--- title: "How to Install WordPress Manually" description: "The easiest way to install WordPress is to use the WordPress Softaculous installation. This is available if you are an InMotion Hosting customer. If you are not, you must perform a manual..." url: https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/edu/wordpress/manual-wp-install/ date: 2015-03-25 modified: 2023-12-01 author: "InMotion Hosting Contributor" categories: ["WordPress Hosting", "WordPress Tutorials"] type: post lang: en --- # How to Install WordPress Manually ![How to Install WordPress Manually - Hero Image](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/How-to-Install-WordPress-Manually-1024x538.png) The easiest way to install WordPress is to use the [WordPress Softaculous installation](/support/edu/wordpress/install-wordpress-using-softaculous/). This is available if you are an InMotion Hosting customer. If you are not, you must perform a manual installation. The following tutorial will walk you through a manual installation of WordPress. - [Create the Database](#create) - [Install WordPress on Webserver](#install) - [Understand the Root Location](#understand-root) - [Download and Extract the WordPress Installation Files](#download-extract) - [Manually Install WordPress](#manual-install) ## Create the Database Before we begin the installation of WordPress with the files you get from WordPress.org, you will first need to create the database for WordPress to work. If you are not an InMotion customer, you must be familiar with creating a database with your host. The following instructions are for cPanel using the MySQL database options there. 1. [Login to cPanel](/support/edu/cpanel/how-to-log-into-cpanel/). 2. Click on **MySQL Databases**. 3. Type in a name for your database. ![Create Database](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wpphoto_create-database-1.png)For example, you might add the name “wpdb411”. InMotion accounts will include a prefix to any database name and user. If the prefix was “pre123” and you typed “wpdb411” in the entry field, then the database name will be “pre123_wpdb411”. Note that the “_” is part of the name. 4. Next, scroll down and create a **MySQL user**. Type in a user name in the blank field after the account prefix.![Create DB user](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wpphoto_create-db-user.png) 5. Use the **Password Generator** or type in a password for your new user. Ensure your password is strong and you have it saved/copied in a secure location (don’t forget it!) 6. Go to the section labeled **ADD USER TO DATABASE**. Select the user you created by clicking the drop-down arrow next to the user.![Add user to the database](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wpphoto_add-user-db-2.png) 7. Click on the **Database drop-down menu** and select the database you created earlier. 8. Click on **ADD**. 9. Assign privileges for the users to access the database. Click on **ALL PRIVILEGES**, then click on **MAKE CHANGES** to save your selection.![Add database user privileges](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wpphoto_dbuser-privileges.png) 10. Record your database name, user name, and password, as needed, in the WordPress Setup. ## Installing WordPress onto the Web Server Now that your database is set up, the next part of the installation involves downloading and using the WordPress installation file. WordPress refers to it as the [Famous 5-Minute Install](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/how-to-install-wordpress/). You will need to understand where to place the file and how to uncompress the file for the installation. Depending on your hosting service, you may or may not have an application to move and extract the file. You can use an [FTP client](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/website/ftp/getting-started-guide/) to move the file. This tutorial uses the [cPanel File Manager](/support/edu/cpanel/using-file-manager-in-cpanel/) when working with the files on the web server. ### Understand the Root Location The [root directory/folder](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/website/where-to-upload-files/) is where a hosting service places your website files by default. InMotion Hosting defines the root folder as **public_html**. If you install it elsewhere on your web server, note the location for when you extract the installation files. If you’re still unsure of the root folder, please contact technical support for assistance. If you are an InMotion Hosting user and you install WordPress to the root folder of your account, then the assigned domain name for that account is the WordPress URL. WordPress can also be installed on a subdomain or subfolder. For example, a WordPress install URL using a subfolder will look like this: *HTTP://domain-name.com/subfolder*. A WordPress site installed on a subdomain will have a URL like this: *HTTP://subdomain.main-domain.com*. Note that [subdomains](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/domain-names/new-domains-add-on-parked-and-subdomains/) must be defined before the WordPress installation. ### Download and Extract the WordPress Installation files Once you know where to install your WordPress site, you can download the compressed installation file and extract the files. 1. **Click on this link to download the [WordPress install zip file](https://wordpress.org/download/)**. 2. Upload the WordPress installation file to your chosen location. The default location for an InMotion Hosting account is *public_html*. 3. [Uncompress the WordPress file](/support/edu/cpanel/compressing-uncompressing-files/) using the **Extract **option in File Manager. By default, the zipped WordPress installation file will create a **WordPress folder** with all the files.![Extract files from Zipped file](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wpphoto_extract-file-manager.png) 4. Double-click on the **WordPress** folder to open it. 5. Click on **SELECT ALL** (at the top of the File Manager) to select all of the files. 6. [](/support/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wpphoto_move-install-files.png)[](/support/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wpphoto_move-install-files.png)Click on **Move File** at the top of the File Manager. 7. Backspace over “wordpress” to remove it from the path, then click on the **MOVE FILES** button at the bottom of the pop-up window.![Move Installation files](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wpphoto_move-install-files.png) 8. After the move is complete, delete the empty **WordPress **folder (it will be empty since you moved all of the files and folders out of it). ### Manually Install WordPress When you have completed extracting the files, you will do the “[Famous 5-minute install](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/how-to-install-wordpress/)” created by WordPress. Click on the link to see their instructions. 1. Log into your favorite internet browser, then run **wp-admin/install.php** based on your domain name. If your domain name is *domain-name.com*, then the installation URL would be **https://domain-name.com/wp-admin/install.php** 2. Select the language for your dashboard.![Select Language](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wpphoto_select-language.png) 3. Fill in the Database info that you recorded earlier.![Database Entry](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wpphoto_wpsetup-db-entry.png) 4. Click on **Submit** to begin the site installation. Fill in the **Site Title**, **Username**, then add a **password** and **email**. You will also have the option to allow search engines to index the site.![wp-setup-3](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wpphoto_wp-setup-3.png) 5. Click on **Install WordPress** at the bottom of the page. The installation will process and you will see a login screen when it’s complete! **Hosting Optimized for WordPress** Purpose-built infrastructure optimizes WordPress sites for speed and security. Get server-level caching, automated updates, and WordPress-specific security hardening managed by experts who understand the platform. ![check mark](https://design.inmotionhosting.com/assets/icons/standard/check-blue.svg)Free Website Builder     ![check mark](https://design.inmotionhosting.com/assets/icons/standard/check-blue.svg)Free SSLs     ![check mark](https://design.inmotionhosting.com/assets/icons/standard/check-blue.svg)Unlimited Bandwidth [WordPress Hosting](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/shared-hosting/wordpress?mktgp=t&irgwc=1&affiliates=5001860&utm_campaign=Jumbotron&utm_source=supportcenter&utm_medium=cta&utm_term=legacy-wp-cta) ## Hosting with a VPS A shared hosting account can keep you covered when it comes to WordPress. But if you are considering upgrading to a VPS, check out our [Managed VPS Product guide](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/product-guides/vps-hosting/). Congratulations, you have completed a manual WordPress installation!