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WordPress How to Make a Website with WordPress Installing WordPress The Famous 5-Minute WordPress Install

Amber Hoddinott
Amber Hoddinott
6,494 Points
Posted by Amber Hoddinott
Amber Hoddinott
6,494 Points

Quick question ;) to make sure i understand...

Hi I just want to make sure I am understanding it all ( I have finished this course and would like to be sure I'm understanding everything before i move on)... I'd really appreciate feedback :D thank you.

so this is what I understand,

you buy and domain name (which is the Http address of my website, and a hosting plan (which gives me a folder on another computer... on a server)

then depending on where you buy these you will have a control panel to help you manage parts of you site such as databases and emails etc. In the case here, in this course the control panel is... cPanel.

You use the username and password sent to you by the site you bought your domain and hosting plan from to log in to Cpanel ( this is your sites sort of like a control panel... like on a windows computer you have a control panel to control everything) you then install WordPress in cPanel so then your domain is then linked to the Cpanel control panel.

ok so then you have a server ... in this case FileZilla... you download, you then log in with the same information you received in your email when buying you domain and hosting plan. this I guess means that as your logging in with the same details, that it's all linked together, or is it that when you log in you have access to the file you brought (the hosting plan.. my server)... you can then download WordPress from wordpress.org and move it into the remote server side in FileZilla which means its it on the server (the server you brought when you brought the hosting plan) .

QUESTIONS Can you use any FTP clients... would the login details work for others other than FileZilla. I don't want to do this now, just trying to make sure I understand everything.

I hope I've been able to explain my understanding well enough... a lot of information to explain, but I'm sure like many people on here learning to code, its important i check my understanding, else i could spend weeks thinking about whole process wrong and get myself confused when I'm learning more. Thank you in advance!! Amber :D

2 Answers

James Gill
James Gill
Courses Plus Student 34,936 Points

Amber,

(nearly) every hosting provider provides automated install of WordPress on their server via a control panel. You don't have to "download WordPress then move it there via FTP".

In this scenario, the only reason you need FTP is to upload additional files you either modified or want to add to your WordPress installation. And FTP clients are basically all the same.

It's as simple as that.

Amber Hoddinott
Amber Hoddinott
6,494 Points
Amber Hoddinott
Amber Hoddinott
6,494 Points

to create a child theme folder i would always need to download wordpress to a FTP , or use add php to my files i wouldnt be able to do alot of editing, such as css in just the control panel. sorry i just want be sure i understand this. so downloading WordPress to a FTP is so your able to do editing such as these things.

Seth Kroger
Seth Kroger
56,414 Points
Seth Kroger
Seth Kroger
56,414 Points

Yes, you can use any FTP client. FTP is a standard protocol, much like HTTP. Using a different FTP client is no different than switching from Chrome to Firefox for view a website.

Amber Hoddinott
Amber Hoddinott
6,494 Points
Amber Hoddinott
Amber Hoddinott
6,494 Points

thank you... and everything else i explained about my understanding of the process is correct?

Seth Kroger
Seth Kroger
56,414 Points
Seth Kroger
Seth Kroger
56,414 Points

Close. Installing a hosting company's WordPress bundle with cPanel is a separate process from manually installing it through FTP. Ideally you'd use the cPanel route if it's available because it's easier. Though having an FTP client on hand is useful if you want to transfer other assets to the host.