Are you looking for a way to set up WordPress on your computer? Do you want to know how to install WordPress locally on LOCAL by Flywheel?
If you own a WordPress website, plan to develop WordPress themes, or develop WordPress plugins, then using a local testing environment is a good choice.
A local WordPress testing environment will allow you to add and test out new features to see how they behave before adding them to your live website.
In this guide, we will show you step-by-step how to install WordPress on LOCAL by Flywheel.
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What is LOCAL by Flywheel?
Flywheel is a Managed WordPress hosting provider built with the web designer and creative agency in mind.
LOCAL by Flywheel is an excellent product for beginners and advanced users looking to set up a WordPress staging environment locally. It allows you to install WordPress on your computer easily within minutes. LOCAL is currently free of charge and packed with features.
Below are a few of the cool features that come with it. For free!
- WordPress Multisite: Support for both subdomain and subdirectory installation.
- One-click Admin: Log in to your local WordPress site with one click.
- Cloud Backups: Push and pull sites from LOCAL to google drive or dropbox.
- Developer Tools: SSH, WP-CLI, MAILCATCHER, and log files.
- Hot-swap: Swap between PHP versions, NGINX, or Apache.
- Import/Export: Import and Export site files, databases, config files, and log files.
- Clone Sites: Clone all files, databases, and config files.
- TLS/HTTPS: One-click to trust self-signed certificates to suppress browser notices.
- Local Connect: Push and Pull changes to and from your live WordPress site. This only works if you have a Flywheel or WPEngine site. Otherwise, you will need to use the import/export option.
- And many more.
As you can see from the above list, LOCAL comes with many handy features. And they are all free!
How to Install WordPress on LOCAL by Flywheel
Now let us look at how to use LOCAL by Flywheel to install WordPress locally. This tool works on Windows, Mac, and Linux/Ubuntu environments. We will be showing how to install LOCAL by Flywheel on Windows.
Step 1. Download LOCAL by Flywheel
To install WordPress locally, you will need to head over to their website and download a copy of LOCAL. Once you are on their website click on DOWNLOAD at the top right.
Then a popup will appear. Select the platform that you will be installing LOCAL on. For us, we will choose Windows.
Once you choose your platform, you will need to enter some basic information. When you have finished, click on GET IT NOW!
Step 2. Install LOCAL by Flywheel
Once your file has finished downloading, you will see an executable file named local.exe along with the version and platform in the name. Click on the local.exe file to launch the installation process.
When the installer first launches, you need to choose some installation options. Choose who this application is available to, then select where you want LOCAL installed. When you have finished, click on Install.
The installation process will begin and may take a few minutes to complete. Once the installation process has finished, keep the Run Local box checked, then click on Finish.
After clicking the Finish button, a Terms of Service popup will appear. Read the terms. If you agree, check the box and click on I AGREE.
After you agree to the terms, LOCAL will ask whether you want to turn on error reporting and usage reporting. This can be changed at any time under Advanced within the application. Then you will be asked if you want to create a free account if you haven’t already done so.
When you are finished with the above, you will see the main LOCAL application screen. This is where you will manage your local WordPress sites, developer plugins, LOCAL account, and more.
OK, so you have LOCAL installed. Now let us see how we can create a new local WordPress site. You should have the LOCAL application already running. If you don’t, then go ahead and launch it.
Step 3. Click Create a New Site
To install WordPress locally and create a staging environment click on CREATE A NEW SITE.
Step 4. Enter your Local Site Name
Then you need to enter a site name. Your site name will be your local address, much like a domain name. Ours will be “localdevsite,” so our local development URL will be localdevsite.local.
Step 5. Choose your Local Site Path
By default, the My Documents folder is used as your site’s root. If you are happy with this simply leave it as is or change it as you see fit by clicking on ADVANCED OPTIONS and changing the local site path.
When you are ready, click on CONTINUE.
Step 6. Choose your Local WordPress Environment
Now you will need to choose your environment. Preferred is the latest version of PHP and the NGNIX web server with the latest stable version of MySQL. If you need a different environment, like the Apache webserver, then select Custom and configure it to your needs.
When you have finished with the environment screen, click on CONTINUE.
Step 7. Set up your Local WordPress
For this next step, you will see the Set Up WordPress screen. Here you need to enter a username, a strong password (write this down,) and an email address. If you are setting up WordPress multisite, you can find that under ADVANCED OPTIONS.
When you have completed the fields, click on ADD SITE to proceed.
It will take some time for LOCAL to set up your site. During this process, it will ask for permissions through your firewall.
Once your local WordPress installation is complete, you will see some basic information about your site in the overview tab, such as your site URL, Web Server, WordPress Version, and more.
Step 8. View your Local Site
To get to your local WordPress installation, click on OPEN SITE located at the top right. Alternatively, you can copy your local URL from the overview tab and paste it into your browser.
To log in to your local site, click on ADMIN and use the username and password you created earlier.
That’s it! You now know how to install WordPress locally on LOCAL by Flywheel. So, log in and start testing.
Tips for using LOCAL by Flywheel
Below are some helpful tips to help you get started using LOCAL by Flywheel.
1. How to use One-click Admin in LOCAL
To use the One-click Admin feature in the OVERVIEW tab. Simply click the toggle to turn it on, make sure your admin name is selected, then click on ADMIN at the top right. That way, you don’t have to log in every time you visit your local site.
2. Unlimited local WordPress sites in LOCAL
You can create unlimited WordPress staging environments by clicking the + button on the lower left of the screen.
3. How to Enable Extension Add-ons in LOCAL
On the navigation bar, located on the left, click on the puzzle icon to view the extensions available for your local site. Simply click on the extension you want to install, then click INSTALL ADD-ON. After that, click on Enable & Relaunch.
4. Starting your local WordPress Site
Upon launching LOCAL, you will first need to select your site. Then at the top right, click on START SITE. After that, you will be able to visit your local site.
5. Where are the WordPress site files located?
To access the files for your WordPress installation in LOCAL, click on the Go to site folder link, located at the top of the site Overview tab. You will then see a folder open with three folders, app, conf, and logs. Your local site’s WordPress files are in app > public.
Wrapping Up!
LOCAL by Flywheel is an excellent choice for any beginner that wants to set up a local WordPress website on their computer. Creating a local WordPress site on your computer allows you to work offline and test new features before adding them to your live site.
Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand how to install WordPress locally on LOCAL by Flywheel.
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