How to Install WordPress in 5 Minutes (Any Hosting, Step by Step)

WordPress powers a huge share of the web, and getting it running takes far less time than most beginners expect. With your host's one-click installer you can install WordPress in about five minutes. This guide covers that fast method, the manual method that works on any host, and the first settings to change so your new site starts secure and search-friendly.

What you need before you start

• A domain name such as yourbrand.com.
• Web hosting that supports PHP and MySQL/MariaDB (almost all hosts do).
• SSL, usually free from your host, so the site loads with https.

New to these terms? Read domain vs hosting explained first.

Method 1: One-click install (fastest)

Most hosts include an installer in their control panel: hPanel on Hostinger, Softaculous or "WordPress Manager" on cPanel hosts.

1. Log in to your hosting control panel and open the WordPress installer.
2. Choose the domain and leave the directory empty so WordPress installs at the root (yourbrand.com, not yourbrand.com/wp).
3. Create the administrator account: a unique username (never "admin"), a long random password and an email address you check.
4. Pick your language and skip optional bundled themes and plugins.
5. Click Install, wait a minute, then open yourbrand.com/wp-admin and log in.

On Hostinger the exact screens are covered in our Hostinger WordPress setup guide.

Method 2: Manual install (works on any host)

1. Download WordPress from wordpress.org and unzip it on your computer.
2. Create a database in your hosting panel (MySQL Databases): note the database name, username, password and host (often localhost).
3. Upload the files inside the wordpress folder to your site's root folder (usually public_html) with File Manager or FTP.
4. Run the installer by visiting your domain. Choose your language, enter the database details and continue.
5. Create your admin account and click Install WordPress.

Tip: if the installer cannot connect to the database, double-check the database host and that the database user has been added to the database with all privileges.

The first 7 settings to change

1. Settings > General: site title, tagline, time zone, and make sure both addresses start with https://.
2. Settings > Permalinks: choose Post name before publishing anything.
3. Settings > Discussion: turn comments off if you do not need them.
4. Delete the sample content: the "Hello world!" post, sample page and unused themes and plugins.
5. Users > Profile: set a display name so your login username is not shown publicly.
6. Install a backup solution (see how to back up WordPress for free).
7. Settings > Reading: if you tick "Discourage search engines" while building, set a reminder to untick it at launch.

Common installation problems

• "Error establishing a database connection": wrong database details. See our database connection fix.
• "Not secure" in the browser: activate SSL in your hosting panel; see how to install an SSL certificate on WordPress.
• The domain shows the host's default page: DNS may still be updating, or WordPress was installed in a subfolder.

What to do next

Install a page builder if you want to design visually (how to install Elementor), add the plugins you need (how to install a plugin), then plan your pages with our guide to building a WordPress website without coding.