How To Install WordPress on Local Host With MAMP

With the following steps, you’ll create a local environment on your computer to work on WordPress and test your child theme.

[Last Update: Using MAMP V6.3 and WordPress V5.7.2]

Estimated time: 30 minutes.

Difficulty level: easy peasy.

Get Ready

1. Create Two Folders

1. Clean your desktop and set your downloads to arrive there (since we’re going to open and close windows, move files, having your downloads in a clean desktop is the best way to go)
2. In Mac, go to users/yourusername, and create a folder named “Sites”
3. Inside that folder, create a folder “wordpress”

Remember this path you created: “users/yourusername/Sites/wordpress”

2. Download Your Tools

We need to download two packages: MAMP and WordPress

a) To download MAMP

1. Head over to to mamp.info;
2. Click on “free download;” it will take you to a new page;
3. At the new page, select your operative system (Note: The package contains both the free and pro versions; don’t worry, you won’t be buying anything) You’ll be downloading a *.pkg file (on mac)
4. Once in your desktop, leave it there.

b) To download WordPress

1. Head over to wordpress.org; at the top you’ll see a button “get wordpress;” so, click to get it! A new tab will open;
2. In the new page, select “download and install”. You’ll receive a zip file.

Now everything is ready to begin the installation.

Installing MAMP

1. Double click on the MAMP package you’ve downloaded and follow the screens; this shouldn’t take more than ten (10) seconds. During the installation, you’ll be asked for your admin password.
2. From the launchpad, open the grey icon of MAMP (this is the free version) and the MAMP window will pop up.
3. From the MAMP top Menu, click on “Preferences”; (everything is ready except for one detail: “the document root;” it has by default Applications > Mamp > htdcos, and we need to select the path we created)

4. Click on the tab “Server” and under “Document Root”, click on “choose;” select the path you’ve made: “users/yourusername/Sites/wordpress”.

You’ll be back at the initial MAMP window; so now, we’ll start our engines!

• Starting servers: Click on “Start”; the “Welcome to MAMP” page will open in a new window (it may take a few seconds; if it doesn’t, click on “Open WebStart Page”)
• Creating new data base: At the top menu of this new window in your browser, click on Tools/phpMyAdmin.

• A new tab will open.
  • From the left panel, click on “New” (see the screenshot if you need help); it will take you to the “Databases” tab;
  • to create a new data base; locate the white box that says “Database name” and type in there “wordpressdb;” and click on create.
  • That’s all!
• Close this tab and keep the initial welcoming MAMP page opened in your browser (we’ll be back)

Now you’re ready to Install WordPress.

Installing WordPress

1. Open a “Finder Window” at users/yourusername/Site/wordpress (This folder should be empty or it may have now an index.php file) Leave this window opened.
2. From your desktop, unzip the wordpress folder; open this folder, select all the files and move them to your other window (to users/yourusername/Site/wordpress) Note: if there’s already an index file, click on “replace” when you’re transferring the files)
3. Now in your browser, at the MAMP page, click on “My Website”; it should lead you to a page where you need to choose your language, and begin the WordPress installation. Fill in with the following:
   1. Database Name: wordpressdb
   2. User Name (database): root
   3. Password (database): root
   4. Database Host/server: localhost
   5. Table Prefix: wp_
4. Click on “Submit”
5. Click on, “Run the installation”
6. Fill in with site title, etc; “discourage search engines from indexing this site.” and click on Install WordPress.

You’ll arrive to a final screen saying “Success”, and there will be a nice pretty button for you to login ?.

And… that’s a wrap!