Multisite WordPress: How To Create And Manage A Multisite Network?
What is a multisite on WordPress? How to create and configure it? Do you have multiple WordPress sites and want to manage them all from one place? So you need a WordPress multisite. In this article, we will show you how to create a WordPress multisite and how to manage your sites from a single dashboard.
What is a multisite WordPress site?
A multisite WordPress site is a WordPress hosted on a single account that allows multiple administrators to manage multiple sites. Administrators can create new sites, manage users and content, and apply themes and plugins to all sites.
WordPress multisite is a WordPress option that allows you to manage multiple sites with a single WordPress installation. You can host multiple sites on a single domain or subdomain, and manage all sites from a single dashboard.
Why Use a WordPress Multisite Network?
WordPress multisite networks are a great option for those who want to manage separate websites from a single dashboard. Multisite networks are used by businesses, schools, universities, media, online businesses, and more.
You can even create your own blogging platform (blogging network) on a single multisite installation.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a WordPress Multisite Network.
Advantages of Using a WordPress Multisite Network
A WordPress multisite network is often more convenient than running multiple standalone WordPress sites. Here are some of the benefits of using a WordPress multisite network:
- Network administrators can easily manage multiple sites from a single dashboard.
- Each network site can have its own administrator. Site administrators have the ability to manage their websites only.
- You can install plugins/themes and activate them on multiple websites with a single download.
- A multisite network also makes it easier to manage updates. You should only update WordPress, plugins, or themes on a single “master” installation.
Disadvantages of Using a WordPress Multisite Network
Creating a WordPress multisite network doesn't always help you manage multiple sites. Here are some disadvantages to consider before setting up a multisite network:
- All network locations use the same resources. So if the network goes down, all the other sites go down too.
- Managing server traffic and resources are not easy for inexperienced users. If one of your websites receives unexpected traffic, it affects all other websites in your network.
- If a website is hacked, it means that all the websites in the network have been hacked.
- Some WordPress plugins may not work well with multisite networks.
- Not all web hosting providers properly support WordPress multisite networks, so you're limited in what you can do.
WordPress Multisite Requirements
By understanding the technical pros and cons, you should have decided if multisite is the right option for you. If you want to use it, you will first have to meet certain technical requirements.
One of the first things you need is a web hosting service provider that can handle multiple domains with a single web hosting plan.
Some low-traffic sites may use shared hosting, but due to the nature of the WordPress multisite network, VPS hosting or dedicated servers should be used. You will also need to have basic knowledge of installing WordPress.
There are additional benefits if you already have WordPress installed. However, it must be saved. Also, all plugins should be disabled.
Make sure you have FTP access (FileZilla for example). You will also need to know the basics of working with files via FTP. Finally, you will have to activate pretty permalinks. In other words, the URL should be https://example.com/my-page instead of https://example.com/?p=3694.
How to create/activate a WordPress multisite?
To create a WordPress multisite, you'll first need to make sure you have a version of WordPress that supports multisite functionality. Then, you will have to activate the multisite by adding a few lines of code in the wp-config.php file of your WordPress. Once the multisite is activated, you can create as many sites as you want in your WordPress.
Before you begin, multisite installations require additional considerations compared to regular installations. You will need to decide if you want to use subdomains or subfolders and how to manage them. Installing themes and extensions is done differently. For example, any website on your network can activate them, but not install them.
Step 1: Allow Multisite
The first thing you need to do is find and modify the wp-config.php file where the main settings for your installation are stored.
- Open an FTP client and use your credentials to access the website.
- Navigates to the root directory which is most often called public_html, but may appear as www or the site name.
- Locate and right-click on the wp-config.php file.
- Select the option called View/Edit.
All you have to do is scroll down until you find the line that reads /*That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging .*/, and adds the following snippet just before:
1) /* Multisite */
2) define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);
Save your changes and close the editor. FileZilla will update the original file on the server with the changes you made.
Step 2: Network Installation
When you go to your WordPress dashboard, you will see a new tab titled Network Creation under the Tools menu. If you have active plugins, WordPress will ask you to deactivate them before continuing.
Do it now if necessary. The next time you load this tab, you'll see a screen asking if you want to select a subdomain or subdirectory for your network structure.
You will be able to choose from subdomain or subfolder addresses unless existing settings restrict these choices.
- Subdomain: A domain-based network in which each on-demand site uses a subdomain.
- Subfolder: A path-based network where each on-demand site uses a path.
You will only need generic subdomains (wildcards) for creating on-demand sites on domain-based networks.
Then check the settings and click on the Install button.
Step 3: Network Activation
To activate the network, follow the on-screen instructions to create a network for your WordPress site. These instructions are customized for your installation and do not correspond to the screens below. Just like in the first step, you'll need to add a code snippet to each of them.
WordPress should have provided these snippets for you at the end of the last step:
For the wp-config.php file which you can access using the FTP client. Paste in the following code before the line that says /*That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging*/ :
Then repeat the same process with the .htaccess file in the same directory as wp-config.php. Just close wp-config.php, navigate to .htaccess, right-click, and select the View/Edit option again.
Once inside, you will have to delete everything in this file and replace it with the following code:
Save your changes to your .htaccess now and access your dashboard once again.
Step 4: Network Settings
There is a new "My Site" menu item on the left side of the toolbar.
Hover over this menu to see your site as a list. The Network Management menu item contains several submenus, such as Settings, which leads to network settings, and Sites, which leads to the list of sites.
The Network Settings screen lets you configure network options, and the Sites screen lets you manage your network sites.
The Multisite configuration is now ready to start! When you access your dashboard, you will find a new option in the admin navigation menu called “My Sites”:
Clicking on it will take you from the Network Management Dashboard to the Origin Site Dashboard. The classic website will continue to operate. This is therefore the network's first website.
Multisite comes with many features that you will need to learn how to use.
Add themes and plugins to your multisite network
By default, individual site administrators in a multisite network cannot install themes and plugins on their own.
As a network administrator, you can install the respective themes and plugins, so that they are available for all sites in your network.
Installing themes for your multisite network
To add themes, go to the My Sites » Network Admin » Themes page.
On this page, you can see the list of themes currently installed on your WordPress Multisite.
Click on the Enable Network option under the theme to make the theme available for other websites. You can also deactivate the theme by clicking on the Deactivate network link under the theme.
Note: The Disable Network option will only appear if the theme is enabled.
To add a new theme, you'll need to click the Add New button at the top of the screen, then install WordPress themes as usual. Once the new theme is installed, use the Enable Network option to make it available on other sites in your network.
Setting a default theme for your multisite network
After adding a few themes, WordPress will always activate the default WordPress theme for every new site.
If you want another theme to be the default theme for new sites, you will need to add the following code to your wp-config.php file.
1) // Setting default theme for new sites
2) define( 'WP_DEFAULT_THEME', 'your-theme' );
Replace your theme with the name of your theme. You will need to use the name of the theme folder, which you can find by looking at the /wp-content/themes/ folder.
Installation of plugins for your multisite network
In the same way, you can visit the My sites -> Network administration -> Plugins page to install the plugins and click on the "Network activation" link under each plugin to activate them on your multisite network.
Below are the recommended essential WordPress plugins for any website.
- WPForms: This is the best WordPress contact form plugin that lets you quickly create beautiful forms with a simple drag-and-drop form builder.
- Yoast SEO: The most complete WordPress SEO plugin on the market to help you increase search engine traffic.
- SeedProd: Site administrators may want to see a “coming soon” page when working on the site. SeedProd lets you add beautiful landing pages in “coming soon” and “maintenance” modes.
- WP Mail SMTP: WP Mail SMTP helps solve the issue of WordPress not sending emails by using an SMTP server to send important multisite registration and notification emails.
- WordPress AMP
- Instant Article for WP
- WooCommerce
- BBPress
- Loco Translate
- Polylang
- WP Super Cache
- jet pack
- MailChimp for WordPress
- Contact Form 7
Troubleshooting WordPress Multisite Issues
The most common issues when setting up a WordPress multisite network are misconfigured wildcard subdomains and domain mapping issues. Before setting up your multisite network, make sure your host supports generic subdomains.
Here are some other common problems and their easy solutions:
Troubleshoot connectivity issues in multisite installations
Another common problem is that if you are using WordPress Multisite with subdirectories, after adding the required code to your wp-config.php file, some users cannot log in to your site admin panel.
To fix this, try replacing
1) define('SUBDOMAIN_INSTALL', false);
in the wp-config.php file with
1) define('SUBDOMAIN_INSTALL', 'false');
Find unconfirmed users
Another problem you may encounter is not being able to find users who registered on your network but did not receive the activation email.
Export a multisite site to its own WordPress installation
Later, at some point, you or another site owner may want to export a site from Multisite to their own WordPress installation. It can be done easily.
Which user role is unique to a WordPress multisite?
The “Super Admin” user role is unique to a WordPress multisite. This role gives the user extended privileges across all sites on the network, including the ability to manage users and change network settings.
Another feature is the ability to create websites and online stores that target specific languages, regions, and currencies.
Super Admins and Site Admins can control content. This control applies to the whole network of super administrators, but website administrators have the right to choose what main domain content appears on their website.
Plugins are also under super admin control. However, website administrators can enable or disable plugins on their websites as needed.
WordPress Multisite Network FAQ
Many users have many questions about WordPress multisite networks and how to use them more effectively. Here are the most frequently asked questions so far:
1) How to properly manage your sites in a multisite network?
The answer depends on your actual usage.
For example, if your websites are not linked to each other, we recommend using a multisite management tool like InfiniteWP.
If you manage multiple websites for a chain of restaurants, a university, or an online magazine, WordPress Multisite is more efficient.
2) Will my website load faster with WordPress Multisite?
It also depends on several factors. Upgrading your WordPress hosting with more server resources can make your multisite run faster, but a single WordPress site will also run faster with those resources.
However, on a shared hosting account, a spike in traffic will increase memory usage and slow down all websites in your multisite network.
3) Can I add an online store to WordPress Multisite?
Yes, you can add an online store to your WordPress Multisite network. In most cases, you will use an e-commerce plugin such as WooCommerce that is compatible with WordPress Multisite.
4) Can I install “x plugin” on WordPress Multisite?
Some WordPress plugins may not be compatible with WordPress Multisite. Plugin authors usually mention it on the plugin's website, and you can avoid installing plugins that may not work in a multisite setup.
However, if it's not mentioned, you can assume it's capable of handling multiple sites.
5) How to share user identities and roles in a multisite network?
By default, users registered on one site cannot register or add to another site on the same network. Indeed, they are already registered in the common WordPress database.
However, they do not have user role permissions on other sites. You can use third-party plugins such as WP Multisite User Sync to synchronize users on your network.
However, be careful, as this may give someone admin rights to your website if it was not intended.
As we can see, WordPress Multisite has several advantages. Control and manage multiple websites from a single dashboard.
It can definitely reduce your workload and make monitoring your website hassle-free.
Have you ever used WordPress Multisite? If you plan to use it for future projects, let us know in the comments section below.
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