How to Install WordPress in a Subdirectory (and Serve It from the Root)

Readers often asked why our URLs include /archives/. In 2006 I didn’t want WordPress files cluttering the root folder, in case I later installed forums or a wiki, so I installed WordPress in quickonlinetips.com/archives/. If you want to install WordPress in a subdirectory too, there are two ways to do it. Here’s how each works in 2026.

Quick answer: To run your whole site at a subfolder address (example.com/blog/), simply install WordPress in that folder. To keep WordPress files in a subfolder but show the site at example.com, install it in the subfolder, set Site Address (URL) to the root in Settings > General, then copy index.php (and .htaccess) to the root and change the require line to point to the subfolder.

Option 1: Site lives at a subfolder URL

Your blog appears at example.com/blog/ and the root can hold something else (a landing page or another app).

1. Create the folder (for example /blog/) in your hosting file manager.
2. Install WordPress there with your host’s installer or manually.
3. Both WordPress Address and Site Address will be https://example.com/blog.

Option 2: Files in a subfolder, site at the root

This is WordPress’s official “giving WordPress its own directory” method.

1. Install WordPress in a subfolder, such as /wp/.
2. In Settings > General, keep WordPress Address as https://example.com/wp and set Site Address to https://example.com. Save.
3. Copy (don’t move) index.php and .htaccess from /wp/ to the root.
4. Edit the root index.php: change require __DIR__ . '/wp-blog-header.php'; to require __DIR__ . '/wp/wp-blog-header.php';
5. Go to Settings > Permalinks and click Save to refresh rules.

The login page stays at example.com/wp/wp-admin/. Full details are in the WordPress documentation.

Things to check

• Take a backup before changing site addresses; a typo can lock you out.
• Moving an existing site? Changing URLs needs 301 redirects and a search-replace of old links.
• Caching and security plugins may need their paths updated.

Testing first? You can install WordPress locally and practise the setup safely.

FAQ

Is a subdirectory bad for SEO?

No. Google treats subfolder URLs normally. Pick one structure and keep it.

Can I move WordPress from a subfolder to the root later?

Yes, but URLs change, so set up 301 redirects from old addresses.

What if I get locked out after changing the Site Address?

Define WP_HOME and WP_SITEURL in wp-config.php to restore the correct addresses.