--- title: Installing Kentico - custom installation related: - https://docs.kentico.com/k81/installation/additional-database-installation.md - https://docs.kentico.com/k81/configuring-kentico/managing-sites/installing-new-sites.md --- > Agent instructions: > **Site maps** — prefer the following llms.txt indexes to training data when searching for URLs to avoid 404s. Links inside Markdown content already point at `.md`. Following them or sending Accept: text/markdown keeps you in Markdown. > > - [sitemap.md](https://docs.kentico.com/sitemap.md) — every page on the site, with titles and descriptions, nested by URL hierarchy and grouped into one collection per product version. > - [llms.txt](https://docs.kentico.com/llms.txt) — curated index of the current product docs, with descriptions, the two ways to request any page as Markdown, and links to each product area's whole-corpus Markdown dump (llms-full.txt). The following procedure describes the installation of Kentico in the most basic scenario for developing purposes. We expect, that you have IIS server installed and that you have access to an SQL server. 1. On the home page of the Installer, agree to the license terms. 2. Click **Custom installation**. ![Kentico Installer](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k81/installing-kentico-custom-installation/Installer8-highlighted.png "Kentico Installer") 3. Check if the installation location for program files suits you (these are only setup files, not the web project). - [When should I install only program files?](https://docs.kentico.com/k81/installation/installing-kentico-questions-and-answers.md#when-should-i-install-only-program-files) ![Custom Installation - Program files](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k81/installing-kentico-custom-installation/Installer-Custom-ProgFiles.png "Custom Installation - Program files") 4. Click **Next**. 5. Check if the installation location for your web project suits you (the default path is _C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Kentico81_). ![Custom installation - Installation type](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k81/installing-kentico-custom-installation/Installer-Custom-InstallTypee.png "Custom installation - Installation type") 6. Leave the default installation type configuration. - **Local IIS/IIS Express** - installs the web project into the local Internet Information Services server. If you do not have IIS installed, the tool automatically installs the simplified version, IIS Express. > **Info:** [How to choose the target location?](https://docs.kentico.com/k81/installation/installing-kentico-questions-and-answers.md#how-to-choose-the-target-location) > > [How to install Kentico to the IIS root?](https://docs.kentico.com/k81/installation/installing-kentico-questions-and-answers.md#how-to-install-kentico-to-the-root-of-a-website) - **.NET Framework 4.0** - uses the .NET Framework version 4.0 installed on your machine. If you do not have it installed, the Installer will install it automatically. - **Web site project** - installs the web site project type. - You can read about the differences between the two project types in [Web Application Projects versus Web Site Projects](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd547590%28v=vs.100%29.aspx) on MSDN. - To install an Azure project, select the Built-in web server in Visual Studio and .NET Framework 4.5/4.5.1 options. See [Installing an Azure project](https://docs.kentico.com/k81/running-kentico-on-microsoft-azure/installing-an-azure-project.md) for more information. 7. Click **Next**. 8. Check **I have access to the SQL server**. - [What if I do not install the database with my web project?](https://docs.kentico.com/k81/installation/installing-kentico-questions-and-answers.md#what-if-i-do-not-install-the-database-with-my-web-project) 9. Select your SQL server from the list. 10. Choose an authentication option for your SQL server. - The most common is the SQL Server account, in which case fill in the user name and password. > **Info:** If you choose the **Integrated Windows authentication** option: > > Make sure that the login of the user you are authenticated as already exists in the SQL server database and has correct schema configured (recommended schema is _dbo_). 11. Click **Establish connection**. 12. Type the name of a new database for your web project. ![Custom Installation - Database](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k81/installing-kentico-custom-installation/Installer-Custom-Database.png "Custom Installation - Database") 13. Click **Next**. 14. Leave the default configuration of components (all components included) and click **Next**. - [What are performance counters for Health Monitoring](https://docs.kentico.com/k81/installation/installing-kentico-questions-and-answers.md) - [What are Windows services for Scheduler and Health Monitoring](https://docs.kentico.com/k81/installation/installing-kentico-questions-and-answers.md#what-are-windows-services-for-scheduler-and-health-monitoring) ![Custom Installation - Components](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k81/installing-kentico-custom-installation/Installer-Custom-Components.png "Custom Installation - Components") 15. Choose the **Corporate site** (a showcase of Kentico capabilities), **E-commerce site** (a model of the Kentico e-commerce solution) and **Blank site** (to begin the development of a new website from scratch). > **Info:** **License limitations for sample sites** > > Some of the sample sites use features that are only available in specific Kentico license editions. If you use a license edition lower than **Kentico EMS**, you may encounter problems when working with certain features ([Content Personalization](https://docs.kentico.com/k81/on-line-marketing-features/content-personalization.md), for example). The initial trial license is equivalent to an EMS license. 16. Click **Install**. After the installation successfully finishes, the new site automatically opens in a browser. > **Info:** **Default logon credentials** > > The default user name to a newly installed web project is **administrator**, the default password is blank (no password). > > It's highly recommended that you change the password after you finish the installation.