How to install and setup WordPress Multisite

WordPress Multisite lets you create and manage multiple websites on a single WordPress installation. It allows you to create a network of various WordPress websites which you can manage and support centrally with super administrator permissions. Find out how you can benefit from WordPress Multisite and how to set it up step by step.

WordPress Multisite is always useful if you need to centrally manage multiple WordPress websites. Essentially, a WordPress multisite can create a platform for a range of different websites. The pages belonging to a multisite network often have a lot in common in terms of design and functions. The super administrator of a WordPress multisite decides which themes (i.e. design templates) and plugins will be installed centrally, making them available for each individual website. They can thus significantly influence the design and functions of the individual websites. They can also assign permissions to sub-administrators (referred to as “users” on WordPress).

Aside from being able to manage everything centrally, the main advantage of using a WordPress multisite network is how much time and money you can save:

• All websites in the network are on a single WordPress installation and use the same themes and plugins, thus saving disk space.
• All themes and plugins are managed centrally. You only need to update them once, not for each individual website in the network.
• The super administrator for the multisite network has a high degree of control, especially over the design (themes) and functions (plugins).

The following are some areas of application for a WordPress multisite:

• Companies or private individuals looking to design and operate multiple WordPress websites cost-effectively and efficiently (e.g. adding landing pages to the actual website or individual country websites)
• Large companies and corporations operating multiple websites since the ability to manage everything centrally and the uniform design elements make it easier to implement a corporate design
• Agencies that design, host and support WordPress websites for customers since WordPress Multisites present a relatively simple, cost-effective way to offer this service to a wide range of customers

A WordPress multisite can also be set up on an existing WordPress installation. You should take the following precautions before installing WordPress Multisite:

• Disable all plugins.
• Create a backup of your WordPress website to be able to restore it if need be.
• Make sure that you can modify the code for your WordPress pages via FTP access (e.g. directly through your provider or via an FTP client like FileZilla).
• Make sure that the permalink settings in your WordPress installation work.
• Decide on the URL structure you want your WordPress multisite to have. During the installation process, you will have to decide on a subdomain structure or a subdirectory structure. It is not possible to change it afterwards.

We will provide more information about testing permalinks and about the URL structure of a WordPress multisite in the following sections.

Before installing your WordPress Multisite, you should decide on the URL structure you want to give it. You have the choice of either a subdomain structure or a standard subdirectory structure through which the different pages of your multisite can be accessed. During the multisite installation, you will have to decide which of these two structures you want to use. It will not be possible to change it afterwards.

Example of a subdomain structure: https://website1.my-maindomain.com; https://website2.my-maindomain.com; https://website3.my-maindomain.com, etc.

Example of a subdirectory structure: `https://my-maindomain.com/website1`; `https://my-maindomain.com/website2`; ´https://my-maindomain.com/website3`, etc.

The URL structure is a key factor in search engine optimisation (SEO). If you use a subdomain structure, each individual subdomain (e.g. `https://website1.my-maindomain.com´) is basically treated by search engines as a separate website. If you opt for a subdirectory structure, all websites in your WordPress Multisite network will be treated as part of a single (large) website. When using a subdomain structure, you thus have multiple (often smaller) websites which are independent of one another. With a subdirectory structure, on the other hand, search engines will recognise a single (often relatively large) website in your multisite network. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages with regards to SEO, which you should familiarise yourself with in advance. Other than that, keep in mind that search engines like Google also change their rules from time to time.

Once you have done everything mentioned above, you can install your WordPress Multisite using these step-by-step instructions. The following is a basic outline of how to set up a WordPress Multisite:

• Add a line of code to the WordPress file wp-config.php (WP Allow Multisite)
• Perform the setup in the WordPress backend – generates two code snippets
• Add the generated code snippets to the WordPress files wp-config.php and .htaccess

Step 1: Download the WordPress file wp-config.php to your computer and save it locally. For this purpose, you can either use an FTP program from your provider or an FTP client like FileZilla. Some providers also enable you to open, edit, and update the file wp-config.php directly in the system. If that is the case, you do not need to download it. Whichever you choose, the important thing is that no data is lost in the process.

Step 2: Open the file wp-config.php and look for the following line in the code:

Directly above this line, enter the following snippet of code:

Step 3: Depending on how you performed step 1, upload the modified wp-config.php file back into the system from your computer. With certain providers, you can also save and update it directly in the system.

Step 6: Now, open the WordPress file wp-config.php just as you did before. Then, copy the top code snippet you received earlier in the WordPress backend and paste it into the code in the file wp-config.php. This should once again go above the following line in the code:

Once the new .htaccess file has been updated or uploaded as required, you have finished installing your WordPress Multisite. You can now configure various settings in your WordPress Multisite network. To do so, you will need to log in to WordPress again.