1. Choose a Local Development Tool

• LocalWP (by Flywheel) → Very beginner-friendly, one-click WP install.

• MAMP/XAMPP/WAMP → More manual setup but also popular.

If you’re new, start with LocalWP – it’s simple and fast.

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2. Install WordPress Locally

• Open LocalWP (or your chosen tool).

• Click “Create New Site” → give your site a name (e.g., myproject.local).

• It will install PHP, MySQL, and WordPress for you automatically.

• You’ll get a local admin URL like: http://myproject.local/wp-admin.

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3. Pick a Theme

• Go to Appearance → Themes in WP admin.

• Choose a starter theme: Twenty Twenty-Four, Astra, GeneratePress, etc.

• If you want visual editing, install Elementor (or use Gutenberg blocks with Kadence/GenerateBlocks).

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4. Add Essential Plugins

At minimum, install:

• UpdraftPlus (backups, even local).

• Wordfence or AIOS (basic security).

• Yoast SEO / RankMath (SEO, even if testing).

• WPForms (forms).

• WP Rocket (or LiteSpeed) (caching).

(If you want AI assistance → Elementor AI, Bertha AI, or Site Kit + AI.)

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5. Build Your Site

• Create Pages: Home, About, Services, Blog, Contact.

• Use your page builder (Elementor / Gutenberg) to design layouts.

• Add menus (Appearance → Menus).

• Upload media and test.

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6. Test Everything Locally

• Check responsiveness (desktop, tablet, mobile preview).

• Test forms (may need WP Mail SMTP with a local mail catcher).

• Play with SEO titles/meta.

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7. Prepare for Going Live

• When the design is ready, export your local site:

• LocalWP has built-in export.

• Or use All-in-One WP Migration / Duplicator to package your site.

• Import that package into your real hosting (Bluehost, SiteGround, IranHost, etc.).

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⚡ Real-life Example

Imagine you’re building a catalog site for pumps:

• Locally, you set up WooCommerce and add test products.

• You tweak theme colors, test Elementor layouts, and try AI product descriptions.

• Nothing risks your live domain yet.

• When you’re happy, you export with “All-in-One WP Migration” and upload it to your real server → instant mirror of your local work.