WordPress Multisite Setup & Installation Guide

WordPress is a powerful tool, and one of its standout features is WordPress Multisite. But what exactly is it? WordPress Multisite setup allows you to create and manage multiple websites, all from a single WordPress dashboard. Imagine running a network of websites—each with its unique content, but you can control everything from one place.

For example, a primary website with the domain name for example ITUniversity.com can have subdomains such as; CSDepartment.ITUniversity.com and MathsDepartment.ITUniversity.com. Alternatively, you can create subdirectories such as ITUniversity.com/CSDepartment and ITUniversity.com/MathsDepartment. This is especially helpful for businesses, universities, or any organization that needs to manage several websites at once.

Here, we show you everything you need to know about setting up and managing a WordPress Multisite setup. Whether you’re new to WordPress or just looking to expand your website’s capabilities, you’ll learn how to activate Multisite WordPress, manage your sites, and understand its many benefits. Let’s get started!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. WordPress Multisite setup lets you manage multiple websites from a single dashboard.
2. It’s ideal for blogs, client networks, or organizations with several sites.
3. Set up Multisite by editing the wp-config.php and .htaccess files.
4. You can choose between subdomains or subdirectories, based on your needs.
5. Manage themes, plugins, and user roles across all sites easily.
6. Ensure regular backups and updates for security.
7. Troubleshoot common issues like domain mapping or plugin conflicts efficiently.
8. WordPress Multisite setup simplifies managing large networks but requires careful maintenance.

What is WordPress Multisite?

WordPress Multisite setup is a special feature of WordPress that lets you create and manage multiple websites from a single WordPress installation. Instead of installing WordPress separately for each site, you can control several sites under one dashboard. This is helpful for people who want to manage a network of websites efficiently, such as schools, businesses, or large organizations.

With WordPress Multisite, all your websites share the same WordPress core files, plugins, and themes, but each site can have its unique settings, content, and users. This makes it easier to maintain and update because you only update WordPress, themes, and plugins once, and those updates will apply to all sites in the network.

You may wonder how a WordPress Multisite setup differs from a single WordPress site. In a regular WordPress installation, you only manage one website. Each site you create will need separate WordPress installation, database, and admin login.

However, in Multisite, you can have many websites that are part of one installation, meaning you can log in once and access all sites from a central dashboard. You don’t need separate databases or installations for each site. Here are the key differences that you may look at below:

• Multisite introduces a special user role called “Super Admin” who can manage the entire network of sites, while individual site administrators manage only their sites.
• Plugins and themes are installed once and shared across all sites in the network.
• You can create sites as subdomains (e.g., CSDepartment.ITUniversity.com) or subdirectories (e.g., ITUniversity.com/CSDepartment) under the main site.

As we mentioned, the WordPress Multisite network is managed by a “Super Admin”, which raises another question: who manages the individual sites within this network?

Site Admin vs Super Admin

In WordPress Multisite setup, there are two important roles: Super Admin and Site Admin. These roles have different levels of authority and control over the websites in the network. Let’s break down the differences between them:

Super Admin

The Super Admin is like the boss of the entire network in a WordPress Multisite setup. They have full control over all the websites in the network. They can:

• Manage the entire network, including creating, deleting, and managing sites within the network.
• Install and update plugins and themes that will be available for all sites.
• Manage WordPress users across all sites and assign roles to them.
• Control global settings that affect every site on the network.
• Access the network admin dashboard only available to a Super Admin.

Furthermore, they ensure that the network runs smoothly. They also handle all the big decisions and updates for the entire network of websites.

Site Admin

A Site Admin manages a single site within the network. While they control their site, they cannot access the network-wide settings. They:

• Manage the content on the individual site, including posts, pages, media, and comments.
• Install and activate plugins and themes – only if the Super Admin has made them available for the network.
• Manage users for their specific site and assign roles like editor or author.
• Customize the appearance of their site using available free WordPress themes and settings.

Moreover, Site Admins focus on ensuring their specific site functions well and serves their purpose without worrying about the larger network.

When to use WordPress Multisite Setup

WordPress multisite setup is a powerful tool, but it’s not always the right solution for every situation. Let’s explore the best cases for using multisite, and the pros and cons.

When you need to run several websites from one WordPress installation, Multisite is ideal. For example, universities, large organizations, or companies with different branches often use Multisite to manage multiple sites from a single dashboard.

Additionally, if you want to update plugins, themes, or WordPress for all the sites together, then multisite makes this easy. It saves time and ensures consistency across your network of sites. Multisite also allows you to create user roles for specific sites. For example, someone could be an admin on one site but only an editor on another within the same network.

Remember, you can’t use WordPress Multisite setup everywhere. For example, if your sites have different hosting requirements (such as needing different server configurations), Multisite may not be the best option. Each website in a Multisite network shares the same server resources.

Also, if you want each site to be completely independent, with specific plugins, themes, or users Multisite may not be ideal. Because in Multisite, all sites share the same WordPress core, plugins, and themes.

Moreover, setting up and managing a Multisite network can be more complicated, especially if you’re unfamiliar with advanced WordPress features. A separate WordPress installation for each site might be easier for smaller projects.

Now that you know when to use WordPress Multisite setup (and when not to), let’s explore the highs and lows of WordPress Multisite below:

Pros of WordPress Multisite

1. As the network administrator, you can handle updates, backups, and security plugins for all sites from a single WordPress dashboard. This centralized control saves time and simplifies the process of maintaining multiple websites.
2. Multisite allows you to assign site-specific administrators to different sites within the network. This enables shared management tasks without giving too much control to individual site admins.
3. If you manage multiple sites, Multisite lets you control which plugins and themes are used on each site. This helps reduce the risk of poorly optimized or insecure plugins affecting the entire network.

Cons of WordPress Multisite

1. Since all sites share the same database, any backup or update must be applied across the entire network. You can’t back up or update individual sites separately.
2. All sites within the network share the same server resources. All the sites in the network will be impacted If the server goes down or when a site is targeted by a cyberattack.
3. Each site’s performance is influenced by the others. A traffic spike on one website can slow down other sites within the same network.
4. Not all themes and plugins are designed to work with Multisite. This can limit your options when choosing tools for your websites.
5. Not all hosting providers support WordPress Multisite setup, so your choice of web hosts may be more limited compared to single-site setups.

So, WordPress Multisite setup is a great solution for managing several websites efficiently but is not always ideal for projects where sites operate independently or have different hosting needs. Always weigh the pros and cons before deciding if Multisite works for you!

Requirements for Setting up Multisite

Before setting up WordPress Multisite, ensure your WordPress hosting and technical environment are ready.

Hosting Requirements

Ensure your hosting provider supports WordPress Multisite setup. Not all web hosts allow this feature, so check with them before proceeding. Since all websites within the Multisite network will share the same server resources (memory, CPU, etc.), your hosting plan should have enough capacity. We have already discussed multisite hosting requirements in detail, which you can find at the following link: WordPress Multisite: Hosting Requirements & Recommendations

Multisite typically requires more resources than a single WordPress installation, especially if you’re running multiple high-traffic sites. Moreover, Multisite can work with either subdomains (e.g., mysite1.example.com) or subdirectories (e.g., example.com/mysite1). For subdomains, you’ll need wildcard subdomain support from your hosting provider.

WordPress Installation

WordPress Multisite setup is built on top of a standard WordPress installation. You need to install WordPress first before you can install WordPress Multisite and activate it. To do this, you need full admin access to your WordPress site.

Multisite requires changes to core configuration files like wp-config.php (we’ll explain this shortly), and these adjustments can only be made by a site administrator with an FTP client or hosting control panel (like cPanel) access.

Technical Requirements

Ensure your server runs a compatible version of PHP (PHP 7.4 or higher is generally recommended). Your WordPress site should use a MySQL or MariaDB database. WordPress Multisite setup works with these database types and relies on sharing database tables across all sites in the network.

If you plan to use subdomains for your multisite network, you should set up wildcard DNS records for your domain. This allows new subdomains to be created dynamically within the network.

When setting up WordPress Multisite, plugins originally activated for a single site may not be fully compatible with the Multisite structure. Some plugins, especially those not designed for network usage, could cause issues during the setup process or afterward, resulting in errors or instability.

So, it’s important to deactivate plugins before enabling Multisite. Once the WordPress Multisite setup is activated, you can re-enable plugins one at a time, ensuring they are compatible with the Multisite network. If a plugin conflicts with Multisite you can more easily identify it by testing it individually.

One more thing that you must be careful about is to make sure to have a clean permalink structure. WordPress Multisite setup relies heavily on the permalink structure, especially if you use subdirectories for additional sites (e.g., example.com/mysite1). If your permalink settings are not properly configured, it can lead to URL conflicts or broken links within your network.

Backup Your Website

Before enabling Multisite, it’s important to back up your WordPress site and database. This ensures you can restore your website if something goes wrong during setup. Also, since Multisite increases the complexity of your WordPress installation, ensure you have security measures such as strong passwords, SSL certificates, and plugins for security.

With these requirements sorted, you’re ready to start your Multisite network!

How to Enable WordPress Multisite Setup

Now that you’ve created your website backup and stored it safely, it’s time to enable Multisite by updating a special file in your WordPress setup. To do this, go through the following steps:

Edit wp-config.php File

Use an FTP client or your hosting provider’s File Manager to find your WordPress files. Hosted.com users can locate File Manager at cPanel → Tools → Files → File Manager.

Look for the file named wp-config.php in the root directory of your WordPress. Then, select this file and click Edit to open it in a text editor.

Now, find the line that says /* That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */ and add the following line right above it:

define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);

The above code snippet tells WordPress you want to use the Multisite feature. It’s like flipping a switch to turn on Multisite. After that, click Save Changes to save your file.

Configure Multisite Network Structure

With Multisite enabled in your configuration file, the next step is to set up your network using the WordPress dashboard. To do this, go to your WordPress admin area by logging in to your website. Then, in the top menu, hover over Tools and click Network Setup.

Important: WordPress will prompt you to deactivate all the plugins if you haven’t done so already.

On the Network Setup page, choose between subdomains and subdirectories. Subdomains (e.g., mysite1.mydomain.com) are useful if you want each site to look like a separate website with its specific address. It’s good for large networks, businesses, or when you plan to have many sites.

However, subdirectories (e.g., mydomain.com/mysite1) are good if you prefer a simpler structure with all sites under the main domain. These are best for smaller networks or personal projects with fewer sites.

As WordPress installation is not new in our example, the sites in our WordPress network will use subdomains. If this is the case with you, remember that the main website in a subdirectory installation will require using a modified permalink structure, potentially breaking existing links.

After that, provide the name of your network in the Network Title field. Also, write the super admin’s email address in the Network Admin Email field.

Double-check all the details, then click Install.

After completing these steps, WordPress will guide you through a few more changes to your wp-config.php and .htaccess files. Follow the instructions carefully, and soon, you can have your WordPress Multisite setup up and running!

Edit wp-config.php & .htaccess File

When you click Install in the previous step, WordPress will provide you with two code snippets, taking you one step closer to the WordPress Multisite setup.

Ensure you have a backup of wp-config.php and .htaccess files before changing them. Once done, go to cPanel → Tools → Files → File Manager.

Head over to /public_html/ (the WordPress root directory), click on the wp-config.php file to select it, then click Edit to open this file in cPanel’s built-in editor. Once opened, add the following code:

define( 'MULTISITE', true );
define( 'SUBDOMAIN_INSTALL', true );
define( 'DOMAIN_CURRENT_SITE', 'www.writeyourdomainname.online' );
define( 'PATH_CURRENT_SITE', '/' );
define( 'SITE_ID_CURRENT_SITE', 1 );
define( 'BLOG_ID_CURRENT_SITE', 1 );

Ensure you replace www.writeyourdomainname.online with your actual domain name. Then, click Save Changes to save your file with the latest modifications.

After updating the wp-config.php file, go to your site’s .htaccess file in the root directory. Replace the existing WordPress rules with the following new code provided by the Network Setup page. Don’t forget to save your file after making these changes.

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]

# add a trailing slash to /wp-admin
RewriteRule ^wp-admin$ wp-admin/ [R=301,L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -f [OR]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -d
RewriteRule ^ - [L]
RewriteRule ^(wp-(content|admin|includes).*) $1 [L]
RewriteRule ^(.*\.php)$ $1 [L]
RewriteRule . index.php [L]

Once you conclude these steps, your network is enabled and configured. You will have to log in to your WordPress admin area once again.

Important: If you cannot access your web hosting account, you can still access wp-config.php and .htaccess files using an FTP client (like FileZilla).

Add New Sites to Multisite Network

Once you install the WordPress Multisite network and are ready to add new sites, follow these steps.

First, log into your WordPress dashboard as a Super Admin. Only Super Admin users have the authority to add new sites in a WordPress multisite setup.

At the top left of the WordPress dashboard, hover over My Sites. In the dropdown, click Network Admin → Sites. This will take you to the network sites management section, where you can view and manage all existing sites.

Once in the Sites section, click Add New Site at the top of the page. This will open a form where you can fill in the details for the new site.

You will now be prompted to provide the following details for the new site:

1. Site Address: Enter the new site’s site address (URL). If you are using subdomains, this will be in the format mysite1.example.com. If you’re using subdirectories, it will look like this: example.com/mysite1.
2. Site Title: Provide a name for the site. This will appear as the site’s title and help you identify it in the network.
3. Site Language: You may select the language for your new website.
4. Admin Email: Enter the email address for the site’s administrator. This will be the person responsible for managing the new site. If the email doesn’t belong to an existing user, WordPress will create a new user account with that email.

After filling out the required fields, click Add Site at the bottom of the page. WordPress will create a new site that will appear in your Sites list.

Once the new site is added, you can view and manage it by going to My Sites → Network Admin → Sites. You’ll see the new site listed alongside other sites in your network. Click Edit under the new site to adjust settings like the theme, users, and plugins.

Manage Themes & Plugins Across Sites

One of the best features of WordPress Multisite setup is that you can control themes and plugins from a central location, allowing you to enable or disable them for all sites or individual ones.

As a Super Admin, you can manage themes from the My Sites → Network Admin → Themes section. You can enable themes for the entire network, making them available to all sites. Alternatively, you can enable themes for specific sites, giving individual Site Admins control over the theme’s activation.

However, for plugins, go to Network Admin → Plugins.

You can choose to Network Activate plugins, which means they will be automatically available to all sites. If you prefer to give individual Site Admins control, you can install the plugins without activating them network-wide, allowing each site to activate or deactivate them as required.

Manage Users in WordPress Multisite Setup

Managing users in a WordPress Multisite setup is an essential task that allows you to control who can access different areas of your network and individual sites. WordPress Multisite setup has a specific user management system; it’s different from managing a single WordPress site. Here’s a detailed breakdown of user roles and how to add users to a specific site.

User Roles in Multisite

In a WordPress Multisite network, user roles are split into two main levels: Super Admin and Site Admin. However, here’s a brief introduction for both roles:

1. Super Admin: Manages the entire network, including all sites. They’re responsible for network-wide management, controlling users across all sites in the network. They can add users to the network and give them access to multiple sites or specific ones.
2. Site Admin: Controls only their specific site. They can’t make changes to the whole network. They can only manage users who are part of their site. They cannot add users to the network but can assign roles to users on their site.

Add Users to Specific Sites

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to add users to a specific site within your WordPress Multisite setup:

As a Super Admin, navigate to My Sites → Network Admin → Dashboard. This is where you can manage all users and sites.

Now, go to Sites → All Sites in the network admin dashboard and find the specific site you want to add a user.

Hover over the site name and click Dashboard to access that site’s admin panel.

From the site’s dashboard, go to Users → Add New User. You’ll see a form where you can add a new user by entering their username and email address. You can also set the user’s role (Subscriber, Contributor, Author, Editor, or Administrator) based on the level of access you want to give them on that specific site.

If you wish, you can skip the confirmation email checkbox. Once you input the required details, click the Add New User button.

However, if you want to add an existing user, you need to provide the following details:

By following these steps, you can effectively manage users within your WordPress Multisite setup, giving them the appropriate roles and access to the sites they need while maintaining control over the network as a Super Admin.

Important: If you want to give a user access to multiple sites in the network, you’ll need to repeat this process for each site. Alternatively, as a Super Admin, you can go to Network Admin → Users and assign the user to different sites from one central location.

Multisite Maintenance & Best Practices

When running a WordPress Multisite setup, updating everything is important to ensure security and performance. The great thing about Multisite is that you can manage updates for WordPress, themes, and plugins across all your websites from a single dashboard.

As network admin, you can update WordPress core software, plugins, and themes at the same time. This saves you time compared to updating each site individually. With Multisite, you only need to apply updates once, and they will automatically take effect across the entire network.

This makes it easier to keep all your sites secure and running smoothly, reducing the risk of compatibility issues and security vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, since all sites in the network share the same database and files, you need to ensure your backups include all the shared data. Use a reliable backup plugin that supports WordPress Multisite setup, like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy; this can help ensure you don’t lose any important data.

Moreover, you can install security plugins on the network level to protect all sites. You can manage firewall settings, malware scans, and login security from a single dashboard.

You also need to perform regular site audits and check for unusual activity. Keep a close eye on your site’s traffic volume, storage space, and error logs to catch issues early. Also, use a strong password and enable two-factor authentication to enhance security across your network.

Follow these best practices to ensure your WordPress Multisite setup runs efficiently, remains secure, and is easier to manage over time.

Troubleshoot Common Multisite Issues

Handle Subdomain or Subdirectory Issues:

For subdomains, ensure wildcards are set up correctly in your hosting. If you experience subdirectory issues, check the .htaccess file for correct rules to avoid loading issues.

Issues with Domain Mapping:

Domain mapping can sometimes cause problems when you assign custom domains to sites. So, double-check your DNS settings and ensure wildcard subdomains are configured properly for subdomain setups.

Fix Plugin & Theme Compatibility Problems:

Some plugins or themes may not work well with a WordPress Multisite setup. Ensure you use Multisite-compatible plugins and test new ones on a small site before activating them network-wide.

FAQs

Other Related Tutorials & Blogs:

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– How to Backup Your WordPress Site: A Comprehensive Guide

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