Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Download a WordPress Site Onto Localhost

WordPress is an open-source platform for creating websites and blogs, which is widely used around the world. However, you may need to download a WordPress site onto localhost for various reasons, such as testing and development. This tutorial will guide you through the process of downloading a WordPress site onto localhost.

Prerequisites

Before you start, you should have the following:

• A local server, such as XAMPP, WAMP, or MAMP, installed on your computer.
• A MySQL database created on your local server.
• Access to your live WordPress site’s dashboard and files.

Step 1 - Export Your Live Site’s Database

1. Log in to your WordPress site’s dashboard, and go to Tools > Export.

2. Select All content, and click on the Download Export File button.

3. Save the XML file to your computer.

Step 2 - Download Your WordPress Site’s Files

1. Connect to your live site via FTP, using an FTP client such as FileZilla.

2. Once connected, navigate to your WordPress site’s root directory.

3. Download all the files and folders in your site’s root directory to your computer.

Step 3 - Create a New Database on Localhost

1. Launch your local server’s PHPMyAdmin, and create a new database.

2. Note the name, username, and password of your newly created database.

Step 4 - Import Your Live Site’s Database to Localhost

1. Launch PHPMyAdmin, and navigate to the newly created database.

2. Click on the Import tab, and select the XML file you exported in Step 1.

3. Click on the Go button to start the import process.

Step 5 - Configure Your WordPress Site’s Files

1. Rename the downloaded WordPress site’s folder to match the name of your new localhost site’s folder.

2. Navigate to the wp-config.php file in the renamed folder, and open it in a text editor.

3. Replace the database name, username, and password values with the ones you noted in Step 3.

4. Save the wp-config.php file.

Step 6 - Upload Your WordPress Site’s Files to Localhost

1. Copy the renamed folder containing your WordPress site’s files to your local server’s root directory.

2. Launch your local server’s localhost URL in a browser to access your newly downloaded WordPress site.

Congratulations! You have successfully downloaded your WordPress site onto localhost. You can now test and develop on your local server without affecting your live site.