If you build WordPress sites for clients, working directly on a production server is a recipe for late-night panic calls. A local WordPress development environment lets you design, test plugins, debug themes, and break things on purpose without ever touching the live site. In this guide, we’ll walk through setting up Local by Flywheel (now simply called Local) from scratch, then show how to push your changes live.
This tutorial is written for freelancers and small agencies who want a fast, reliable workflow in 2026. No Docker headaches, no XAMPP config files, no terminal acrobatics required.
Why Choose Local by Flywheel for Local WordPress Development?
There are plenty of tools out there (WordPress Studio, XAMPP, MAMP, DevKinsta, wp-env), but Local remains the most beginner-friendly while still offering pro features. Here’s a quick comparison:
| Tool | Ease of Use | Push to Live | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local by Flywheel | Excellent | Yes (1-click to Flywheel/WP Engine) | Free |
| XAMPP | Medium | Manual | Free |
| WordPress Studio | Excellent | Demo links only | Free |
| wp-env / Docker | Technical | Manual | Free |
Local wins for client work because of features like Live Links (share your local site over a public URL), hot-swappable PHP versions, SSL out of the box, and one-click magic checkout/push to Flywheel or WP Engine hosting.
Step 1: Download and Install Local
- Go to localwp.com and click the Download button.
- Choose your platform: macOS (Intel or Apple Silicon), Windows, or Linux.
- Fill out the short form (email is optional in most regions) and the installer will download.
- Run the installer. On macOS you drag Local into Applications. On Windows, follow the standard installer wizard.
- Launch Local. The first run will install required dependencies automatically. Grab a coffee, it takes about 2 minutes.
Step 2: Create Your First Local WordPress Site
Once Local opens, you’ll see a clean dashboard. Click the + icon at the bottom left to create a new site.
Configuration options
- Site name: Something descriptive like “client-acme-rebuild”. Local will auto-generate a local domain (e.g. client-acme-rebuild.local).
- Environment: Choose Preferred for sensible defaults, or Custom if you need a specific PHP version, web server (nginx or Apache), or MySQL/MariaDB version to match your production host.
- WordPress username, password, and email: These are your local admin credentials. Use something memorable, you’ll log in constantly.
Click Add Site. Local provisions everything, installs WordPress, and within 30 to 60 seconds your site is ready.
Step 3: Explore Your Site Dashboard
Each site in Local has its own management panel with the following tabs:
- Overview: Quick info, SSL trust button, and the WP Admin and Open Site buttons.
- Database: Opens Adminer (a lightweight phpMyAdmin alternative) for direct database access.
- Tools: WP-CLI, Mailpit (catch all outgoing emails locally), and Live Links.
- Utilities: SSH access, log viewer, and file path shortcuts.
Trust the SSL certificate
Click the Trust button next to the SSL field. This installs Local’s local certificate authority on your system so Chrome, Safari, and Firefox stop yelling about “not secure” warnings on https://yoursite.local.
Step 4: Access the Database
You’ll often need to inspect or modify the database, especially when migrating sites. From your site’s Local panel:
- Click the Database tab.
- Hit Open Adminer. It launches in your browser already authenticated.
- From here you can run SQL queries, edit wp_options, search and replace URLs, or export the full database as .sql.
If you prefer your own tool like Sequel Ace or TablePlus, the Database tab also shows the host, port, username (root), and password (root) you need to connect.
Step 5: Work on Your Files
Local stores each site under ~/Local Sites/your-site-name/ on macOS and Linux, or C:\Users\YourName\Local Sites\your-site-name\ on Windows. Inside, you’ll find the standard WordPress folder structure under app/public.
Open this folder in VS Code, PhpStorm, or your editor of choice. Save a file, refresh the browser, done. There’s no build step or container restart required for theme and plugin work.
Step 6: Use Live Links to Share With Clients
One of Local’s killer features. When you want to show a client work-in-progress without deploying:
- Open your site in Local.
- Toggle Live Links on (top right corner).
- Local generates a public URL like https://random-words.loca.lt that tunnels to your machine.
- Send it to the client. The link works for as long as Local is running on your computer.
Step 7: Push Your Local Site Live
Here’s where the workflow really shines. You have a few options depending on your host.
Option A: One-click push to Flywheel or WP Engine
If your client is hosted on Flywheel or WP Engine, Local has built-in Connect functionality:
- In your site panel, click Connect in the top right.
- Log in to your Flywheel or WP Engine account.
- Choose Push to send the local site to a staging or production environment, or Pull to bring the live site down locally.
- Select which components to transfer (database, files, or both).
- Hit Push. Local handles the search-and-replace, file sync, and database import automatically.
Option B: Manual deployment to any other host
For SiteGround, Kinsta, Cloudways, or shared hosting, use a migration plugin:
- All-in-One WP Migration: Export from local, import to live. Simple but has file size limits on the free tier.
- Duplicator: Creates a package and installer.php you upload to the live server.
- WP Migrate (formerly WP Migrate DB Pro): The professional choice. Push or pull database and media files directly, with automatic URL replacement.
Option C: Git-based workflow for developers
If you’re more technical, version-control your wp-content folder (themes and plugins), keep WordPress core out of the repo, and deploy via GitHub Actions, DeployHQ, or Buddy. The database still needs to be migrated separately using WP-CLI or WP Migrate.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Mismatched PHP versions: Always match your local PHP version to the production server, otherwise a plugin that works locally might crash live.
- Hardcoded URLs in the database: Use search and replace tools (WP-CLI
wp search-replaceor Better Search Replace) to swap yoursite.local for the real domain. - Forgetting to disable caching plugins: WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, and similar plugins can behave oddly locally. Deactivate or configure them properly.
- Not backing up before pushing: Always take a snapshot of the live site before overwriting it. Local has built-in Cloud Backups via Google Drive and Dropbox that you should enable.
Bonus: Blueprints for Faster Project Starts
Local lets you save any site as a Blueprint. Configure WordPress once with your favorite plugins (ACF, Yoast, your starter theme, dev tools) and save it as a template. Next time you start a project, spin up a fully-configured site in under a minute.
FAQ
Is Local by Flywheel free?
Yes, Local is completely free for unlimited sites. There is no paid tier. WP Engine (which owns Flywheel) maintains it as a free tool to attract developers to their hosting.
Is Local better than XAMPP for WordPress?
For most users, yes. XAMPP requires manual WordPress installation, separate database creation, and config file edits. Local does it all in two clicks and adds features like SSL, Live Links, and host integration that XAMPP doesn’t offer.
Can I run multiple WordPress sites at the same time?
Absolutely. Local can run dozens of sites simultaneously, each with its own PHP version and isolated database. Just stop sites you’re not actively using to save RAM.
Does Local work on Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes, Local has a native build for M1, M2, M3, and M4 chips. Performance is excellent and significantly faster than the Intel version running under Rosetta.
Can I use Local with hosts other than Flywheel and WP Engine?
Yes, Local works with any WordPress host. The one-click Connect feature is exclusive to Flywheel and WP Engine, but you can manually export and import to any provider using migration plugins or WP-CLI.
What happens to my site if I uninstall Local?
Your site files in the Local Sites folder remain, but the databases (stored inside Local’s data directory) will be lost unless you export them first. Always export your databases or use Cloud Backups before uninstalling.
Wrapping Up
A solid local WordPress development environment is the single biggest workflow upgrade most freelancers and agencies can make. Local by Flywheel removes the technical friction and lets you focus on building. Install it, create a Blueprint with your favorite stack, and you’ll never touch a live site directly again.
If you’re hunting for more WordPress workflow tips and design inspiration, browse our showcase here on CSS Gallery Pro. Happy building.