How to Install WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide

WordPress is the content management system Gomax runs on. Before you can install the theme, you need a working WordPress site. This guide walks you through installing WordPress manually on your own hosting account.

Tip

Many hosting providers offer a one-click WordPress installer in their control panel, which skips most of the manual steps below. Use this guide if your host doesn’t offer one, or if you prefer to install WordPress yourself.

1. Choose a hosting provider.

   You need a hosting provider to store your website’s files. Popular options include Bluehost, SiteGround, and HostGator. Pick a plan that fits your needs and register a domain name if you don’t already have one.

2. Download WordPress.

   Visit the official WordPress.org website and download the latest version. The download is a .zip file.

3. Upload WordPress to your hosting account.

   Upload the WordPress files via FTP (File Transfer Protocol). Use an FTP client such as FileZilla to connect to your server.

   Enter your FTP credentials (provided by your hosting provider), navigate to your website’s root directory (often public_html or www), and upload the WordPress .zip file. Once uploaded, extract the .zip file in the root directory.

4. Create a MySQL database.

   WordPress requires a MySQL database to store its data. Log in to your hosting control panel (such as cPanel) and open the MySQL Database section. Create a new database and a database user, then grant that user all privileges on the database. Note down the database name, username, and password — you’ll need them in the next step.

5. Configure WordPress.

   Navigate to your website’s URL. You should see the WordPress installation screen. Select your preferred language and click Continue, then click Let’s go! to proceed with the database configuration.

   Enter the database name, username, and password you created earlier. For Database Host, enter localhost if the database is on the same server. Leave the table prefix as wp_ unless you have a specific reason to change it. Click Submit.

   If WordPress connects to the database successfully, you’ll see a success message. Click Run the installation.

6. Complete the installation.

   Fill in the required site information:

   • Site Title — your website’s name.
   • Username — the admin username for your WordPress site.
   • Password — a strong password for your admin account.
   • Your Email — an email address for administrative purposes.

   If you’re not ready to go live yet, check the box to discourage search engines from indexing your site. Click Install WordPress.

7. Log in to WordPress.

   Once the installation finishes, click Log In and enter the username and password you created in the previous step to access the WordPress admin dashboard.

Next steps

With WordPress installed, you’re ready to install and activate Gomax. See How to install a WordPress theme purchased from ThemeForest and Activate Theme License to continue setup. Before building pages, also check The Ideal WordPress PHP and Server Requirements to confirm your hosting environment meets Gomax’s requirements.