1. Automate Workflows Between Sites with Uncanny Automator

After 15 years of building websites, I‘ve found clever ways of connecting multiple WordPress sites together.

As your website grows, you may want to split different sections into their own websites. For example, having separate sites for your blog, store, help portal, etc. But how do you link them together for a unified user experience?

In this guide, I‘ll share techniques I‘ve picked up for seamlessly connecting WordPress sites, with real examples from my own sites.

An automation tool like Uncanny Automator is the most powerful way to link WordPress sites. It lets you pass data between sites and trigger actions when events occur.

I‘ve used it on dozens of sites to create recipes like:

• Enroll members when a course is purchased
• Register users on Site B when they sign up on Site A
• Backup data to a private site when content is updated

The flexibility is incredible. Here‘s how to get started:

Install and Activate the Plugin

First, install Uncanny Automator on both the WordPress sites you want to connect.

I recommend using the premium version so you can access all features. After purchase, don‘t forget to activate your license key on each site‘s dashboard.

Plan	Price
Lite	Free
Pro	$99/year
Agency	$199/year

Pick a Trigger

The trigger initiates your workflow when something happens on Site A. For example:

• User submits a form
• Customer makes a purchase
• Publishing a new post
• New user registration
• Custom event or schedule

Triggers are the starting point of any automation.

Send Data with a Webhook

Webhooks allow apps to instantly share data with each other.

For the action on Site A, choose the Webhooks integration. Then select "Send data to a webhook" as the action.

You‘ll need to specify a URL endpoint to receive the webhook request. We‘ll configure that next.

Configure the Listener Site

Now switch to Site B where the webhook will be sent. Create a new recipe here.

Choose Webhooks as the trigger integration. Pick "Receive data from a webhook" as the trigger.

Copy the unique webhook URL from Site B and paste it into the action on Site A.

Pass User Details Between Sites

When setting up the actions, you can pass data like:

• First name
• Last name
• Email address
• Order details
• Form fields

For example, send the user‘s email address from Site A to automatically create their account on Site B.

The possibilities are endless!

Example Recipe

As an example, let‘s enroll members on a private site when they purchase a course on our public WooCommerce site.

Trigger: Customer purchases a product

Action 1: Send customer‘s name and email via a webhook

Action 2: Create user account on private site

Action 3: Enroll user in a membership plan

And this is just one basic recipe! You can create multiple triggers, actions, and integrations tailored to your specific needs.

Subdomains provide another way to segment sections of your website under unique addresses:

• support.yourdomain.com
• blog.yourdomain.com
• events.yourdomain.com

Some advantages of using subdomains:

• Separates distinct sections into their own websites
• Easy for visitors to navigate
• Can be individually designed and managed

There are a few steps involved in setting them up:

Map the Subdomain

First, you‘ll need to map the new subdomain in your hosting control panel. This assigns it to the correct folder on the server.

Most hosts make it simple to create a subdomain with just a few clicks.

Install WordPress

Next, complete the famous 5-minute WordPress installation process in your subdomain‘s folder.

Make sure to use the full subdomain URL (e.g. blog.yourdomain.com) when setting it up.

Customize the Site

Each subdomain can have its own separate theme, plugins, content, memberships, and functionality tailored to its purpose.

You may want to maintain consistent branding elements like color schemes across sites. Shared navigation menus also help connect subdomains.

Link Between Sites

Don‘t forget to interlink between your main site and subdomains. These links establish relationships and authority between the properties.

Visitors can seamlessly navigate while search engines index the content better.

Subdomain Use Cases

Some example uses for subdomains on a business site:

• support.yourdomain.com – Customer help portal
• blog.yourdomain.com – Media articles, news, tutorials
• jobs.yourdomain.com – Careers page and job listings
• app.yourdomain.com – Web application
• events.yourdomain.com – Webinars, conferences

Subdomains keep these separate while retaining brand authority.

Interlinking is a great SEO technique to establish connections between standalone websites.

By referring to Site B from pages on Site A, you:

• Pass authority and rankings between both sites
• Create logical site architecture for users
• Increase exposure and referral traffic

Here are some tips for effectively interlinking sites:

Link in Navigation Menus

One easy way is by adding custom menu items linking to related pages on your other sites. Choose contextually relevant labels.

For example, link to an deals site from a "Promotions" menu item.

Link in Sidebar Widgets

Many widgets like text, images, and HTML support hyperlinks. Prominently display these in sidebars and footers.

For instance, an image widget can link to an Instagram account showcasing products.

Link in Content

When writing posts, look for opportunities to organically mention and link out to related content on your other sites.

For example, "This recipe goes nicely with [chocolate desserts] from our recipe site."

Link in Footers

Include a list of your related properties in the footer menu. Add a short site description and relevant internal links.

For example: "Our Health Blog – Tips for living a healthy lifestyle."

The repetitive footer links establish site relationships.

Check Link Metrics

Use a tool like Ahrefs to monitor metrics like:

• Domain authority/trust passing between sites
• Backlinks and referring domains
• Referral traffic numbers

This allows you to double down on the most effective linking strategies.

Metric	Site A	Site B
Domain Authority	34	25
Referring Domains	152	87
Referral Traffic	1,236 visits/mo	812 visits/mo

So in summary, interlinking websites amplifies both their search visibility and creates a more connected experience for visitors.

I hope you found this guide useful! Let me know if you have any other questions about connecting your WordPress sites.