of these steps help, you may need to contact your hosting provider or a WordPress developer for further assistance.

I’m getting a “502 Bad Gateway” error

If you’re getting a “502 Bad Gateway” error when trying to access your WordPress site, it could be due to a problem with the web server or PHP configuration. This error usually indicates that the server is unable to process the request due to an issue with the code or configuration.

To fix the problem, you can try the following steps:

1. Check the error logs for more information about the problem. In Local by Flywheel, click the “Logs” button to view the error logs for your site. This may give you a clue about what’s causing the error.
2. Check the php.ini file for any problems. This file contains important PHP configuration options and can sometimes become corrupt or misconfigured. Make sure that all options are set correctly and that there are no syntax errors in the file.
3. Check the .htaccess file for any problems. This file is located in the root directory of your WordPress site and controls how URLs are redirected. Make sure there are no extra spaces or other syntax errors in the file.
4. Increase the PHP and MySQL limits in the Local by Flywheel control panel. If your site is making a large number of requests or using a lot of resources, you may need to increase the limits to prevent the “502 Bad Gateway” error.

If none of these steps help, you may need to contact your hosting provider or a WordPress developer for further assistance.

I’m getting a “503 Service Unavailable” error

If you’re getting a “503 Service Unavailable” error when trying to access your WordPress site, it could be due to a problem with the web server or PHP configuration. This error usually indicates that the server is unable to process the request due to an issue with the code or configuration.

To fix the problem, you can try the following steps:

1. Check the error logs for more information about the problem. In Local by Flywheel, click the “Logs” button to view the error logs for your site. This may give you a clue about what’s causing the error.
2. Check the php.ini file for any problems. This file contains important PHP configuration options and can sometimes become corrupt or misconfigured. Make sure that all options are set correctly and that there are no syntax errors in the file.
3. Check the .htaccess file for any problems. This file is located in the root directory of your WordPress site and controls how URLs are redirected. Make sure there are no extra spaces or other syntax errors in the file.
4. Increase the PHP and MySQL limits in the Local by Flywheel control panel. If your site is making a large number of requests or using a lot of resources, you may need to increase the limits to prevent the “503 Service Unavailable” error.

If none of these steps help, you may need to contact your hosting provider or a WordPress developer for further assistance.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we’ve shown you how to run WordPress locally on your computer using Local by Flywheel. We’ve covered the prerequisites for running WordPress locally, as well as how to install Local by Flywheel and create or import a WordPress site. We’ve also provided some troubleshooting tips for common issues you may encounter when running WordPress locally.

We hope this tutorial has been helpful and that you now feel confident in your ability to run WordPress locally on your computer. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below. Happy blogging!