> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://engineering.trewknowledge.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Using Local

Traditionally we use an application called **Local**. You can download it at [localwp.com](https://localwp.com/).
This application is very easy to use and comes with everything you need to create a new WordPress site in seconds.

## Joining a project in the very beginning

1. Create a new site in Local
2. Delete your `wp-content` folder
3. Clone the project repository and save the folder as `wp-content`.

## Joining an ongoing project

1. Ask a colleague to add you as a user on their local environment.
2. Ask them to export the local environment by right-clicking the site and selecting "Export".
3. You can then import the site on your local environment. It should come with your user, the repository, the uploads, and the database.
   * Remember to open the `wp-content` folder in your version control application and make sure any ongoing changes are discarded. Your branches should be clean.

## Common issues

### I cannot get a reset password email

Local doesn't send emails to real inboxes. This would be a security risk. Instead, Local intercepts all emails with a tool called **Mailhog**. You can access it by clicking the site you want, then on the main area of local click on tools and then Mailhog. You can then see all the emails that were sent from your site, no matter who the recipient was.

### I cannot install a certificate on my local environment

There was an update to MacOS that caused Local's automatic trust functionality to not work properly anymore.
You can manually fix this by following the steps [here](https://localwp.com/help-docs/getting-started/managing-local-sites-ssl-certificate-in-macos/).