WordPress Multisite: The Power System for Managing Multiple Websites

Check the Minimum Requirements

Setting up Multisite WordPress allows website owners to manage multiple sites from one dashboard. However, it is important to check if your hosting platform meets the minimum requirements. Your hosting environment must have Apache or Nginx installed, PHP version 7.2 or higher, and MySQL version 5.6 or higher. Ensure that your web host is compatible with Multisite install before beginning.

Backup Your Website

Before you dive into setting up Multisite WordPress, it’s essential to backup your website. This process can lead to issues or errors when installing. Use a backup plugin or take a manual backup by copying files and backup the database.

Enable Multisite WordPress

To set up Multisite WordPress, we need to enable it in your website’s wp-config.php. This file is located in the WordPress root directory, and it contains all the essential details to connect your WordPress installation with your database.

To enable the Multisite WordPress feature, add the following code to your wp-config.php file, just before the line that reads “/* That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */”:

/* Enable Multisite */
define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );

Once you’ve added this code and saved the wp-config.php file, the Multisite feature will be available in WordPress.

Install Multisite WordPress

After enabling Multisite in your WordPress configuration, go to your website’s dashboard and navigate to: Tools > Network Setup.

On the Network Setup page, choose the server type you want to use with your Multisite network, either subdomains or subdirectories.

If you select “Subdomains,” each website will have a unique subdomain like site1.yourdomain.com and site2.yourdomain.com.

If you select “Subdirectories,” each website will have a directory like yourdomain.com/site1/ and yourdomain.com/site2/.

After selecting one of the options, fill out the rest of the fields in the form, including your network’s title, email address, admin user account details, and install. WordPress will generate two additional sets of code to add to the wp-config.php file and .htaccess files, which we will cover in the next step.

Add Code to wp-config.php and .htaccess Files

After clicking on Install on the Network Setup page, WordPress will display two code blocks that you need to add to the wp-config.php file and .htaccess files.

Open the wp-config.php file and add the code below the code you added earlier:

/* Multisite */
define('MULTISITE', true);
define('SUBDOMAIN_INSTALL', false);
define('DOMAIN_CURRENT_SITE', 'yourdomain.com');
define('PATH_CURRENT_SITE', '/');
define('SITE_ID_CURRENT_SITE', 1);
define('BLOG_ID_CURRENT_SITE', 1);

Instead of ‘yourdomain.com,’ enter the actual domain you are using for your website. Save the wp-config.php file.

Next, open the .htaccess file at the root of your website and replace the existing code with the code block generated in the Network Setup page:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]

# add a trailing slash to /wp-admin
RewriteRule ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?wp-admin$ $1wp-admin/ [R=301,L]

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -f [OR]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -d
RewriteRule ^ - [L]
RewriteRule ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?(wp-(content|admin|includes).*) /wp/$2 [L]
RewriteRule ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?(.*\.php)$ /wp/$2 [L]
RewriteRule . index.php [L]

Create a New Site

WordPress Multisite is a power system that allows you to manage several websites within one installation. To create a new site, log in to your dashboard and navigate to My Sites > Network Admin > Sites. In this area, you can create as many new sites as you need, edit existing websites, and delete them.

To create a new site, click “Add New” and fill out the necessary details. This new site can have its theme, plugins, and users. You will have full control over permissions and user access for the website you create.

Final Thoughts

Enabling a Multisite network with WordPress is a powerful way to manage and organize multiple sites with ease. This process can save time, resources, and can be a real asset for website owners who want to manage many websites efficiently.

In this article, we’ve covered the steps necessary to set up a Multisite WordPress network, including enabling Multisite in wp-config.php, Installing the Multisite network, Adding code to the wp-config.php and .htaccess files, and creating new sites.

Remember to always backup your website before making any significant changes, and ensure that your hosting meets the minimum requirements before setting up your Multisite network. With these steps in place, you’ll be able to manage multiple websites from one dashboard smoothly.