Introduction:
When developing a WordPress website, it’s common practice to work on it locally before making it live. However, connecting a domain to a local host WordPress installation might seem challenging for some. In this article, we will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to connect a domain with a local host WordPress setup. By following these instructions, you’ll be able to access your WordPress site using your desired domain name during the development phase.
Install WordPress Locally:
- Download and install XAMPP (https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html) or WAMP (http://www.wampserver.com/en/) on your computer.
- Start the local server (Apache and MySQL) through the control panel.
Configure Virtual Host:
- For XAMPP:
- Navigate to the Apache
httpd-vhosts.conffile located in thexampp\apache\conf\extradirectory. - Add the following code at the end of the file:
- Navigate to the Apache
-
- Replace
"C:/xampp/htdocs/your-wordpress-folder"with the actual path to your WordPress installation folder and"yourdomain.com"with your desired domain name.
- Replace
-
For WAMP:
- Navigate to the Apache
httpd-vhosts.conffile located in thewamp\bin\apache\apacheX.X.XX\conf\extradirectory. - Add the following code at the end of the file:
- Navigate to the Apache
Replace "C:/wamp/www/your-wordpress-folder" with the actual path to your WordPress installation folder and "yourdomain.com" with your desired domain name.
Modify Hosts File:
-
- Open the hosts file located at
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hostsusing a text editor with administrator privileges. - Add the following line at the end of the file:
- Open the hosts file located at
- Save the file.
Restart Server:
- Restart the Apache server from the XAMPP or WAMP control panel.
Database Configuration:
- Access phpMyAdmin by opening
http://localhost/phpmyadminin your web browser. - Create a new database for your WordPress site.
- Open the WordPress installation folder and locate the
wp-config.phpfile. - Update the database details in the file:
- Replace
'database_name_here'with your database name. - Replace
'username_here'with your MySQL username. - Replace
'password_here'with your MySQL password. - Replace
'localhost'with'127.0.0.1'.
-
Import Website:
- If you already have a WordPress website, export the database and import it into your local database using phpMyAdmin.
- Copy the website files to the appropriate folder in your local WordPress installation.
-
Testing the Connection:
- Open your web browser and type
yourdomain.comin the address bar. - The browser should now load your local WordPress site associated with the domain you specified.
- Open your web browser and type
By following these steps and using the provided commands, you should be able to connect your domain with a local host WordPress installation. Remember to replace the placeholders with your actual information.