With over 60 million websites powered by WordPress, it is by far the most popular content management system on the web. This widespread adoption is partly thanks to its flexibility through features like WordPress Multisite.
Multisite allows running multiple websites from a single WordPress installation. According to WordPress statistics, over 13% of WordPress installs leverage Multisite to power networks of sites.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into everything you need to know about Multisite – from what it is, benefits, how it works, and step-by-step instructions to get your own network up and running.
Contents
What is WordPress Multisite?
WordPress Multisite, also referred to as WordPress MU or WordPress Network, is a feature that enables you to create a network of multiple websites powered by a single WordPress installation.
Each site on the network can have its own domain name, content, users, themes, and plugins while sharing the core WordPress files and database.
For example, you can have site1.yourdomain.com, site2.yourdomain.com, mydomain.com/site1, mydomain.com/site2 etc. all powered by the same underlying WordPress files.
The main advantages of using WordPress Multisite include:
- Centralized control and management of the whole network from one dashboard.
- Ability to update themes, plugins and WordPress core across all sites from one place.
- Shared plugins and themes across the network.
- Sites can be managed by different users with varying permission levels.
- Saves server resources as only one WordPress install is required.
- Reuse content across multiple sites on the network.
Multisite is commonly used by organizations, universities, blogs, magazines, and membership sites to manage their disparate websites from one centralized location.
Some examples of popular WordPress Multisite networks include:
- Harvard University – Powers 600+ sites through their Harvard.edu blogs network.
- Smashing Magazine – Runs their German site and Spanish site under one Multisite install.
- Codeable – Leverages Multisite to manage 50+ sites with over 4000 users.
As you can see, Multisite helps streamline management at scale for publishers and organizations running multiple sites. Next, let’s look at how Multisite works under the hood.
How Does WordPress Multisite Work?
A WordPress Multisite network consists of a main site and then child sites that run on subdomains or subfolders of that main site.
The main site serves as the administration hub and is used to manage the overall network including themes, plugins, and user roles. This main site has a special /wp-admin/ area for network configuration.
Each child site runs like an independent WordPress install but pulls core files like WordPress itself, plugins, themes from the main site.
Users of child sites can manage content and certain settings for their specific site but limited based on their role.
There are three main user roles in WordPress Multisite:
- Super Admin – Has access to the Network Admin and can manage the entire network.
- Site Admin – Can manage a specific site including users, content, media, and some settings.
- Subscriber – Basic user role that can only manage their account and create content.
So WordPress Multisite allows centralized network-wide control combined with distributed management of individual sites.
Benefits of Using WordPress Multisite
There are many benefits to leveraging WordPress Multisite to manage multiple WordPress sites:
Centralized Network Management
Manage all sites, users, plugins, and themes from one central dashboard with Super Admin access. This allows administering the entire network from one place.
Easier Updates
Updating WordPress, themes, and plugins can be done once from the Network Admin and changes are deployed network-wide.
Consistent Experience
Enforce consistent branding, functionality, and design across all sites by mandating certain themes/plugins.
Save Resources
No need to run separate WordPress installs for each site, so Multisite requires fewer server resources than individual installs.
Reuse Content
Share themes, plugins, media assets, and content across different sites on the same network easily.
Access Control
Manage permissions at both the network-level and individual site level. Control exactly what users can do.
Blogging Communities
Ideal for creating managed blogging networks and communities. For example, alumni sites.
Segmentation
Have separate websites for different departments, brands, locales, or topics under one umbrella.
As you can see, Multisite brings immense administration benefits for managing multiple sites while retaining flexibility for distributed control when required.
How to Set Up a WordPress Multisite Network
Now that you understand the benefits of Multisite, let’s look at how to setup a Multisite network step-by-step:
1. Get Hosting that Supports Multisite
Since Multisite has greater resource requirements, you need a host capable of handling multiple WordPress installs.
Managed WordPress hosts like WPEngine, Pagely, or Kinsta are ideal for Multisite. Their enterprise plans can easily scale to accommodate large Multisite networks with hundreds of sites.
If going with shared hosting, choose a reputed WordPress host like Bluehost, SiteGround, or A2 Hosting with official Multisite support. A VPS also works well for mid-sized Multisite networks.
2. Install WordPress
Install WordPress on your domain either via auto-installer from the host or manually via FTP. Ensure WordPress is installed in the web root, not inside any subfolders.
3. Convert to Multisite
Login to your new WordPress admin and go to Tools > Network Setup. This will launch the WordPress Multisite installation screen.
4. Choose Network Settings
On the Network Setup screen, first choose whether you want sites to exist on subdomains (site1.domain.com) or subfolders (domain.com/site1).
This is an important decision you can‘t easily reverse later. Subdomains are recommended as they are easier to manage with individual sites acting like their own domains.
Next, add your network details like name and admin email.
5. Update wp-config.php and .htaccess
Click “Install”. WordPress will show you the changes needed in wp-config.php and .htaccess to activate Multisite.
Using FTP or file manager, open and edit these files to add the provided code snippets.
The key Multisite constants to add in wp-config.php are:
define(‘WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE‘, true);
define(‘MULTISITE‘, true);
define(‘SUBDOMAIN_INSTALL‘, false);
define(‘DOMAIN_CURRENT_SITE‘, ‘example.com‘);
define(‘PATH_CURRENT_SITE‘, ‘/‘);
define(‘SITE_ID_CURRENT_SITE‘, 1);
define(‘BLOG_ID_CURRENT_SITE‘, 1);Save changes and exit.
6. Enable Multisite
Once the required changes are made, reload your WordPress admin. You’ll now see the Multisite network enabled.
The main site will have a /wp-admin/network/ area for managing the overall network.
Congratulations, your WordPress Multisite network is now active!
Managing Your WordPress Multisite Network
Once your Multisite network is setup, you can start adding sites and managing the whole network from the Network Admin.
Go to yoursite.com/wp-admin/network to access the Network Admin dashboard.
From here you can:
- Add and delete sites
- Install and update themes/plugins
- Manage Super Admins and user roles
- Configure network-wide settings
- View network activity and updates
The Network Admin is the central management hub for controlling your entire Multisite network.
Individual sites added to the network can be managed via /wp-admin/ on their own domains. For example, site2.yourdomain.com/wp-admin/ provides access for managing just that site.
So the Network Admin area manages the overall network while individual site admins can control their own sites.
Choosing WordPress Multisite Hosting
Not all standard shared hosts support Multisite, so you need a host optimized for these greater demands.
Here are the typical requirements for good Multisite hosting:
- Ability to run subdomains and subdirectories seamlessly
- Power and resources to handle increased visitors and sites
- Support for running multiple databases if sites need separation
- High PHP memory limit, ideally 128MB or higher
- Storage space for accumulated uploads and content
- Scalability to accommodate growth of your network
For these reasons, managed WordPress hosts like WPEngine and Kinsta offer ideal Multisite hosting. Their enterprise plans provide:
- Seamless subdomain and subdirectory support
- Fast SSD storage and content delivery network (CDN)
- Dedicated resources guarantee performance
- Staging sites to test changes
- SSL certificates included
- WP-CLI for managing sites via command line
- 24/7 support
The premium price brings enterprise-grade infrastructure, speed, security, and scale tailored to Multisite networks.
If going with shared hosting, we recommend SiteGround or Bluehost. Their growbig plans come with resources suitable for smaller Multisite networks. A VPS like Vultr or DigitalOcean also works for mid-sized networks.
Conclusion
We hope this detailed guide covered everything you need to know about WordPress Multisite.
Major takeaways:
- Multisite allows running multiple sites from one WordPress install for easier management.
- Benefits include centralized control, easier updates, and content sharing.
- Over 13% of WordPress sites leverage Multisite.
- With the right configuration, you can setup subdomains (site1.domain.com) or subfolders (domain.com/site1).
- Multisite streamlines network administration but still allows distributed site control.
- Choose a specialized WordPress host for optimal Multisite hosting.
You now have all the background and steps to create your own powerful Multisite network. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments!
