Localhost refers to a computer's own local server environment — a way to run and test a website entirely on your own machine, without it being accessible on the actual internet. It's the standard way developers build and test WordPress sites before ever pushing them live.
Why Developers Use Localhost
- Test new themes, plugins, or code changes without any risk to a live site
- Develop entirely without needing an active internet connection
- Experiment freely, since mistakes stay fully contained to the local machine
- Work considerably faster, with no network delay involved
Setting Up a Local WordPress Environment
- Local (by Flywheel) — a genuinely beginner-friendly local WordPress development tool
- XAMPP — a free, cross-platform local server package
- MAMP — a similar option, particularly popular among Mac users
- DevKinsta — Kinsta's own free local development tool
The Basic Workflow
A typical setup: install a local development tool, spin up a fresh WordPress site on `localhost`, build and thoroughly test everything there, and only push the finished changes to the live server once they're genuinely ready — avoiding the risk of testing directly on a site real visitors can already see.
« Back to Index