LocalWP

/ˈloʊkəl ˈdʌbəl.juːˈpiː/

noun — “a friendly local WordPress server that makes building and testing sites feel like play instead of wrestling.”

LocalWP (often just called *Local*) is a developer‑friendly local development environment focused on building, previewing, and testing **WordPress** websites right on your own computer. Instead of configuring web servers, databases, and PHP manually, LocalWP bundles all the essentials—Apache or Nginx, PHP, MySQL/MariaDB, and helpful tooling—into one easy‑to‑use application with a simple click‑through interface. It integrates tightly with Web Development, Frontend Development, and Backend Development workflows specifically for WordPress projects.

Developers and designers love LocalWP because it gets a WordPress site up and running in minutes, lets you switch PHP versions on the fly, manages SSL locally, and provides one‑click access to tools like phpMyAdmin. It also makes it easy to import/export sites, test themes and plugins, and share work with teammates or clients before going live.

In practice, using LocalWP might include:

// Create a new WordPress site
# Open LocalWP application
# Click “+ New Site”, name it “my‑project”, and choose server/PHP versions

// Access local site in browser
# Visit http://my‑project.local

// Open database tool
# Click “Open Database” to manage your wp_db

// Enable HTTPS locally
# Toggle SSL/HTTPS within the site settings

// Import or export a site
# Use “Import Site…” or “Export Site…” from the LocalWP menu

LocalWP is like having a private WordPress playground—preconfigured, fast, and forgiving—so you can build themes, test plugins, and experiment with confidence without touching a production server.

See Local Development Environment, Web Development, Database Management, WordPress, PHP.