WordPress Docker Setup

A reusable Docker setup for deploying WordPress quickly and consistently. It spins up isolated WordPress environments for development, testing, or repeated project setups with minimal effort.

TOC

• Description
• Features
• Quickstart
  • Prerequisites
  • Steps
• Usage
  • Adjusting Configuration
  • Container Management
• Security Notes

Github Tip

URL: https://github.com/hpetersen2/wordpress-docker-setup/

Checkout this repository to see the code/implementation

Description

The repository provides a ready-to-use Docker configuration that installs WordPress together with a database. Its purpose is to:

• Offer a simple, consistent, and repeatable WordPress setup
• Allow the configuration of multiple independent WordPress instances
• Reduce setup time by automating environment preparation

Contents of the repository:

• docker-compose.yml — WordPress and database containers
• .env.template — Template with all configurable environment variables
• Startup instructions for local development or server deployment

Features

• Quick WordPress deployment using Docker
• Fully configurable via .env
• Easily replicable for multiple projects
• Suitable for local development or server environments
• No manual database setup required

Quickstart

Prerequisites

• Docker installed
• Docker Compose v2+
• Git

Steps

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/HPetersen2/wordpress-docker-setup.git
   cd wordpress-docker-setup

2. Copy the environment file

   cp .env.template .env

3. Fill in the required values inside .env, for example:

   • WORDPRESS_DB_NAME
   • WORDPRESS_DB_USER
   • WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD
   • WORDPRESS_PORT

4. Start the containers

   docker compose up -d

5. Open WordPress in your browser (by default http://localhost:8080, depending on WORDPRESS_PORT) and complete the installation wizard.

Usage

This section explains configuration options and how to manage the running setup.

Adjusting Configuration

All customizable values are located in the .env file.

WORDPRESS_DB_NAME=your_database
WORDPRESS_DB_USER=your_user
WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD=<choose-a-strong-password>
WORDPRESS_PORT=8080

WordPress is then available at http://localhost:<WORDPRESS_PORT>. After changing values, apply them with docker compose up -d.

To run multiple independent instances, clone the repository once per instance and use a different WORDPRESS_PORT for each.

Container Management

Stop containers:

docker compose down

View logs:

docker compose logs -f

Restart:

docker compose restart

warning

docker compose down -v also removes the volumes and therefore deletes the database and all WordPress data. Use it only if you want to start from scratch.

Security Notes

• Never commit your .env file; it contains credentials. Only .env.template belongs in version control.
• Use strong, unique database passwords.
• When deploying to a server, put WordPress behind a reverse proxy with HTTPS instead of exposing the port directly.