[New] Introducing Duplicator’s Sleek Redesign: New Look, Same Great Features
We simplified backups and migrations with Duplicator's fresh new look. Dive into our redesigned interface, backup presets, helpful tooltips, and…
[New] Introducing Duplicator’s Sleek Redesign: New Look, Same Great Features
Joella Dunn
Joella Dunn
John Turner
John Turner
Are you not sure how to set up WordPress Multisite, or if you should?
WordPress Multisite is a powerful feature that lets you control multiple sites within a single WordPress installation. This makes it easy to install the same plugins, perform backups, and apply consistent branding across different websites.
In this post, we’ll show you everything you need to know about WordPress Multisite networks!
WordPress Multisite is a feature that allows you to manage multiple websites on one WordPress installation. It provides a centralized dashboard from which you can efficiently oversee and control a network of websites.
Managing multiple WordPress websites can be a daunting task. You’ll have to switch between different dashboards, handling individual software updates, backups, and other important management tasks.
Fortunately, WordPress Multisite solves this problem.
Whether you’re looking to establish a network of blogs, run multiple business sites, or cultivate a community of niche forums, WordPress Multisite can simplify web management and enhance productivity.
Let’s discuss the main benefits of Multisite networks.
Multisite simplifies user management, as users can log in with a single account and access multiple sites if they have the appropriate permissions. You can create new users, customize user roles, and send notifications to sub-site admins to build a strong network.
Having multiple websites using a single hosting account can be a more affordable solution than separately hosting each site.
Multisite allows you to expand your network of websites as needed, accommodating future growth and scaling effortlessly.
Maintaining consistent branding and design becomes easier with Multisite because you can apply the same themes and styles across all sites.
Managing backups, security, and performance optimizations becomes more efficient when dealing with a single installation and shared infrastructure.
Multisite fosters collaboration among contributors within the WordPress network, enabling shared access and streamlined workflows.
WordPress Multisite allows you to implement consistent SEO strategies across all sites, enhancing search engine visibility and driving organic traffic.
WordPress Multisite isn’t for everyone, and here’s why.
The setup and configuration process may be more involved, and troubleshooting issues can be more challenging. WordPress Multisite requires a higher level of technical expertise and understanding of the network’s specific functionality.
Not all plugins and themes are fully compatible with WordPress Multisite. You may have to stop using your favorite tool and find a similar option.
Depending on the size and traffic of the multisite network, performance can be a concern. A high-traffic site within the network can potentially impact the performance of other sites sharing the same resources.
As multiple sites rely on a single WordPress installation, any issues with the network can affect all the sites. A network-wide technical issue or a misconfiguration could take down your entire multisite network. So, it’s important to perform regular backups and a disaster recovery plan.
While WordPress Multisite allows for centralized management and consistent branding, it may limit individual site customization. Each site within the network shares the same core files, themes, and plugins. Tweaking the design or functionality of specific sites might require custom development.
We’d recommend managing a multisite if you want any of these websites:
Let’s take a look at a few examples!
BBC America has a centralized network for all of its shows. There is a main website, along with several sub-sites, all within a single WordPress installation.
WordPress.com is another popular example. This network contains millions of different sub-sites run by bloggers. Unlike WordPress.org, all of these separate blogs are hosted on the same server.
WordPress Multisite can also be useful for educational websites. Harvard Blogs is a network that allows college students and faculty to build their own blogs.
If you build websites for clients, you can use a Multisite network to set up your favorite plugins and themes on the sub-site. When you’re ready to go live, you can simply migrate the site out of the network and onto its own server.
Before you start setting up your first WordPress Multisite, you’ll need to consider what WordPress host you’ll use. As we mentioned earlier, this can make or break your network’s performance.
First, think about your goals. If you never plan on having more than a couple of sub-sites, you can save costs and go with a shared hosting plan.
However, you may want to scale your network even more. In this case, you could benefit from a Virtual Private Server (VPS), managed hosting, or a dedicated server.
If you’d like to consider different hosting options, we’d recommend Bluehost. This hosting provider has a variety of plans, including shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting.
Compared to other web hosting services, Bluehost is an affordable option. No matter which level of hosting you choose, you can launch your new Multisite without breaking the bank.
Once you’re sure a WordPress Multisite will meet your business goals, it’s time to set one up! Let’s walk you through the process, step-by-step.
First things first, you’ll need to back up your website. If you forget this step, you won’t be able to restore your site if anything goes wrong during the network setup.
To easily create a backup, we’d recommend installing Duplicator Pro. This is the best WordPress backup plugin because it supports automatic backups, secure backup encryption, one-click restores, and cloud storage.
Be sure to select a subscription for Duplicator Pro. Although there is a free version, you’ll need to upgrade for WordPress Multisite support.
After your purchase, copy the license key. Then, open the WordPress dashboard for your original site. Install and activate Duplicator.
As a final step, find Duplicator Pro » Settings and activate your license key.
Now you can create your first backup! Simply navigate to Duplicator Pro » Backups » Add New.
Name the backup. For extra security, you can choose a cloud storage location like Amazon S3 or Google Cloud.
Then, expand the Backup section. Here, you can customize exactly what data you want backed up.
For a full backup, click on the Full Site preset and hit Next. Duplicator will then perform a full scan before backing up your site.
Once you build the backup, click on Download » Both Files.
After this, you can continue setting up your WordPress Multisite!
In some cases, your hosting provider will set up a WordPress Multisite installation for you. However, you may have to do this yourself.
To get started, you’ll need to open your site’s files. You can do this by connecting to a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client like FileZilla or cPanel. This will depend on your web host.
Next, open your wp-config.php file. Right before the That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging line, add this code:
/* Multisite */
define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);Save the file after this change. Then, open your WordPress admin dashboard and find Tools » Network Setup.
You’ll have two options for setting up your sub-site addresses:
Keep in mind that sub-domains require domain mapping in your DNS settings. Don’t worry, we’ll walk you through that process later in this guide.
After choosing a site address, you can customize your network’s title. You’ll also need to add an admin email address. Then, hit Install.
Now, WordPress will provide some code to finish installing the network. You’ll need to copy and paste this into your wp-config.php and .htaccess files.
When you log back into your WordPress site, you’ll now see a Multisite network dashboard.
As a network administrator, you can create new sub-sites and manage their individual dashboards. Plus, you can install plugins and themes for the entire network.
A wildcard subdomain is a DNS configuration that allows you to automatically create and map multiple subdomains to a single domain. This simplifies the process of adding and managing new sites within the network.
To enable wildcard subdomains for a WordPress Multisite network, you need to configure your DNS settings. First, sign into your WordPress hosting account. In this tutorial, we’ll be using Bluehost.
Head over to Domains » Subdomains » Add Subdomain. Then, type an asterisk (*) into the field for the subdomain name. Select your domain name using the dropdown menu.
Leave the document root as the default option. Finally, hit Create.
Now that you’ve set up your network, it’s time to create new subsites! To do this, simply go to My Sites » Network Admin » Sites. Then, click on Add New.
Next, enter the site’s address and title. If you want to create a multi-lingual network, feel free to set up your new subsite in a different language. Lastly, choose an admin email and hit Add Site.
This will create a completely fresh site within your network. However, you may want to migrate an existing site into your Multisite. This can be useful for working on clients’ sites as a freelancer.
Duplicator Pro makes it easy to transfer sites in and out of your network. You won’t have to worry about data loss or a complicated migration process.
First, you’ll need to create a backup of the standalone site. Refer to the instructions in Step 1 for more details.
On your network installation, go to My Sites » Plugins » Add New. Install Duplicator Pro and activate it for the network.
Then, find Duplicator Pro » Import Backups. Drag and drop your backup archive file into the import box.
To import the backup, hit Continue.
At this point, you could consider setting a recovery point for your network. Select the most recent backup and copy the generated recovery URL. You can use this to roll back your Multisite should the installation cause any issues.
Once you have this safety precaution in place, scroll to the bottom of the page. Here, click Launch Installer.
In the Duplicator installer, you’ll see the option to import a single site into your multisite network. Select this, and customize the URL path for the new sub-site.
Accept the terms and notices and click Next. As a final step, you’ll need to confirm that you have a recovery URL and run the installer.
Duplicator will unpack the archive file and import it into your network. Once finished, use the Admin Login button to access your network again.
In your network admin, you’ll see that you now have the original standalone site set up as a sub-site. It’ll have its own dashboard just like every other WordPress site.
Continue to add as many sub-sites as you’d like!
To make sure you never lose your Multisite network to cyber attacks, malware, server errors, or unexpected glitches, it’s important to regularly back it up. Unlike many other backup plugins, Duplicator can save backups of all your subsites, even if you have a large network.
As a network admin, add a new backup with Duplicator. You can decide to save backups on your local server or use a third-party cloud storage service.
Duplicator supports all of these storage options, so you can find the right one for your network:
In the Backup section, click on the Multisite tab. This will allow you to select which subsites are included in the backup. To exclude a site, simply move it to the Excluded Sub-sites box.
However, you can only restore your entire network if all subsites are included in the backup. If you decide to filter them, you’ll have to restore each subsite as a standalone site.
After you customize your archive file, hit Next. Review the site scan and click Create Backup.
Duplicator will then back up your network!
A single site is a standalone WordPress installation that supports one website. On the other hand, Multisite allows a single WordPress installation to host multiple websites, each with its own separate content, themes, and plugins. All the sub-sites can be managed from a central admin dashboard on the main site.
WordPress multisite can be beneficial for SEO when implemented and managed effectively. It allows for centralized management of multiple websites, potentially leading to improved site structure, easier content management, and consistent branding across sites. However, proper SEO optimization techniques are still crucial for achieving good results.
Yes, all sub-sites in a WordPress Multisite use the same database. Activating Multisite creates new database tables so that each site stores data separately.
Network admins can install themes and hit Network Activate to make them available to sub-sites. Then, sub-site admins can choose to activate them on their own sites. You can activate one theme on each subsite, but the network settings control which themes are installed.
That’s it! We hope this guide helped you learn all about WordPress Multisite networks.
While you’re here, you may also like these extra WordPress tutorials:
Want to easily migrate websites into and out of your WordPress Multisite? Download Duplicator today to access simple server-to-server transfers!
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