You can download WordPress directly from their official website at WordPress.org. You will get a copy of the latest WordPress release in an archive format which you can extract to start using it. This file can be uploaded to your web servers and extract to the root directory of your domain to install WordPress on your website. Following the steps via the WordPress login URL will let you complete the WordPress set up within a matter of seconds. That’s how easy it is to download and install WordPress on your website.
Another way of downloading WordPress is by using the SSH commands. You can use the command wget to download the latest WordPress files to your server and then extract it to start using it. Here is the command you have to use.
wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gzIf you are not a root user or don’t have the permissions that a root user has, you will have to insert ‘sudo’ in front of the above command.
If you wish to manually setup WordPress by downloading the files and then extracting them, you can use these buttons. You can download the latest WordPress version directly from the first button or visit the WordPress download page and download it manually using the second.
When should you Download WordPress?
Most of the hosting providers comes with all the necessary tools and functions that you every want to use. Including the One-Click WordPress installations that lets you create a WordPress website within a matter of seconds. Then why should you still download it manually?
Well, like any other software on the market or content management systems, WordPress is also prone to attacks, exploits, and corruption. So, at times, you may get a broken website because you accidentally deleted some files or made changes that caused the issues. In such scenarios, a WordPress repair tool may not be available in the hosting dashboard. So, downloading and installing the WordPress files manually is the best solution that you could go for.
How to Download Older Versions of WordPress?
After downloading the latest version of WordPress, if it is causing some issues with the plugins and themes that you must use to make your website functional, you may downgrade WordPress to an earlier version. It is always recommended to stay updated and run the latest version of WordPress core, plugins, and themes. But if you should downgrade it to an older version, you can do that by visiting the WordPress Release Archive.
Visit the page and download the version you want to try on your site in the desired format, and you are good to go. Make sure that you try the recent versions of the WordPress first. Do not directly go for a very old version as it might be missing a lot of security patches and features. So, always make sure that you use the most recent version of WordPress that works well on your website.
We still recommend using the latest version of WordPress after fixing the compatibility issues with the plugins or themes that you are using. It is the plugins and themes that should be updated, not the WordPress that should wait for them to be compatible. So, always keep your WordPress updated and update the themes and plugins accordingly. If it is something related to the code of the plugins or themes, you should contact your developer and get those issues fixed. Then you are good to go with the latest WordPress version.