How to Install WordPress on HostGator Step by Step?

Want to install WordPress on HostGator? This easy-to-follow tutorial will walk you through the entire process of installing WordPress easily…

Want to start a WordPress website or blog?

Great!

You are at the right place. 🙂

In this post, I’ll show you how to install WordPress on HostGator easily. All the essential screenshots are also added for your convenience.

Frankly, it’s super easy to install WordPress on HostGator.

And, I’ll make it easier for you by showing you the exact steps you’ll need to follow for a successful WordPress installation.

I understand that you may still find it hard if you have never done it before.

I have been there.

I still remember those days when I struggled for hours looking for the exact steps I need to take to build my website, using WordPress.

WordPress truly provides the best platform. And, you’ll know why in this post.

So, without further delay, let’s get started…

Why Install WordPress?

You should install WordPress because it is a great way to create a website or blog. WordPress is easy to use and there are tons of resources available to help you get started. Plus, installing WordPress is free!

Here are some more reasons why you should install WordPress:

WordPress is free and open source software.
WordPress is used by millions of people around the world.
WordPress is easy to use.
WordPress is versatile and it can be used for a wide variety of websites.
There are plenty of resources available to help you get started.
There are tons of free WordPress themes and plugins.

If you’re looking to create a website or blog, then installing WordPress is a great option. With WordPress, you can easily create a beautiful website or blog that is easy to use and full of features.

So why not give it a try?

Install WordPress today and see how easy it is to get started!

Why Use HostGator to Install WordPress?

You should use HostGator hosting for installing WordPress because it is a great web hosting company that offers many useful features and makes your WordPress installation process easy. Additionally, HostGator offers excellent customer support in case you need any help along the way.

Key Features of HostGator:

Free WordPress installation
1-click WordPress setup
Free domain name
Excellent customer support
Affordable pricing plans starting at only $2.75/month
Unmetered bandwidth
Free SSL certificate to make your WordPress website secure
99.9% uptime guarantee
Free WordPress/cPanel website transfer

As you can see, HostGator is a great option for installing WordPress. Not only is it easy to use, but it also offers great features and customer support.

So if you haven’t already, be sure to give HostGator a try.

You won’t be disappointed!

Is WordPress Free with HostGator?

Yes, WordPress is free with HostGator. You can install it in just a few clicks using the 1-click WordPress installer. Additionally, you’ll get a free domain name and SSL certificate with your web hosting plan.

What Do You Need to Install WordPress?

Before you install WordPress, you’ll need:

A domain name
Web hosting

Without a domain and web hosting, you can’t install WordPress. Your WordPress site won’t be accessible on the internet.

If you don’t have a domain name yet, you can purchase a domain.

We recommend using HostGator for your web hosting needs. They offer great features, excellent customer support, and affordable plans starting at only $2.75/month. Once you have your domain name and web hosting set up, you’re ready to install WordPress to create your site.

How Long Does it Take to Install WordPress?

It takes just a few minutes to install WordPress on HostGator. Simply use the 1-click WordPress installer and you’ll be up and running in no time.

So, what are you waiting for?

Install WordPress today!

Follow these step-by-step instructions to install WordPress on your HostGator account. We’ll start by signing up for HostGator first.

WordPress is mostly used for blogging sites.

So I would assume you are interested in building a blog. If you want to start a blog that makes money, read this article.

By the way, it doesn’t matter whether you want to build a blog or a website, the process to install WordPress on HostGator is the same.

So let’s get started…

How to Install WordPress on HostGator?

First, you need a HostGator account.

Let’s see how to buy one at a 60% discount and after that, I’ll show you how to install WordPress and manually configure it for your blog.

Step 1: Visit HostGator

Getting started with HostGator is easy.

First, visit HostGator.

(You can use the 60% OFF code at checkout: DIGITALMILLIONS)

When you visit HostGator for the first time, it may look overwhelming. It offers a lot of hosting options including shared hosting, VPS hosting, cloud hosting, WordPress hosting, Dedicated hosting, and more.

Click here to visit HostGator

As you click on the link, you’ll land on the homepage of HostGator.

Now click the button that says “Get Started“.

You’ll go straight to the shared hosting page where you’ll be able to select your preferred hosting plan for your site.

Step 2: Select Your Hosting Plan

For most people, it’s recommended to start with shared hosting because it’s the most affordable option and it’s great for small websites.

HostGator provides 3 different shared hosting plans:

Hatchling Plan
Baby Plan
Business Plan

You’ll need to choose a plan that best suits your needs. If you’re not sure which plan to choose, I recommend the Hatchling Plan. It’s great for small websites and it’s the most affordable option starting at only $2.75/month.

This is best for anyone who wants to work on 1 site only. Hatchling is the cheapest plan and lets you host a single domain.

Key Features of Hatchling Plan

1 website
Unlimited subdomain
1-click WordPress installation
Free SSL
Free domain included
Unmetered bandwidth
Free cPanel access

If you are more experienced or have plans to build more than 1 site, the Baby Plan or the Business Plan will be suitable.

Both the baby and business plans let you host unlimited domains.

Apart from this, you also get free SSL, free domain, unmetered bandwidth, free WordPress installation, cPanel access, and a lot more.

Ask yourself these questions to choose the right hosting plan:

How many websites do you need to host?
How much traffic do you expect to receive?
How much budget do you have?

So, think about how much you can spend and what features you need before making your decision. HostGator offers a 45-day money-back guarantee. So, you can always upgrade to another plan later if you need to.

If you need help choosing a plan, contact HostGator’s award-winning customer support team. They’ll be more than happy to help you.

Once you’ve decided on which hosting plan is right for you, click the “Buy Now” button and you’ll be taken to the next page.

Next, you’ll be asked to choose a domain name.

Step 3: Register Your Free Domain

All HostGator plans come with a free domain name for 1 year.

If you don’t have a domain name yet, you can put in the domain you want to use and HostGator will see if it’s available.

If the domain name you want is available, select it.

How to Choose The Right Domain Name?

Follow these guidelines to choose a perfect domain:

Make it short, easy to remember, and pronounce
Use keywords that describe your business
Avoid using hyphens or numbers
Keep it simple and brandable
It’s great if it’s available as a .com domain
Make sure you domain is brandable

If the domain name you want is not available, you’ll need to choose a different one. HostGator will suggest some alternatives. Once you’ve found an available domain name, select it and you can now go to the next step.

What If You Already Have a Domain Name?

If you already have a domain name that you are happy to use with HostGator, select the “I already own this domain” option.

You’ll then be asked to enter your domain name.

Enter your domain name in the “Domain” field and continue.

Keep in mind that the domain you choose here is the domain you will use for your website. For example, if you choose “example.com” as your domain, your primary domain with HostGator will be “example.com” only.

Step 4: Confirm Your HostGator Plan

Next, you’ll be asked to confirm your preferred hosting plan.

Step 5: Enter Your Account Information

Next, you’ll be asked to enter your account information.

Enter your email address and choose a password.

Make sure to use a strong password (combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols) for your account.

You also need to create a Username for your HostGator account and a Security PIN. The security PIN will be used to verify your identity when you contact HostGator support regarding any technical issues or any kind of support.

Step 6: Enter Your Billing Information

Now, you’ll be asked to enter your billing information.

Enter your name, address, and phone number.

Make sure to use the same name, address, and phone number that is associated with your credit card. Enter your credit card information along with any tax ID if you have one. This is completely optional.

Apart from a credit card, you can also pay by PayPal.

What is PayPal?

PayPal is a secure, online payment system that allows you to pay for your HostGator hosting account without sharing your credit card information.

If you don’t have a PayPal account, you can sign up for one.

You’ll be taken to the PayPal website to complete your payment. Once your payment is processed, you’ll be redirected back to HostGator.

The next section will ask you to choose your add-ons.

Step 7: Choose Your Add-ons

HostGator offers a variety of add-ons that can help you get the most out of your hosting account.

The most popular HostGator add-ons are:

Sitelock Essentials: This add-on helps you protect your website from malware and hackers.

CodeGuard Basic: This add-on backs up your website so you can restore it if it’s ever hacked or damaged.

Professional Email: This add-on allows you to create professional email addresses (like name@example.com) for your website.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tools: This add-on helps you optimize your website for the search engines.

You can choose to add any of these add-ons to your account. If you’re not sure which add-ons you need, you can always add them later.

Keep in mind that it will increase your total price.

The additional services you get are as follows:

At this stage, I’ll suggest you unselect everything. It will only increase the overall cost. You can always purchase these services later.

By default, SiteLock and CodeGuard will be selected.

You can unselect them and proceed to the next step.

Step 8: Activate Your Special Deal

As you scroll to the next section, you’ll be asked if you have a coupon code. Use the following coupon code here to get a 60% discount on the regular price.

60% OFF. USE COUPON. “DIGITALMILLIONS”

Just enter the coupon code and get it validated.

It’s time to review your order details.

Step 9: Review Your Order

The next page will show you a summary of your order.

Check to make sure that all of the information is correct.

If everything looks good, scroll down and click on the “Checkout Now” button.

Once your payment is processed, you’ll be taken to the “Welcome to HostGator” page. This is where you can find your account information.

You’ll also receive a confirmation email from HostGator.

This email contains your username, password, and other important account information like nameserver details.

Make sure to save this email for future reference.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully signed up with HostGator.

Now that you know how to sign up for HostGator hosting, let’s take a look at how to install WordPress on your new hosting account.

There are 2 ways to install WordPress on HostGator:

Manual Installation: This method requires you to download the WordPress files and upload them to your hosting account.

One Click Installation: This method allows you to install WordPress with just a few clicks using WordPress installer tool called QuickInstall.

Both methods are easy to follow and only take a few minutes to complete.

First, you’ll need to log in to HostGator cPanel.

Step 10: Access HostGator cPanel

To install WordPress, you’ll need HostGator’s cPanel access.

What is a cPanel?

cPanel is a web-based hosting control panel that allows you to manage your hosting account and website.

It’s the most popular way to manage a hosting account.

To login to cPanel, you’ll need to use the username and password that you created when you signed up for HostGator.

Once you’re logged in, you’ll be on the cPanel dashboard.

This is where you can manage all aspects of your hosting account and website.

2 Different ways to access cPanel

There are a few ways to access cPanel.

You can log in to cPanel directly by going to http://example.com/cpanel (replace example.com with your domain name).

Keep in mind that this method is not available right from the beginning as your domain registration and propagation time has to be over yet (which is around 24-48 hours in most cases).

What is domain propagation time?

Domain propagation is the process of updating the Domain Name System (DNS) with your website’s new hosting information. It usually takes around 24-48 hours for DNS changes to propagate around the globe.

This means that during this time, some people will be able to see your website while others will not. Once DNS changes have fully propagated, everyone will be able to see your website.

When the propagation time is over, you can log in to cPanel directly by going to http://example.com/cpanel (replace example.com with your domain name).

Another way to log in to cPanel is by logging into your HostGator customer portal. From, here you can easily access your cPanel.

You need cPanel to install WordPress.

Right from your account dashboard, click Launch cPanel.

The confirmation email you receive from HostGator will have all the information you need on how to access your cPanel successfully.

Step 11: Install WordPress

As you log into your cPanel, you’ll land on your main overview page.

From here you will access all the features, you’ll require to seamlessly manage your web hosting account with HostGator.

This is what the cPanel looks like:

With the help of cPanel, you can easily install WordPress on your domain.

Under the Software section, you’ll find QuickInstall. You can also use the search bar on the top to search for QuickInstall.

Just click on QuickInstall.

“QuickInstall is a tool that allows you to install WordPress (and other website scripts) with just a few clicks.”

Next, you’ll land on the QuickInstall Marketplace page.

From the dashboard, click on WordPress in the top left corner. By clicking on WordPress, you’ll reach the WordPress installation page.

From here, you can easily install WordPress on your domain.

Now click the big gray button that says Install WordPress.

Check out the image below.

Next, you need to fill up the WordPress Installation form with the relevant information such as administration email, username, blog title, and your name.

Here, you’ll be asked to select your domain name where you want to install WordPress. Select your domain name carefully as you cannot change it later.

If you want to install WordPress in the root directory (example.com), leave the “In Directory” field blank.

If you want to install WordPress in a subdirectory (example.com/blog), enter the name of the directory in the “In Directory” field.

For example, if you want to install WordPress in a directory called “blog”, you would enter “blog” in the “In Directory” field.

Enter all the necessary information.

Make sure to use a strong password for your WordPress account.

A strong password is a password that is at least 8 characters long and includes uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

Then, hit the green button “Install WordPress“.

And, wait for the installation to be completed. Once the installation is completed, you’ll get a confirmation message with your login credentials.

When the installation is complete, you’ll get the following message:

You’ll need to click on View Credentials to note down your username and password. You’ll also receive an email with the credentials.

So make sure you type your email address correctly when installing WordPress.

Congratulations! 🙂

You’ve now successfully installed WordPress.

Please note that if you’ve not bought a domain from HostGator, but from a different domain registrar like Namecheap, you’ll need to point your domain to your HostGator Nameservers. And, you should wait for the propagation time to be over.

Unless your domain is pointed to HostGator nameservers, you won’t be able to log in to your WordPress site.

Even for domains registered with HostGator, it still needs to be pointed to HostGator for the site to be accessible after installation.

If you see a “404 not found” error or are unable to access your WordPress site, this is most likely due to the domain not being pointed to HostGator yet.

Once your domain is pointed to HostGator nameservers, you should be able to access your WordPress site. If you want to learn how to point your domain to HostGator, please read this article from HostGator.

If you’re still having trouble accessing your WordPress site, please contact our support team for further assistance.

Step 12: Access WordPress Admin

After successful installation, you should be able to access your WordPress admin using any of the following URLs:

yoursite.com/login/
yoursite.com/admin/
yoursite.com/wp-login.php
yoursite.com/wp-admin/

If you have used a subdirectory to install WordPress, use the full subdirectory URL to access your WordPress admin. Suppose you have used “/blog/” as your directory. Then, you can access the admin using the following URLs:

yoursite.com/blog/login/
yoursite.com/blog/admin/
yoursite.com/blog/wp-login.php
yoursite.com/blog/wp-admin/

The WordPress login page looks like this:

Enter your credentials to access your WordPress site.

As you successfully installed WordPress, your job is not over.

You still need to learn how to use WordPress efficiently, how to install plugins, how to activate a theme, and finally build a successful blog.

So, without further ado, let’s go to the next step.

Step 13: Set Up Your New WordPress Site

Once you’re logged in, you’ll be taken to your WordPress dashboard.

This is where you can manage your WordPress site.

On the left-hand side, you’ll see a menu with all the different things you can do in your WordPress admin.

We’ll go over some of the most important ones:

Set Up Permalinks
Install a WordPress Theme
Install Plugins
Write your first blog post
Configure backups

So, let’s get started!

The first thing you need to do is set up your permalinks.

Set Up WordPress Permalinks

What are Permalinks?

Permalinks are the URLs of your blog posts and pages. They should be easy to read and understand for both humans and search engines.

To set up your permalinks, go to Settings -> Permalinks.

On this page, you can select the permalink structure for your WordPress site.

I recommend using the “Post name” permalink structure. There are several reasons why “Post name” is the best permalink structure for WordPress:

It’s easy to read and understand
It’s easy to share
It’s good for SEO

Now, click on the “Save Changes” button.

As you’ve set up your permalinks, it’s time to install a WordPress theme.

Install a WordPress Theme

What is a WordPress theme?

A WordPress theme is a collection of files that determine the look and feel of your WordPress site. A theme determines the layout, colors, and style of your site. A good theme gives your visitors a better user experience.

There are two types of WordPress themes: free and premium.

Free WordPress themes are available in the WordPress.org theme directory. Premium WordPress themes are available for purchase from third-party websites like StudioPress and Themeforest.

When choosing a WordPress theme for your website, it’s important to consider the following factors:

Layout: How do you want your content to be laid out? Do you want a magazine-style layout or a more traditional blog layout?
Design: What colors and style do you want your site to have?
Features: Does the theme have the features you need?
Responsiveness: Is the theme responsive? (meaning, does it look good on mobile devices?)

If you want a free WordPress theme, I recommend checking out the WordPress.org theme directory. If you want a premium WordPress theme, I recommend you read: 21 Best WordPress Themes of All Time

There are thousands of free and premium WordPress themes available.

To install a WordPress theme, go to Appearance -> Themes.

On this page, you can either upload a theme or search for a theme from the WordPress theme directory.

If you want to upload a theme, click on the “Upload Theme” button.

If you want to search for a theme, enter the keyword(s) in the search box and click on the “Search” button.

Once you’ve found a theme you like, click on the “Install” button.

After the theme is installed, you can activate it.

Now that you’ve installed a WordPress theme, it’s time to install some plugins.

Install WordPress Plugins

What are WordPress plugins?

WordPress plugins are pieces of software that add features and functionality to your WordPress site. For example, there are plugins to add social sharing buttons, contact forms, spam protection, and much more.

There are two types of WordPress plugins:

Free WordPress Plugins: Free WordPress plugins are available in the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Premium WordPress Plugins: Premium WordPress plugins are available for purchase from third-party websites.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Plugin

Compatibility: Is the plugin compatible with your version of WordPress?
Features: Does the plugin have the features you need?
Support: Does the plugin have good reviews? Is the developer responsive to questions and support requests?

If you want a free WordPress plugin, we recommend checking out the WordPress.org plugin directory.

There are thousands of free and premium WordPress plugins available.

To install a WordPress plugin, go to Plugins -> Add New.

On this page, you can either upload a plugin or search for a plugin from the WordPress plugin directory.

If you want to upload a plugin, click on the “Upload Plugin” button.

If you want to search for a plugin, enter the keyword(s) in the search box and click on the “Search” button.

Once you’ve found a plugin you like, click on the “Install” button.

After the plugin is installed, you can activate it.

Now that you’ve learned about WordPress plugins, and how to install and activate them, it’s time to start creating content.

What is Content?

Content is the text, images, videos, etc. that you add to your WordPress site. It is the most important part of building a WordPress site.

Without content, your site would be nothing more than an empty shell.

Some of the most popular types of content are:

Posts: Posts are individual pieces of content that are displayed in reverse chronological order on your WordPress site.
Pages: Pages are static pieces of content that are not displayed in reverse chronological order.
Media: Media is content that consists of images, videos, and other forms of media.

Mainly, you should be writing blog posts and creating pages.

Write Your First Blog Post

To write a new blog post, go to Posts -> Add New.

On the “Add New Post” page, you’ll be able to enter your blog post content, add images, and more. Once you’re done, click on the “Publish” button to publish your blog post. Once published, your blog post will be publicly available.

To edit an existing blog post, click on the “Posts” link and then click on the post you want to edit. On the “Edit Post” page, you can make changes to your blog post content, image, and more. Once you’re done making changes, click on the “Update” button to save your changes.

Pages: This is where you can add and edit your WordPress pages.

To add a new page, click on the “Add New” link under the “Pages” menu.

On the “Add New Page” page, you’ll be able to enter your page content, add images, and more. Once you’re done, click on the “Publish” button to publish your page. Once published, your page will be publicly available.

To edit an existing page, click on the “Pages” link and then click on the page you want to edit. On the “Edit Page” page, you can make changes to your page content, image, and more. Once you’re done making changes, click on the “Update” button to save your changes.

Configure WordPress Backups

Backing up your WordPress websites is crucial.

A backup is a copy of your WordPress site that you can use to restore your site if something goes wrong. It’s like an insurance policy for your website.

I don’t have to tell you why backup is important, right?

It’s the first thing you should do after launching a new WordPress site. And it’s something you should monitor regularly (at least once a week).

The good news is that backing up your WordPress site is easy.

There are many WordPress backup plugins available.

I recommend using the BlogVault plugin.

BlogVault is a premium WordPress backup plugin that offers many features, including real-time backups, automatic backups, and more.

Go to BlogVault

It’s one of the most popular backup plugins for WordPress. And it’s what I use to back up my own WordPress sites.

To get started with BlogVault, sign up for a free account and then install the plugin on your WordPress site. Once the plugin is installed and activated, connect your WordPress site to your BlogVault account.

Once connected, BlogVault will begin backing up your WordPress site automatically. You can also schedule regular backups.

You can even take manual backups if you want.

Now, if something goes wrong with your WordPress site, you can always restore it from your BlogVault account.

And that’s it!

You’ve successfully backed up your WordPress site. You can now sleep peacefully at night knowing your site is safe.

BlogVault is a premium plugin and it costs $7/month. It’s the most reliable backup solution for backing up your WordPress site to the cloud.

Well, if you are looking for a free solution, there’s one.

I recommend UpdraftPlus.

It’s a free plugin that makes it easy to create backups.

It’s easy to install the UpdraftPlus plugin.

Simply, go to Plugins -> Add New and search for “UpdraftPlus“.

Click on the “Install Now” button and then activate the plugin.

Once the plugin is installed and activated, go to Settings -> UpdraftPlus Backups to configure the plugin.

On the “Settings” page, you can choose how often you want to create backups, where you want to store your backups, and more.

I recommend storing your backups in the cloud (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.) so that you can easily restore your site if something goes wrong.

Click on the “Save Changes” button to save your changes.

That’s all you have to do.

The UpdraftPlus plugin will now automatically create backups of your WordPress site according to the schedule you’ve configured.

While UpdraftPlus is not as feature-rich as BlogVault, it’s a good free solution for backing up your WordPress site.

And, with that, you are done with the basics of WordPress setup.

What’s the next step?

The next step is to start working on your WordPress site.

Start by creating pages and posts.

If you want to get traffic from Google, you should also create some content around keywords that people are searching for.

SEO (search engine optimization) is a topic for another day.

For now, just focus on creating good content.

And, of course, keep on improving your WordPress site.

Add new plugins, change your theme, and do whatever you can to make your WordPress site better and more efficient. If you do that, you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful WordPress website.

Here’s a summary of what you’ve learned so far:

Why should you install WordPress
Why use HostGator to Install WordPress
Key features of HostGator
What do you need to install WordPress
How long does it take to install WordPress
How to sign up with HostGator
How to choose a domain name for your website
How to get a discount from HostGator
How to access HostGator cPanel
How to install WordPress
How to access WordPress Admin
How to set up your new WordPress site
How to back up your website

And, most importantly you learned what to do next…

That’s a long journey, but you made it!

You are now ready to create a WordPress website of your own.