What is a WordPress multisite network?
You run several websites.
In addition to your main website, you also have a super cool landing page for one of your digital products. And then there’s an extra website with a store where you sell something.
Your website empire will look like this:
You have installed WordPress three times, which means you have three different databases. You have installed every plugin and every theme three times. You have created the same user three times.
With (at least) monthly maintenance, you have to maintain each WordPress installation separately. Perform a backup three times, update the plugins three times.
You guessed it – if a website is added, the game starts all over again. Create new database, install & configure WordPress, install plugins and theme …
However, if you create a WordPress network (formerly called WordPress Multisite or “WordPress MU”), you only have one WordPress installation. All websites in your multisite network share the plugins, themes and database. Only the uploaded media files and the images are different
The website empire looks like this:
Of course, each website in the multisite network can use a different theme and activate different plugins.
However, you now only have one WordPress installation, where you define the users centrally for all websites in your WordPress network. You log in to all your websites with the same user name and password. You only carry out updates once.
Great, isn’t it?
Advantages of a WordPress multisite network
If you set up a WordPress multisite network, you have the following advantages:
- You only need to install updates for any number of websites once.
- You only need to secure WordPress correctly once and all websites are protected.
- You only have to perform a backup once for the network and not per website.
- You have a user name with which you can access all websites in the network.
- You only need one database, which can be cheaper, especially with smaller hosting packages.
Disadvantages of a WordPress multisite network
However, installing a multisite network also has a few disadvantages:
- if you have a plugin that does not work, none of the websites in your network may be accessible
- The same applies if a website in the network is hacked. Often all websites in the network are then affected
- the installation of plugins and themes is somewhat more complex (because you have to install them for the network and then activate them for each website)
- some plugins and themes are not adapted for a WordPress network and do not work
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When should you use a WordPress multisite network?
A WordPress multisite network makes sense if you run several websites yourself. This can be the case if you have an extra landing page for a product in addition to your main page. Or run an extra store. Or want to start a new business project.
The only important thing is that the pages “belong together”. And you are the administrator of all pages.
This is because the websites in a WordPress network share a database and the installed plugins.
A WordPress network therefore makes sense if you run several websites and want to keep maintenance to a minimum.
You can also give other users access to websites on the network. However, even if they are administrators, they are restricted and cannot install new plugins and themes themselves. Unless they have SuperAdministator rights – but then they also have access to all pages in the multisite network.
When is it better not to use a WordPress multisite network?
A WordPress multisite network is in no way suitable for:
- Customer websites. These should be set up separately for each customer. Because if your customer wants to switch to another provider, you don’t want to give the new service provider access to the entire network.
- if it is foreseeable that you will have to “detach” a website from the network. This is possible, but more work than moving a standard WordPress installation
- Test websites on which you develop or try out new themes. Because one error in the code and all websites in the network are no longer available
- if other users are connected via FTP or SSH need to access the WordPress installation
- Collaboration with other administrators who want to manage websites and install plugins themselves
How to set up a WordPress multisite network – step by step
Step 1: Install WordPress
To set up a WordPress multisite network, you need WordPress installed. Here you can find instructions on how to easily install WordPress yourself:
If you already have a website with WordPress, you can easily expand it into a network. You don’t have to install WordPress again!
Important: be sure to create a backup before installation!
Step 2: Activate multisite
Open the wp-config.php file on the server . This can be done with an FTP client such as FileZilla or via SSH.
Add above the line
/* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */add the following two lines:
/* Multisite */
define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );Save the file again.
This activates the option to set up a WordPress multisite network.
Step 3: deactivate all plugins
Deactivate all plugins on your website. If you do not do this, you will not be able to set up the network and will receive the following error message:
You can reactivate it immediately after installing the network.
Step 4: Start network setup
In the WordPress dashboard, select the menu item “Tools” > “Network setup”.
Fill out the following form and, if possible, be sure to select “Subdomains”. Only this setting allows you to use different domains. However, if you select “Subdirectory”, this is not possible.
Assign a title to your multisite network and enter your e-mail address. This address becomes a SuperAdministrator for the network (more on this below).
Click on “Install” to make the necessary changes and save your settings.
Step 5: Adjustments in the wp-config.php and the .htaccess file
Open the wp-config.php file again via FTP or SSH and add the specified lines directly via
/* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */ added:
define('MULTISITE', true);
define('SUBDOMAIN_INSTALL', true);
define('DOMAIN_CURRENT_SITE', 'deine-domain.com');
define('PATH_CURRENT_SITE', '/');
define('SITE_ID_CURRENT_SITE', 1);
define('BLOG_ID_CURRENT_SITE', 1);Important! In addition (this is not displayed by the installer) add this line:
define('COOKIE_DOMAIN', $_SERVER[ 'HTTP_HOST' ] );Otherwise there will be an error with the login cookies and you will not be able to log in to the pages of your network!
Also open the .htaccess file and replace the lines between # BEGIN WordPress and # END WordPress with the displayed rules:
Step 6: log in again
Once the changes have been made, log in to WordPress again by clicking on the small, inconspicuous “Log in” link at the bottom of the displayed page.
Step 7: Activate plugins
Activate all plugins deactivated in step 3 again. Your website should now work and look as before, but the WordPress network is activated.
You can recognize this by the fact that you will see a new menu item “My websites” in the dashboard.
In the “Network management” you have access to the settings of your new WordPress network.
WordPress network management & special features of a WordPress multisite network
Under “My websites” > “Network management” you can access the settings that apply to the entire WordPress network.
Here, in the network administration, you will install the updates in future. Don’t worry, you will be notified on every network website that there are updates. This is also where you install new plugins and themes, which are then available to the pages in your network.
New user role – the SuperAdmin
You yourself were previously the “administrator” on your website. From now on, there is also the additional role of “Super Administrator“. Because as a “simple” administrator of a WordPress site, you can no longer install new themes and plugins.
You can only activate them again.
Only the SuperAdmin can install them in the network settings.
Administrators cannot edit user profiles either – this is also reserved for super administrators.
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Activate plugins network-wide
If you go to “My websites” > “Network management” and select “Plugins“, you will see that you can also activate plugins network-wide.
These network-wide activated plugins are then active for all pages of your multisite network and can no longer be deactivated on individual websites. This makes sense for global security and performance plug-ins.
For example, you should activate the Limit Login Attempts, Imsantiy or Backup plugins network-wide.
You then no longer have to worry about this on new websites – the plugins are automatically active and do their job.
An important network-wide setting
Be sure to adjust the following setting under “Settings” > “Network settings”:
By default, WordPress only allows you to upload up to approx. 2MB, which is unfortunately not really up-to-date and sufficient. Here you can adjust this limit as required.
How to add a new website to the multisite network
In the network administration you also have the sub-item “Websites“. There you can add a new website to your network.
Don’t get confused – in the first step you only enter a subdomain, e.g. landingpage.mbaierl.com. Enter a title, set the language and your e-mail address.
Click on “Create website” to add the subpage to your network.
In the next step, edit your website settings and change the website address to the correct live URL:
Your new website is now correctly added to the Multisite network.
Make sure that the domain is correctly registered and set up (the path in the hosting panel must point to the WordPress installation), then you can log in to the backend and start creating your new website.
Questions about the WordPress multisite network
What is the difference between WordPress Multisite and a WordPress network?
WordPress Multisite or WordPress MU (WPMU) was the original name of the network function. This was also a separate “version” of WordPress.
With version 3 on June 17, 2010, the MU functionality was integrated into WordPress itself. Since then, the function has simply been called “WordPress Network”.
What is the difference between WordPress and WordPress Multisite?
Current WordPress versions are basically the same product. A “multisite” or “network” simply enables the option of managing several WordPress sites with just one database.
Can I use different themes in a WordPress network?
Yes, that is possible. You install the respective themes centrally and then activate them for the respective WordPress site.
However, only one theme can be active on a single WordPress site in the network at any one time.
Can I use different plugins in a WordPress network?
Yes, that is possible. You install the respective plugins centrally and then activate them for the respective WordPress site. However, you can also activate plugins centrally for all pages in the network.
How can I deactivate a WordPress multisite network again?
You can find the exact step-by-step instructions for turning a WordPress network back into a “normal” WordPress here.
WordPress multisite network: useful or not?
It depends :-)
For me, a WordPress multisite network makes perfect sense if you want to run two or more websites that “logically” belong together. Like a yoga website and the associated online yoga academy with videos.
With a WordPress multisite network, you have a small learning curve, but save yourself the double administration of backups, updates and security settings.
At the same time, you can easily use individual developments in the form of a child theme on several pages.
However, a WordPress multisite network makes no sense if you manage several customer websites or to create a staging website. Moving a website from a multisite network is more complex than simply duplicating an entire WordPress installation.
You can find more details about WordPress networks in the official WordPress codex.
Don’t feel like setting up WordPress yourself? I’ll be happy to do it for you!
Let’s just build websites,
Michael
