WordPress Multisite Development: Your Comprehensive Guide

Let’s say you are a franchise owner looking to establish individual websites for each branch. Manually setting up and managing separate WordPress installations for each entity would be time-consuming and inefficient. That’s where WordPress multisite development shines.

You can create a network of interconnected websites under a single WordPress installation. That will help streamline management, save resources, and enjoy the benefits of a unified platform. Although the process may seem daunting at first, with the right approach, it will be alright.

In this blog, I’ll tell you how the professional WordPress development services set up multisite networks. And what kind of benefits it will present.

So without further ado, let’s start with what WordPress multisite is.

What is WordPress Multisite?

WordPress Multisite is a feature of the WordPress content management system. It allows users to create and manage multiple websites from a single installation. With Multisite, a single WordPress installation serves as a n/w that can host numerous independent websites. Each of them will have their own domain or subdomain.

In a Multisite setup, a network administrator has the ability to create new sites within the network. You can also assign user roles and permissions for each site and manage themes and plugins that can be used across all sites or specific ones. Each individual site within the network can have its own unique settings, content, and design while sharing the core WordPress files and database.

Multisite is particularly useful for organizations, businesses, or individuals who want to manage multiple websites under a unified administration system. It simplifies the process of creating and maintaining multiple sites. That allows for centralized updates and management. It provides a consistent user experience across all the sites in the network.

Overall, WordPress Multisite offers a convenient solution for efficiently managing and scaling multiple websites using a single WordPress installation.

Why WordPress Multisite?

Now why might a company or individual require multisite development? Well, that’s what we are going to attempt and answer. Here are a few circumstances when multisite may be of help:

• Potential for Growth. There’s a chance your website has a variety of sections and categories. And all of these categories have their own subcategories. Then the website’s taxonomy may become a little too complicated. In that case, you may create multiple websites under the same WordPress installation. So you and your team will be able to handle the different sections more efficiently.
• Market Exploration. Often, after capturing a market (by region or domain), a company may think to explore newer markets for business scalability. In that case, separate websites will help tackle different geographies.
• Business Bifurcation. Larger companies work in several domains, and every domain requires its dedicated website to function in the best way possible. For these companies, multisite development can help create different websites for different branches and domains.
• Blogging Network. If you are someone who regularly writes and publishes blogs about topics of different genres, multisite development would be of help. You can dedicate separate subsites for blogging about different topics and genres, like tech, automobiles, politics, and more.
• Educational Institutions. Multisite can benefit schools, colleges, or universities that require individual websites for different departments and campuses. It simplifies website management and ensures consistent branding while allowing each entity to have its own online presence.

There are many other use cases where multisite can prove to be quite beneficial for the business or company. But in general, WordPress experts recommend going for the multisite option if your business is too complex and diverse to scale.

How to Enable a Multisite Network for a WordPress Website?

Now that you know why and how your business or organization may benefit from WordPress multisite let’s see how you can enable it. But first, you will need to shortlist the best WordPress hosting provider and install this wonderful CMS.

Then, we can start the process of enabling the WordPress multisite network:

Step 1: After completing your WordPress installation, connect to your website through an FTP client. (An FTP client helps connect your computer to the hosting account so you can upload files to your WordPress website.)

Step 2: Then, in the WordPress file and directory structure, locate the wp-config.php file and edit it using cPanel on your website host. (cPanel is a third-party app used to simplify website and server management. Most WordPress hosting providers offer access to cPanel by default.)

Step 3: While editing the wp-config.php file, add this code just above the line about final goodbyes.

/* Multisite */

define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);

Step 4: Now, save the wp-config.php file and log off the cPanel.

Step 5: Next, log into your WordPress website. Then click on Tools and open Network Setup to configure the multisite network.

Step 6: You’ll see a setup screen where you can choose whether to keep the network sites on their subdirectory or subdomain.

Example of subdirectory: websitexyz.com/page1 & websitexyz.com/page2

Example of a subdomain: page1.websitexyz.com & page2.websitexyz.com

Make sure you choose this setting carefully, as you won’t be able to change your decision later.

Step 7: If you have chosen subdomains, the next step would be to do domain mapping by changing the DNS settings. We’ll discuss this setting in the next section.

Step 8: Thereafter, again connect to your website through the FTP client. Then, open the WordPress file directory, edit the wp-config.php and .htaccess files, and add the code visible on the screen.

Step 9: Save the two files.

And that’s it. The next time you log into your website, you’ll see the WordPress Multisite Network on the admin bar.

Next, we’ll catch up on the multisite setup using subdomains.

How to Setup WordPress Multisite using Subdomains?

You have two choices for where you want to keep the network sites: subdirectory and subdomain. As we mentioned earlier, if you go for subdomains, you will need to configure the settings for domain mapping.

In these settings, you will have to put an asterisk as the subdomain name. For instance, if your WordPress installation is websitexyz.com, the subdomain will be *.websitexyz.com.

Let’s see how you will do that.

Step 1: First off, login to your hosting account and go to cPanel.

Step 2: Locate the Domains section and click on Subdomains.

Step 3: Then, in the field under “Create a Subdomain,” enter the asterisk (*). Then, choose your main domain or primary WordPress installation from the drop-down menu near it.

After entering the subdomain and selecting the main domain, wait for a bit as the system detects the document root. It will be displayed in the field below.

Step 4: Now, click on the Create button, and the system will add the new wildcard subdomain.

That concludes the process of creating the WordPress multisite network and setting it up using subdomains.

Although quite simple, this process may seem a little complicated to beginners. If you are one of them, get in touch with a WordPress development company. Our experts have the skills and experience to help create a multisite network for your business enterprise.

How to Manage Sites in WordPress Multisite Network?

After having your multisite network setup, it’s time to manage the multiple websites. That involves creating, adding, cloning, and deleting (or deactivating) the websites.

Creating a Site in the WordPress Multisite Network

There are two ways to create a site in the WordPress multisite network: from the frontend and the backend

Frontend (User-initiated)

With this method, users can create their own sites within the network. For that, you will need an active multisite network and the “Anyone can register” option to be enabled in Network Settings. Then starts the following process;

Step 1: A new user registers on the main network site.

Step 2: Upon successful registration, the user is presented with an option to create a new site. They will help to provide the necessary information:

• Site title
• Site address (if subdirectory or subdomain option is enabled)
• Other relevant details (depending on network configuration)

The system creates a new site based on the provided information and assigns the user as the site administrator.

Backend (Network Admin-initiated)

With this approach, the network admin has full control over the site creation. Again, there are some prerequisites to consider. The multisite network should be active and the user (who is trying to create the multisite network) should have the network admin privileges.

Step 1: Log in to the network admin dashboard.

Step 2: Find the “Sites” or “Network Admin → Sites” menu.

Step 3: Click the “Add New” button.

Step 4: Enter the required information:

• Site title
• Site address (if subdirectory or subdomain option is enabled)
• Site administrator (optional)
• Other relevant settings (depending on network configuration)

Step 5: Click the “Add Site” button to create the new site.

If you’re using custom domains, you may need to configure domain mapping to associate the domain with the correct site.

Adding a Site to the WordPress Multisite Network

Adding an existing WordPress installation to a Multisite network can be a bit more involved than creating a new site from scratch. It requires careful preparation and configuration.

After that, you can start the process:

Step 1: Backup your WordPress website. That includes the database and field. It will help restore the website in case something goes wrong.

Step 2: Deactivate all plugins on the existing website to avoid any conflicts.

Step 3: Activate a default WordPress theme.

Step 4: Access the wp-config.php file of your existing WordPress installation and add the following lines. Replace the placeholders with your network’s information.

define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);
define('MULTISITE', true);
define('SUBDOMAIN_INSTALL', true); // Or define('PATH_CURRENT_SITE', '/'); for sub-directory installation)
define('DOMAIN_CURRENT_SITE', 'yourdomain.com');
define('PATH_CURRENT_SITE', '/'); // For sub-directory installation
define('NETWORK_ADMIN_EMAIL', 'your_email@example.com');

Step 5: Save the file and run the installation script accessible through the network admin dashboard.

Step 6: Provide the necessary details for the new site. Like, site title, domain, and admin email.

Finally, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. Then, thoroughly test the added site to ensure everything is working correctly.

Cloning a Site in the WordPress Multisite Network

Are you trying to create or add a new site in the multisite network, similar to an existing one? Then it might be more efficient to clone the WordPress website (the existing one).

But unfortunately, WordPress doesn’t offer a built-in feature for cloning sites within a Multisite network. So you will have to rely on WordPress plugins for this undertaking.

Some of the best plugins for this are Duplicator, WordPress Migrate Guru, and Backuply. Install the plugins and follow the due process to clone your existing website. Then you can add it to the network following the approach mentioned above.

Deleting a Site from the WordPress Multisite Network

Deleting a site from a WordPress Multisite network is a permanent action that cannot be undone. So make sure you have a complete backup of the website before proceeding further.

Here’s how you delete a site from the multisite network:

Step 1: Log in to the network admin dashboard.

Step 2: Find the “Sites” or “Network Admin → Sites” menu.

Step 3: Click on the site you want to delete.

Step 4: You will be prompted to confirm the deletion. WordPress typically displays a warning about the permanent nature of this action.

Step 5: Click the confirmation button to proceed with the deletion.

While WordPress attempts to clean up most data associated with the deleted site, there might be residual files or database entries. So keep an eye on that.

Creating, adding, cloning, deleting websites in the WordPress multisite network are significant aspects of the project. So get the expert help with our WordPress web development company. We will help make sure these processes are completed efficiently and securely.

Managing Users in WordPress Multisite

WordPress is one of the best CMS when it comes to managing the user roles and permissions. So you can control the access and permissions across multiple sites on the network, quite efficiently.

Adding Users as a Network Admin

A Network Admin, also known as a Super Admin, has the highest level of permissions and can manage users across the entire network. They can manage all aspects of the network, including users, sites, plugins, and themes.

Here’s how you add a user as a network admin.

Step 1: Log in to the network admin dashboard. This is typically accessed through a link like yourdomain.com/wp-admin/network/.

Step 2: Click on the “Users” menu item.

Step 3: Click the “Add New” button to create a new user account.

Step 4: Fill in these user details:

• Username: Choose a unique username for the new user.
• Email: Provide a valid email address. The user will receive a notification with login details.

Step 5: Click the “Add New User” button to save the user.

Step 6: Navigate to the “Users” section to edit the user role. (This part of the process will be the same as a standard WordPress installation).

Step 7: Then, you will be taken to a screen where you can set the user as the “Super Admin” by ticking a checkbox.

Now, save the changes to conclude the process.

Adding Users as a Site Admin

A Site Admin has control over the users and content within their specific site in a WordPress Multisite network.

Here’s how you add a new site admin:

Step 1: For this process, again, you will need to navigate to the “Users” section.

Step 2: Click on “Add New”. Then, there will be two options. You can either add an existing user or a new user as the site admin.

Step 3: For existing users, all you need to fill in is the email address or username of the user and the role you want to assign them.

Step 4: For new users, you can add the username and email (unique). Then the user will get a confirmation mail.

Step 5: If missed, you will need to assign them a password yourself (via the user admin screen).

Once the user is created, you can edit their profile to add more details, change their password, or modify their role.

Removing Users (Site Admin vs Network Admin)

Removing a user from a WordPress Multisite network can be done at either the site level or the network level. It depends on the user’s role and the desired outcome.

As a Site Admin

A Site Admin can remove users who are associated with their specific site. This action only affects the user’s access to that particular site.

Step 1: Log in to the specific site where the user is a member.

Step 2: Go to the “Users” section.

Step 3: Click on the user you want to remove.

Step 4: Look for a “Delete” or “Remove User” option. Confirm the action.

Deleting a user from a site does not delete their account from the entire network. They can still access other sites they are associated with.

As a Network Admin

A Network Admin has the power to remove a user from the entire network. This action will delete the user’s account and remove their access to all sites within the network.

Step 1: Log in to the network admin dashboard.

Step 2: Go to the “Users” section.

Step 3: Click on the user you want to remove.

Step 4: Look for a “Delete” or “Remove User” option. Confirm the action.

Instead of deleting a user immediately, consider deactivating their account temporarily. This allows you to reactivate it if needed.If you need help with managing the user roles on your multisite network, consider opting for our WordPress development services.

Benefits of WordPress Multisite Network

In today’s digital landscape, although crucial, managing multiple websites efficiently for businesses and individuals can be quite painstaking. That’s where WordPress Multisite Network comes in. With its centralized administration, cost savings, and content-sharing capabilities, along with scalability, Multisite can be a streamlined solution for business growth.

Let’s delve into some of the key benefits of WordPress Multisite Network and how it can revolutionize your website management:

• Centralized Management. Multisite lets you manage all your websites from a single, centralized dashboard. That allows for streamlined administration and consistent updates. Plus, you can efficiently manage the themes, plugins, and user roles across multiple sites.
• Cost and Time Efficiency. Managing multiple websites individually can be quite time-consuming and costly. Multisite, on the other hand, reduces the overhead by using a single installation and sharing resources. Plus, there is a unified set of plugins and themes, translating into effective cost and time savings.
• Easy Site Creation. With multisite, you can simplify the process of creating new sites within the same network. A network administrator can quickly set up new sites with their own domain or subdomain. Then they can assign users and configure site-specific settings.
• Cross-Site Content Sharing. Multisite enables content sharing between websites within the network. You can choose to share posts, pages, media files, and even user accounts across multiple sites. That ensures consistency and facilitates collaboration.
• Scalability and Flexibility. As your web presence expands, Multisite offers scalability by accommodating an unlimited number of sites within the network. You can easily add or remove sites as needed. That makes it a flexible solution for growing orgs or individuals to manage multiple projects.
• Consistent User Experience. Through a multisite network, you can maintain a consistent user experience across all sites (within that network). Since they will all use the same core files, themes, and plugins, visitors will have a familiar interface and navigation on every site.
• Simplified Updates and Security. A multisite development lets you update the core WordPress, themes, and plugins of all sites centrally. That ensures all sites within the network stay up to date. It reduces the risk of vulnerabilities and simplifies the maintenance process.
• Efficient Resource Allocation. Multisite optimizes resource allocation by sharing server resources across multiple sites. That, compared to managing separate installations, improves the performance and server utilization. It reduces the hosting costs for each site.

These are just a few of the key benefits that justify the major corporations around the world using WordPress multisite networks. If you want to be amongst them, enjoying these benefits, consult with our WordPress development experts.

WordPress Multisite Development Services at WPWeb Infotech

Our experts have years of experience with WordPress. Plus, they have more than the necessary skills to create an outstanding multisite network. Here are our multisite services in our web development domain.

WordPress Multisite Strategizing

Our WordPress experts can provide you with the best possible strategy for your multisite network. So it stands out amongst the competitors. Our WordPress multisite strategies include network structure planning, scalability, user management, themes & plugins, backup and security, maintenance, and more.

Multisite Network Design

Through our extensive web design services, you can expect the best possible multisite network design just for your business enterprise. When designing a multisite network, our experts consider every requirement presented by the clients to ensure a smooth and efficient web environment.

WordPress Multisite Development

We analyze every little requirement put forth by the client. Then we create a robust WordPress multisite network with all the latest features and functionalities. When it comes to creating a WordPress multisite network, we consider network setup and architecture, customizations, user management, site creation, and management, and of course, client requirements.

WordPress Multisite Migration

Whether you want to migrate a site’s network or a standalone website into a multisite network, our WordPress migration services would be of help. Our multisite migration process starts with backing up your existing website and setting up a hosting environment. Then, we copy the files and export the database into a new one. After that, we update the wp-config.php file and DNS settings.

Last but not least, test the migration and update plugins and themes to reinvigorate your WordPress multisite network.

Theme & Plugin integration

We can integrate WordPress themes and plugins across the entire network, allowing sites within the network to share the resources. The steps to that involve network activation, choosing the themes & plugins, configuring the settings, and integrating them into the network.

By integrating themes and plugins across your WordPress Multisite network, you can efficiently manage and share resources, ensuring consistent design and functionality across multiple sites.

Multisite Network Management

Our WordPress experts can help manage the network as a whole. That includes adding and removing sites, managing user roles and permissions, and more.

These WordPress development services can help create a fantastic WordPress multisite network for your company. So get in touch with us for multisite development. That will have a bunch of benefits that we will discuss in the next section.

FAQs Related to WordPress Multisite Development

Let’s Summarize WordPress Multisite with WPWeb Infotech

WordPress Multisite allows you to create and manage multiple websites under a single WordPress installation. Managing a school district with multiple campuses, a franchise with numerous branches, or a content network would be easier with a multisite network.

By centralizing updates, plugins, and themes, you can save time, reduce costs, and ensure a consistent user experience across all your sites.If you need help with creating the best multisite networks for your business, consider our WordPress professionals today!