When you’re editing a live website, any changes you make will be implemented immediately. That means if you want to try new coding or experimental software, you could end up breaking your site and driving new visitors away.
To solve this problem, you can create a local offline version of your website. . . This allows you to run and edit WordPress without the need for an internet connection. By installing your site on your personal computer, you can test new features, learn WordPress, and eventually make your edits live.
In this post, we’ll explain why you might want to create a Website WordPress offline. Then we’ll show you how to do this using DevKinsta. Let’s get started!
Check out our video guide on how to create an offline WordPress site
Why you might consider creating an offline website
If you are a website owner, you probably already know that performing simple administration tasks can negatively affect your live content. Often software updates, new installations, and code-based changes can cause downtime or other issues.
A simple way to avoid breaking your site is to create a test environment. . By making a copy of your website live, you can safely test development changes. With Kinsta, you can even set up a staging site with just one click:
However, there are moments where you may want to edit your site offline entirely. For example, if you don’t have access to Wi-Fi, you won’t be able to open a test site.
Fortunately, you can save a local version of your website to your computer. After you create a WordPress site offline, you can make changes without an Internet connection.
If you’re a professional developer or designer, you may need to work on your clients’ websites offline. Once you clone them and work locally, you can develop successful coding enhancements without affecting live content. You can then simply push these changes back to the original site.
In addition, local sites can offer an effective way to learn WordPress. If you are a complete beginner, you can create a new website offline before purchasing a hosting plan or a domain. This can reduce costs as you experiment with local WordPress development.
When you edit a website live, any changes you make will be implemented immediately. 😅 Creating your site offline can make things simple 😌Click to Tweet
How to Create an Offline WordPress Site (in 3 Steps)
Now that you know the benefits of using a local WordPress site , let’s discuss how to create one!
Step 1: Install DevKinsta
Although there are many different WordPress local development tools you can use, they can have complicated setup processes. With DevKinsta, you can create your first locale with a single click:
Here are some of the high-quality features we’ve brought to DevKinsta:
- PHP 7.2 – 8.0 Compatibility
- MyKinsta Integration
- Local Email Management
- Built-in Database Manager
- At least 5 GB of disk space
- At least 1 GB RAM
- Internet connection during download
- Virtualization enabled in BIOS
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DevKinsta is compatible with macOS, Windows and Linux operating systems. However, before downloading our local development tool, it’s important to make sure your computer meets these requirements:
Then the installation process will vary depending on the software from your computer. You may need to install Docker Desktop before downloading and opening the DevKinsta DMG file.
Step 2: Add a new site
Once DevKinsta is installed, you can use three methods to create a local WordPress website. To make sure we choose the right one for your needs, let’s discuss each approach.
Method 1: Add a new WordPress site
If DevKinsta installed successfully, you’ll see a Create page new site. Here you can add a new WordPress site, import one from Kinsta, or create a custom build:
To create a To create a completely new WordPress website from scratch, select New WordPress Site. This will create a local environment configured with Nginx, MySQL, and the latest WordPress software.
For this method, all you need to do is fill in a site name, a WordPress admin username, and a WordPress admin password. Then click Create Site:
After 30 to 60 seconds, DevKinsta will create a new site. You will be able to see information about the new database, server, PHP version, and more:
During this process, you may need to enter your computer password or accept a confirmation dialog. This will allow the software to make changes to your hosts file and finish creating the database.
Method 2: Import your Kinsta website
If you have a Kinsta Hosting Plan, you can clone your existing website. By doing this, you can easily roll back any changes to your original staging environment or live site. To get started, select Import from Kinsta:
Next, you’ll need to connect your MyKinsta account. When you are finished entering your username and password, click Login:
Next, choose the site you want to clone to your computer. Since DevKinsta supports test and live environments, you can choose one:
If the website is multisite , specify whether to use a subdomain or subdirectory. You can also select No Multisite:
After clicking Import site , DevKinsta will create a local copy of the website of your choice.
Method 3: Add a custom site
When you want more control over your local WordPress installation, you can Select the Custom Site option. This will allow you to configure site-specific settings:
First, choose a name for the website. You can also name the database and choose a PHP version:
Under WordPress Details, you can also modify the site title. like the WordPress version. Lastly, fill in your admin email, username, and password:
Once you click Create</strong site , DevKinsta will add the domain to your hosts file and set up a new database. This should only take 15-20 seconds.
Step 3: Manage your local website
After you’ve created a local website, you’ll need to know how to visit and manage it. This way, you can implement changes and assess how successful they are. On the Sites page, click the arrow icon to open the front of your website:
To go to your WordPress admin, select a webpage. Then at the top of the Site Information page, find the WP Admin button:
In the generated browser, you can fill in your WordPress login information.You’ll then be able to view and edit your website using your dashboard:
Once you make your changes, you can return to the site DevKinsta’s info page. By selecting Sync > Push to Kinsta, you can deploy these builds to your staging or live site. Alternatively, you can also pull changes from Kinsta to this locale:
If you click Database Manager, you can launch Adminer in a browser tab. With this tool, you can create new databases, inspect data in a table, modify column settings, run SQL queries, and much more:
As a beginner, you may only need to create a local WordPress site. However, if you’re a developer or work for an agency, you can create and manage multiple sites on DevKinsta.
In DevKinsta, each site runs in a containerized environment. This means that you can add as many projects as you need. To do this, click Add Site on the home page:
By now you should have a new DevKinsta site WordPress offline and tools You have to customize it! This can help you build your website without Wi-Fi and avoid live coding mistakes.
No Internet connection? No problem. 😌 See how you can create a local offline version of your site in this guide 🛠Click to Tweet
Summary
After launching a local version of WordPress, you can open and manage your site even without one Internet connection. When you’re back online, you can simply push your changes to your live website. This way, you can complete development tasks at any time.
Using DevKinsta, installing a local WordPress environment can be an easy process. Download this free tool today to create an offline quiz site with just one click!
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