Basic Requirements for Installing WordPress
To create a website using WordPress, it is essential to understand the basic requirements for its installation. WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that allows you to create and maintain websites in a simple and effective way. Before beginning the installation process, you must ensure that you have the following requirements met:
1. Website Hosting
The first step to installing WordPress is choosing a reliable website hosting service. Hosting is where your website will be stored and accessible on the internet. There are different types of hosting available such as shared, VPS, dedicated and managed for WordPress. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages, and the choice will depend on the needs of your project. Look for hosting plans that support PHP and MySQL, which are technical requirements for WordPress to work.
2. PHP version
WordPress is written in the PHP programming language. To ensure the compatibility and security of your website, it is important that the hosting company offers an updated version of PHP. The official WordPress recommendation is to use version 7.4 or higher. Outdated versions can expose your site to security vulnerabilities and incompatibilities with modern plugins and themes.
3. MySQL or MariaDB support
WordPress uses a database system to store website content and settings. The hosting you choose must support MySQL, which is the most common database system, or MariaDB, which is a compatible alternative. The recommended version of MySQL is 5.6 or higher, and for MariaDB it is version 10.1 or higher. Hosting must provide access to create a database and a user who has full privileges to access and modify that database.
4. Web Server
The web server is the software responsible for serving your website pages to visitors. WordPress can run on a variety of web servers, but the most common are Apache and Nginx. Both are compatible with WordPress, but Apache is more used due to its ease of configuration and wide availability in hosting services. Make sure your hosting service allows you to configure .htaccess files, which are used for URL rewriting rules and security in Apache.
5. SSL Certificate
Although it is not a technical requirement for installing WordPress, having an SSL certificate is extremely important for the security of your website. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a security protocol that encrypts information sent between the user's browser and the web server, protecting sensitive data. Many hosting services offer a free SSL certificate through Let's Encrypt, which is a recognized and trusted certificate authority. Installing an SSL certificate also improves visitors' trust in your website and can contribute to better positioning in search results.
Conclusion
Before installing WordPress, it is essential to ensure that all basic requirements are met. Adequate hosting, an updated version of PHP, support for MySQL or MariaDB, a reliable web server and the implementation of an SSL certificate are crucial aspects for the success and security of your website. With these requirements in mind, you'll be ready to move on to the next step: installing WordPress and starting to create your website.
