How to Deploy a WordPress Site from Localhost to Server

How to Deploy a WordPress Site from Localhost to Server

Creating your WordPress website on a local machine (localhost) is a smart and safe way to design, develop, and test before it goes live. But once everything looks good, the next big step is deployment — moving your WordPress site from localhost to a live server so the world can access it.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to deploy a WordPress site from your local development environment (like XAMPP, WAMP, or LocalWP) to a live server using Vicservers’ hosting services.

 What You’ll Need:

• A working WordPress site on localhost
• A domain name (e.g. yoursite.com)
• A hosting plan (Vicservers offers reliable and affordable plans)
• Access to cPanel or FTP
• A database management tool (phpMyAdmin is common)

Step 1: Export the WordPress Files from Localhost

The first step is to collect all your website files from the local environment.

✅ If you’re using XAMPP/WAMP:

1. Navigate to the htdocs folder:
   • Windows: C:\xampp\htdocs\yourprojectfolder
2. Zip the entire WordPress folder.
3. This zip file includes:
   • All themes and plugins
   • The wp-content folder
   • WordPress core files

Step 2: Export the Database

Your website’s content, settings, and configurations are stored in the database.

To export your local database:

1. Open http://localhost/phpmyadmin
2. Select your WordPress database.
3. Click Export > choose Quick and format SQL.
4. Click Go to download the .sql file.

Step 3: Upload WordPress Files to the Server

Now, let’s move your zipped WordPress site to the live hosting environment.

Option 1: Upload via cPanel File Manager

1. Login to your VicServers cPanel
2. Go to File Manager > public_html (or a subdirectory)
3. Click Upload, and upload the zipped site folder
4. Once uploaded, Extract it within public_html
5. Ensure all extracted files (like wp-config.php, wp-content) are directly under public_html

Option 2: Upload via FTP (FileZilla)

1. Connect to your server using FTP credentials
2. Navigate to /public_html/
3. Upload all files from your local WordPress directory

Step 4: Create a New Database on Your Server

1. In cPanel, go to MySQL® Databases
2. Create a new database (e.g. wp_live_db)
3. Create a new MySQL user and assign it to the database
4. Note the:
   • Database name
   • Database user
   • Password

Step 5: Import the Local Database to the Server

1. Go to phpMyAdmin in cPanel
2. Select the new database you created
3. Click Import
4. Upload the .sql file you exported earlier from localhost
5. Click Go

If the import is successful, your database structure and content are now on the live server.

Step 6: Update wp-config.php File

Edit the wp-config.php file on your server to connect WordPress to the new database.

define('DB_NAME', 'your_new_db_name');
define('DB_USER', 'your_db_user');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Save and close the file.

Step 7: Fix URLs in the Database

Your local site might have used http://localhost/sitename, but your live site will use something like https://yourdomain.com. You need to update all the URLs in the database.

Option 1: Use a Plugin (easiest)

• Install Better Search Replace or WP Migrate Lite
• Search for: http://localhost/sitename
• Replace with: https://yourdomain.com
• Run the replacement on the entire database (make a backup first!)

Option 2: Use SQL Query (advanced)

In phpMyAdmin, run:

UPDATE wp_options SET option_value = replace(option_value, 'http://localhost/sitename', 'https://yourdomain.com') WHERE option_name = 'home' OR option_name = 'siteurl';
UPDATE wp_posts SET guid = replace(guid, 'http://localhost/sitename','https://yourdomain.com');
UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = replace(post_content, 'http://localhost/sitename', 'https://yourdomain.com');
UPDATE wp_postmeta SET meta_value = replace(meta_value,'http://localhost/sitename','https://yourdomain.com');

Step 8: Clean Up & Test

What to check:

• Homepage loads correctly
• All menus, images, and links work
• Contact forms, logins, and plugins are functional
• Make sure permalinks work. If not:
  1. Login to WordPress Admin
  2. Go to Settings > Permalinks
  3. Click Save Changes to flush rewrite rules

Step 9: Secure Your Site

Now that your site is live, security becomes crucial.

At Vicservers, you already get:

• Free SSL certificates
• Malware scans
• DDoS protection
• Regular backups

You should also:

• Use strong admin passwords
• Install security plugins like Wordfence
• Enable 2FA for admin accounts
• Keep themes/plugins updated

Optional: Set Up Email, Cron Jobs, and More

• Create custom email addresses (e.g. info@yourdomain.com) via cPanel
• Use cron jobs for scheduled tasks like backups
• Set up caching or install a CDN for performance

✅ Recap: Localhost to Live in 9 Steps

Final Thoughts

Deploying a WordPress site from localhost to server may seem intimidating at first, but with the right steps, it’s straightforward and rewarding. Vicservers provides all the tools and support you need — from cPanel to 24/7 technical assistance — so you can launch with confidence.

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