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To self-host WordPress, you need a reachable, patched Linux server; Apache or Nginx; supported PHP; MySQL or MariaDB; a domain; and HTTPS. You install the software, create a dedicated database and database user, place the WordPress files in the web root, configure the web server and DNS, then finish the browser installer. From that point, you—not a managed host—are responsible for updates, permissions, TLS certificates, backups, monitoring and recovery.
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What self-hosting WordPress actually means
WordPress is a PHP application. Its themes, plugins, core files and uploaded media live on the server’s filesystem, while posts, pages, settings, users and much of the plugin data live in a MySQL-compatible database. A self-hosted installation gives you control of that operating system, web server, PHP runtime, database, storage and network configuration instead of placing those layers in a managed hosting provider’s hands.
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Current requirements and prerequisites
WordPress.org’s current baseline (2026) recommends PHP 8.3 or greater, MariaDB 10.11 or greater or MySQL 8.0 or greater, and HTTPS. Older versions may run WordPress, but they are end-of-life or approaching end of support and can create security and compatibility problems. Apache and Nginx are the most robust, featureful choices; another server can work only if it correctly supports PHP and MySQL-compatible software.
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| Component | Recommended baseline | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | A maintained Linux server distribution, such as a current Ubuntu Server release | Receives security updates and provides predictable packages |
| Web server | Apache or Nginx | Terminates HTTP(S), serves static files and passes PHP requests to PHP |
| PHP | 8.3 or newer | Runs WordPress and its extensions |
| Database | MariaDB 10.11 or newer, or MySQL 8.0 or newer | Stores WordPress content and configuration data |
| Transport security | HTTPS with a valid certificate | Protects logins, administration traffic and visitors |
| Administrative access | SSH or FTP access, a text editor and a web browser | Needed to install, configure and recover the site |
You also need a domain name whose DNS can be changed, a server with a public address if the site must be reachable from the internet, enough disk space for media and backups, and a firewall that permits only the services you intend to expose. Use a separate password for the WordPress database user; never reuse the password for your Linux account or SSH key passphrase.
Choose the server shape before installing
Virtual private server
A VPS is usually the simplest starting point: you receive a virtual Linux machine with administrative access and can resize it as traffic or storage needs grow. Confirm that the provider supplies a current distribution image, snapshots or a documented recovery console, and a way to attach additional storage if your media library expands.
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A dedicated machine gives you all of the physical host’s CPU, memory and disks. It can make sense for sustained workloads, large databases or strict isolation, but you must plan hardware failure, disk replacement and off-site backups yourself. More capacity does not remove the need for patching and monitoring.
Network and DNS checks
- Reserve or otherwise document the server’s public IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
- Create DNS A and, if used, AAAA records for the domain and wait for them to resolve before testing HTTPS.
- Allow SSH only from trusted addresses where practical; allow HTTP and HTTPS publicly if the site is public.
- Record the distribution version, server address, administrator account and recovery-console procedure in a password manager.
Apache or Nginx: which should you use?
| Decision point | Apache | Nginx |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner documentation | The clearest path for Ubuntu beginners because the official Ubuntu walkthrough provides a complete Apache example. | Well supported, but you must be comfortable writing server-block configuration. |
| PHP execution | Can use the Apache PHP module or PHP-FPM; the Ubuntu example installs the module. | Normally passes PHP requests to PHP-FPM over a socket or TCP connection. |
| Static files and proxying | Convenient per-directory configuration and strong module ecosystem. | Efficient static-file serving and reverse-proxy behavior; configuration is centralized. |
| Resource behavior | Either model can be tuned; the result depends on PHP, database and traffic patterns. | Often chosen when many concurrent connections or proxy layers are expected, but no universal performance result is established here. |
| Best choice | Use it if you want the documented Ubuntu route or already know Apache. | Use it if you already operate Nginx and PHP-FPM confidently. |
Do not use PHP’s built-in development server as the general production architecture. WP-CLI’s wp server command is useful for a temporary local instance or a limited test; its own documentation advises using a more advanced web server when production requirements apply.
Install WordPress on Ubuntu with Apache
The following sequence follows the upstream WordPress release rather than an operating-system package. Run commands as a sudo-capable administrator, replacing example values with your domain and a long, unique database password.
1. Connect and patch the machine
- Connect over SSH using the administrator account supplied by your server image.
- Apply current package updates before installing the application:
sudo apt update sudo apt full-upgrade -y - Reboot if the distribution reports that a kernel or critical service requires it, then reconnect and verify that SSH still works.
2. Install Apache, PHP, extensions and MySQL
Canonical’s Ubuntu tutorial installs the following stack. The PHP extensions cover database access, HTTP requests, image processing, internationalization, multibyte text, XML and ZIP archives commonly required by WordPress and plugins.
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sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php libapache2-mod-php php-curl php-imagick php-intl php-mbstring php-mysql php-xml php-zip -yCheck the installed versions rather than assuming they meet the WordPress baseline:
php -v
mysql --version
apache2 -vIf the distribution’s default PHP or database is older than the supported baseline, use a maintained repository or a newer distribution release. Do not expose an end-of-life runtime merely because the package installs cleanly.
3. Create a database and a dedicated WordPress user
Open the database client as the local administrator:
sudo mysqlThen create a database with a dedicated account. Use a unique generated password and keep it in your password manager:
CREATE DATABASE wordpress CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'wp_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'replace-with-a-long-unique-password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress.* TO 'wp_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;The database account needs rights on the WordPress database, not unrestricted administrative rights across the server. Do not paste the password into public documentation, support tickets or shell history that other users can read.
4. Download and place the upstream release
Download the current WordPress archive from WordPress.org using a browser or a trusted command-line transfer, verify that the download completed, and unpack it. The Ubuntu guidance uses /srv/www rather than the distribution’s sample site directory:
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sudo mkdir -p /srv/www
cd /tmp
# Place the downloaded WordPress archive here, then unpack it.
tar -xzf latest.tar.gz
sudo mv wordpress /srv/www/wordpressIf /srv/www/wordpress already exists, stop and decide whether it is an existing site. Overwriting it can destroy plugins, themes or uploads. For a new site, set ownership and conservative permissions:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /srv/www/wordpress
sudo find /srv/www/wordpress -type d -exec chmod 755 {} ;
sudo find /srv/www/wordpress -type f -exec chmod 644 {} ;These settings let Apache read the site and write where WordPress needs to write, while avoiding world-writable files. On a server hosting several sites, making every site writable by the shared www-data account weakens isolation. Separate Unix users and PHP-FPM pools provide a stronger multi-site design.
5. Create an Apache virtual host
Make a site configuration for your real domain:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com.confUse a configuration like this, replacing the domain and email-related values with your own. The entities are only to display Apache’s angle brackets safely in HTML.
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
DocumentRoot /srv/www/wordpress
<Directory /srv/www/wordpress>
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>Enable the site and URL rewriting, disable the default site if it is not needed, and validate the configuration before reloading:
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo a2ensite example.com.conf
sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf
sudo apache2ctl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2A successful configtest should report that the syntax is OK. If it reports an error, fix that error before reloading; otherwise Apache may continue serving the previous configuration.
6. Point DNS to the server
Create the domain’s A record for the server’s IPv4 address and an AAAA record only if IPv6 is correctly configured and reachable. Test resolution from a separate network. Visiting the raw IP can select the wrong virtual host, so test with the domain name after DNS has propagated.
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7. Provision HTTPS before public login
Obtain a certificate from a trusted certificate authority using your distribution’s maintained ACME client or another documented TLS service. The certificate request normally requires the domain to resolve to this server. Configure Apache to serve HTTPS, redirect HTTP to HTTPS, and renew the certificate automatically. Confirm renewal with the client’s dry-run or equivalent test. Do not collect administrator passwords over plain HTTP.
8. Finish the WordPress installer
Open the HTTPS domain in a browser. WordPress will ask for the database name, database user, database password and database host; for a local MySQL service, the host is commonly localhost. Choose a strong, unique administrator password, a non-obvious username and an email address you monitor. The installer can create wp-config.php, which contains database credentials and site configuration. Treat that file as a secret and ensure it is not downloadable as plain text.
If the installer cannot write the file, copy the displayed configuration into /srv/www/wordpress/wp-config.php with the editor, then set its owner and permissions deliberately. Do not solve a write error by making the entire filesystem world-writable.
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Nginx is an equally valid production choice, but it normally uses PHP-FPM rather than an Apache PHP module. Install Nginx, PHP-FPM and the same database-related PHP extensions, create a server block whose document root is the WordPress directory, and pass only requests ending in .php to the FPM socket. Include the standard front-controller rule so WordPress permalinks fall back to index.php. Test the Nginx configuration before reloading and inspect the FPM service status if PHP downloads instead of executing.
Keep the Nginx and PHP-FPM versions aligned with the WordPress baseline. A reverse proxy, caching layer or separate database host can be added later, but each additional layer introduces another certificate, log, timeout and failure mode to operate.
WP-CLI for repeatable deployments
WP-CLI is useful when you create several sites or want scripted, reviewable administration. A typical workflow is to run commands as the site owner, download core, create the configuration, install WordPress and activate only the extensions you need. Keep secrets out of command history by using protected environment variables or an interactive prompt.
wp core download
wp config create --dbname=wordpress --dbuser=wp_user --dbpass='use-a-secret-store' --dbhost=localhost
wp core install --url='https://example.com' --title='Site title' --admin_user='choose-a-unique-name' --admin_email='[email protected]'Verify the commands’ current options with wp help on the installed WP-CLI version. Use wp server only for local development or limited testing; it is PHP’s built-in server, not a replacement for Apache or Nginx on a public site.
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Security hardening after installation
- Patch every layer: schedule operating-system, PHP, database, WordPress core, plugin and theme updates. Remove unused plugins and themes instead of leaving inactive code exposed.
- Protect SSH: use key-based authentication where practical, disable password login after confirming key access, restrict the SSH firewall rule to trusted networks and keep a recovery-console path.
- Limit services: expose only SSH, HTTP and HTTPS as required. MySQL should normally listen locally unless you have a specific, authenticated remote-database design.
- Separate sites: for multiple sites, use per-site Unix accounts and PHP-FPM pools rather than one shared writable account. This limits the damage from a compromised plugin.
- Protect configuration: keep
wp-config.php, database dumps and private keys out of document roots and source-control repositories. - Use HTTPS everywhere: redirect HTTP, renew certificates automatically and check that mixed-content warnings do not leave forms or scripts loading insecurely.
- Monitor signals: watch disk space, memory, failed SSH logins, Apache or Nginx errors, PHP-FPM failures and database availability. Alerts are more useful than discovering an outage through a visitor.
Backups and recovery
A restorable WordPress backup has two parts: the database and the files. The files include WordPress core, your themes and plugins, uploaded media and wp-config.php. A database-only backup cannot restore images or custom code; a files-only backup cannot restore posts, users or settings.
Design a backup routine
- Take scheduled database dumps and filesystem snapshots or archives.
- Copy backups to storage separate from the production server; a backup on the same disk does not protect against disk failure or ransomware.
- Encrypt backups and restrict who can download them.
- Retain several historical points so a corrupted or compromised backup is not your only copy.
- Test restoration on a separate server or isolated directory. Verify that the site loads, logins work, media opens and scheduled jobs run.
Document the restore order: provision a patched Linux host, install compatible PHP and database versions, restore the database, restore files, correct ownership and permissions, update DNS or the virtual host, and renew HTTPS. Record where credentials and encryption keys are stored; an undocumented backup can become unusable during an outage.
Routine operations and upgrades
Before a major WordPress, PHP or database upgrade, take a fresh tested backup and review plugin compatibility. Apply updates in a maintenance window, monitor web-server and PHP logs, and check critical pages, forms, media uploads and administrator login afterward. Keep a rollback plan: a known-good snapshot, a database backup and the previous package versions where the distribution supports them.
Track certificate expiry, filesystem growth and database size. Full disks can prevent PHP from writing sessions, stop database transactions and make updates fail. Rotate database and administrator credentials when staff change, and review user accounts and SSH keys periodically.
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Common failures and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Checks and remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Browser shows an Apache default page | The WordPress virtual host is disabled, DNS points elsewhere or the default site wins. | Check DNS, run sudo a2ensite example.com.conf, disable the unused default site, validate Apache and reload. |
| WordPress reports it cannot connect to the database | Wrong database name, user, password, host or stopped MySQL service. | Review wp-config.php, test the credentials locally, and inspect systemctl status mysql and the database error log. |
| PHP source downloads or appears as text | PHP is not installed, the Apache PHP module is missing, or Nginx is not passing requests to PHP-FPM. | Check php -v, the relevant module or FPM service, then reload the web server after correcting its configuration. |
| Permalinks return 404 errors | Apache rewrite support or the Nginx front-controller rule is missing. | Enable mod_rewrite, allow the WordPress directory override in Apache, or correct the Nginx fallback, then resave permalinks. |
| Uploads fail or updates say they need FTP credentials | The web process cannot write to the required directories or permissions are too broad or too restrictive. | Inspect ownership and directory modes; grant write access only where needed rather than making the whole site world-writable. |
| HTTPS certificate warning | DNS still points to another server, the certificate does not include the hostname, or renewal failed. | Check DNS and certificate names, inspect the ACME client’s renewal log, correct the virtual host and test renewal again. |
| Site becomes slow or unavailable after growth | Insufficient CPU, memory, storage I/O, PHP workers or database capacity. | Measure resource use and logs first; then tune PHP-FPM or Apache, add caching carefully, resize the server or separate the database. Do not guess at a bottleneck. |
Self-hosting versus managed hosting
| Consideration | Self-hosted Linux server | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Full control of the operating system, web server, PHP, database and network. | Provider controls much of the stack; you trade some customization for convenience. |
| Infrastructure cost | You pay for the server, storage, domain, TLS-related services and backup capacity; the exact monthly amount depends on size and region. | The plan price bundles some operations, but limits, overages and renewal terms vary. |
| Patching | You schedule and verify operating-system, runtime and application updates. | The provider may patch infrastructure, while you still usually update WordPress, plugins and themes. |
| Backups and recovery | You design retention, off-site copies and restoration tests. | Backups may be included, but you must confirm retention, scope and restore procedure. |
| Scaling | You choose vertical resizing, additional storage, caching or multiple servers and operate each change. | Scaling may be simpler inside the provider’s platform but constrained by its architecture. |
| Support | You are the first responder for DNS, TLS, PHP, database and application failures. | Support can shorten diagnosis, but cannot replace a tested export and recovery plan. |
When self-hosting is the right choice
Self-host when you value infrastructure control, can maintain a Linux system, and are prepared to respond to security updates and outages. It is a poor fit if you cannot monitor the machine, keep credentials safe, perform restores or reserve time for maintenance. A small personal site can still be self-hosted responsibly, but simplicity comes from a disciplined setup—not from skipping HTTPS, updates or backups.
Quick Recap
Pre-launch checklist
- Supported PHP, MySQL or MariaDB and a maintained Linux distribution are installed.
- Apache or Nginx serves the correct document root, and PHP executes through the intended module or PHP-FPM pool.
- The database has a separate WordPress user with a unique password.
- DNS resolves to the server, HTTPS works and HTTP redirects safely.
wp-config.php, uploads and plugin directories have deliberate ownership and permissions.- SSH is restricted, unused services are disabled and administrator accounts are reviewed.
- Both files and database are backed up off-server, and a restoration test has succeeded.
- Monitoring covers disk space, failed logins, web-server errors, PHP failures and certificate renewal.
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