- Set up a local Joomla development environment on your PC using XAMPP for easy testing and development.
- Learn how to install Joomla on localhost, create a database, and configure your site before going live.
A quick question. In your opinion, what is the best platform to build a test Joomla website?
Your own local PC!
Hosting your site on a PC eliminates the hosting issues that might arise when you host your site on an actual live server.
Keeping that in mind, I’ll teach you how to install Joomla on localhost in this post.
There is a variety of Apache distribution software available such as XAMPP, WAMP, and MAMP. In this tutorial, I’ll be using the most popular of them all, i.e. XAMPP.
Install and Activate XAMPP
The first thing to do is to download, install, and activate XAMPP. To do so, open XAMPP and turn on the options shown in the screenshot below.
Download Joomla
Now, go to the download page on Joomla’s official site and download the .zip or .tar.gz file. Decompress it and copy the folder to the .htdocs folder in your XAMPP installation directory.
Path of the .htdocs file
Rename the folder to anything you wish, I’ll name it Joomla.
This is the directory that contains the files which will be accessed when you navigate to http://localhost in your browser.
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Create Database
Before you start with Joomla installation, you will need to create a database that you can connect with it. To do this, navigate to localhost/phpmyadmin in your browser and click the Databases tab at the top and then create a database from there.
Make sure you remember the name of the database you created, as it will be required during Joomla installation.
Install Joomla
Now, it is time to install Joomla. Navigate to localhost/yourfoldername. Here ‘yourfoldername’ is where you have installed Joomla. You will be presented with the following screen.
Enter the name of your site as well as the account details for the superuser.
A superuser is someone who has all the possible privileges for a Joomla site. After creating a superuser, click next.
Now enter the credentials of your database. For hostname, enter ‘localhost’. For username, enter ‘root’. As the database name, enter the name of the database you created in the Create database step. After completing all of these necessary tasks, click next.
For the purpose of this post, we won’t be inserting any sample data by default. Hence, leave the first option as it is. Scroll down and you will see the following options.
Make sure all the headings under the Pre-Installation Check read ‘Yes’.
Click Install button to commence Joomla installation.
Wait for the installation to complete and that’s it.
You’ve successfully installed Joomla on localhost.
Final Word
There are a host of benefits of installing your Joomla site on PC, including but not limited to, ease of testing new features, and making critical changes to your site.
I hope this tutorial helped you to install Joomla on localhost.
Let me know if you have any questions, and I’ll be happy to answer them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How to install Joomla on localhost?
To install Joomla on localhost:
1.Download Joomla from the official site.
2.Set up a local server using XAMPP, MAMP, or WAMP.
3.Extract Joomla files into the local server’s htdocs or www folder.
4.Create a database via phpMyAdmin.
5.Run the Joomla installer by opening http://localhost/yourfoldername in a browser.
6.Follow the setup wizard and complete the installation.
Q. How to install Joomla on XAMPP?
Install XAMPP and start Apache & MySQL.
Download Joomla and extract it into xampp/htdocs/yourfoldername.
Create a database in phpMyAdmin (http://localhost/phpmyadmin).
Open http://localhost/yourfoldername and follow the Joomla installation steps.
Enter database details, set up admin credentials, and finalize the installation.
Q. How to restore a Joomla backup on localhost?
Install XAMPP/WAMP and start the server.
Copy your Joomla files into the local server directory.
Import the backup database via phpMyAdmin.
Update configuration.php with local database details.
Access the site via http://localhost/yourfoldername.
Q. How to run a Joomla website on localhost?
Follow the steps below to run a Joomla site on localhost:
Install XAMPP, WAMP, or MAMP and start Apache & MySQL.
Place Joomla files in the local server directory (htdocs or www).
Import the database and update configuration.php.
Open http://localhost/yourfoldername in a browser to access the site.
Q. How to create a Joomla website on localhost?
Here’s how you can create a Joomla website on localhost:
1. Install Joomla on localhost using XAMPP/WAMP.
2. Choose a template and customize the design.
3. Add content, menus, and extensions via the Joomla admin panel.
4. Configure SEO settings and site preferences.
5. Test everything locally before migrating online.
Q. How to transfer a Joomla site from localhost to a server?
Follow the steps below to transfer a Joomla site from localhost to a server:
1. Export the database from phpMyAdmin.
2. Upload Joomla files to your hosting server via FTP.
3. Import the database on the live server.
4. Update configuration.php with new database and site URL details.
5. Test your site live and fix any broken links or paths.
Shahzeb Ahmed
Shahzeb is a Digital Marketer with a Software Engineering background, works as a Community Manager — PHP Community at Cloudways. He is growth ambitious and aims to learn & share information about PHP & Laravel Development through practice and experimentation. He loves to travel and explore new ideas whenever he finds time. Get in touch with him at [email protected]
