Can I build a website using WordPress before I have a host?

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  viewtifulaidan · Member · Sep 11, 2014 at 9:48 pm

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  I recently purchased a domain name and am looking into web hosts. As I do this, I’d like to start building my site on WordPress, though I can’t figure out where or how to do this. Is this possible? I’m new to web design and owning my own site so any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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  pcosta88 · Member · Sep 11, 2014 at 9:59 pm

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  Hello!
  You could start building the site on WordPress, set it to private, and export the site.

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  timethief · Member · Sep 11, 2014 at 10:01 pm

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  The thing to be clear on is the differences between WordPress.COM and WordPress.ORG. All you can export is content -not themes and not widgets.If you think you are going to build a theme of your own from scratch know that you cannot do that here at WordPress.COM.

  The only themes we can use on free hosted WordPress.com blogs are found here http://wordpress.com/themes/ There is no FTP access to free hosted WordPress.com blogs for security reasons and we cannot:
  upload any third party themes,
  create child themes,
  create our own themes,
  edit templates,
  create own own layouts,
  or use stylesheets from other themes.

  http://en.support.wordpress.com/ftp-access/
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/themes/adding-new-themes/

  There is no upgrade you can purchase that changes that.

  On one hand, none of the characteristic “blog” features like categories, tags, authors, dates, etc. can be removed from a free hosted WordPress.com blog, without purchasing an annually renewable custom design upgrade and doing the required CSS editing.
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/custom-design/
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/custom-design/#frequently-asked-questions
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/custom-design/editing-css/

  On the other hand, one can edit a WordPress.org theme free of charge. http://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/