{"id":8014,"date":"2017-08-09T16:46:36","date_gmt":"2017-08-09T13:46:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/?p=8014"},"modified":"2023-01-16T14:18:16","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T12:18:16","slug":"set-up-wordpress-multisite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/set-up-wordpress-multisite\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginner’s Guide: How to Set Up WordPress Multisite"},"content":{"rendered":"

WordPress Multisite is a powerful tool that enables you to manage multiple websites efficiently \u2013 hence its name. However, many WordPress users don’t know what WordPress Multisite is<\/a>, let alone how to activate it on their site. That’s why a tutorial on how to set up WordPress Multisite can come in handy.<\/p>\n

In this article, we’re going to guide you through the process of activating Multisite for both new and existing WordPress sites. Then we’ll teach you how to add new websites to your fledgling Multisite network, manage your plugins and themes, and administrate your users.<\/p>\n

If you still aren’t sure what WordPress Multisite is, though, we recommend that you read this article<\/a> before continuing on.<\/p>\n\n\t\t

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\n\t\t \t\tHere's how to set up #WordPress Multisite<\/a>\n\t\t \t<\/div>\n\t\t \t
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How to set up WordPress Multisite<\/h2>\n
\"A

Multisite is an excellent tool for managing multiple WordPress websites easily.<\/p><\/div>\n

There are two main ways to set up Multisite, depending on your exact situation and the tools that your host offers. Let’s start with the easiest method before moving on to the manual method.<\/p>\n

Activate Multisite for new WordPress websites<\/h3>\n

If your web host enables you to set up WordPress using the Softaculous Auto Installer<\/a>, you can enable Multisite right off the bat.\u00a0If your host doesn’t offer it – don’t worry. We’ll show you another way in a second.<\/em><\/p>\n

To activate Multisite via Softaculous, you’ll need to visit\u00a0your cPanel<\/a>\u00a0dashboard and look\u00a0for the WordPress option under the Softaculous section (you can see that on the left in the screenshot below):<\/p>\n

\"Installing<\/p>\n

Click on the icon and go to the\u00a0Install\u00a0<\/em>tab. There, you’ll find a number of fields you need to fill out in order to set up your site, such as its name\u00a0and your admin credentials. If you scroll down to the\u00a0Site Settings\u00a0<\/em>section, you should find an option called\u00a0Enable Multisite<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

Enable this setting, fill out the rest of the fields on the\u00a0page, and click on the\u00a0Install\u00a0<\/em>button. Softaculous will set up Multisite for you, and the next time you access your dashboard you’ll be able to use the new features. We’ll talk about those in a minute, but first, let’s discuss what to do if you already have a working WordPress website (or if your host doesn’t offer the Softaculous installer).<\/p>\n

Manually activate Multisite for new or existing WordPress websites<\/h3>\n

To manually enable Multisite on a new or existing WordPress site, you’ll have to alter one of WordPress’ core files. Fortunately, this is much easier than it sounds. You’ll need to use an FTP client to access your website (we recommend FileZilla<\/a>) and look for the\u00a0wp-config.php\u00a0<\/em>file in your WordPress root folder:<\/p>\n

\"WordPress'<\/p>\n

Once you’ve located it, right-click on the file and choose the View\/Edit<\/em> option.\u00a0<\/em>This will open\u00a0wp-config.php\u00a0<\/em>using your default text editor. Next, add the following line of code near the bottom of the file:<\/p>\n

define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );<\/code><\/pre>\n
Keep in mind\u00a0that you need to paste this code before\u00a0<\/em>the line that reads \/* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. *\/<\/code>, since that sentence marks the end of the file.<\/p>\n
Afterward, save your changes and close your text editor. Now\u00a0you can access your dashboard as you usually would, and look for the new\u00a0Network Setup\u00a0<\/em>option under the\u00a0Tools\u00a0<\/em>tab:<\/p>\n
\"The<\/p>\n
Before wrapping up, you’ll have to configure a couple of simple options for your network. First up, there’s the matter of your site’s URL structure \u2013 you can choose to use subdomains<\/a> or directories for each site in your network. The decision is up to you, but we’re partial to subdomains since they appear more professional:<\/p>\n
\"Choosing<\/p>\n
The only downside with choosing the\u00a0subdomains<\/em> option is that you’ll need to also configure something called\u00a0wildcard domains<\/em>. It’s not too difficult (here’s a tutorial for how to do it<\/a>), but it is an added step compared to using\u00a0sub-directories.<\/em><\/p>\n
Second, you’ll have to set a title for your network and enter your email address so you can receive notifications:<\/p>\n
\"Setting<\/p>\n
Once these settings are taken care of, WordPress will present you with two code snippets that you need to add to\u00a0wp-config.php\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0.htaccess<\/em>\u00a0(which you can also find in your root folder). Access these files via FTP (the same way you did a moment ago), add the lines of code, and save your changes on both files. After that, your Multisite network will be ready to go!
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Go to top<\/a><\/div>\n
How to manage your WordPress websites using Multisite (in three steps)<\/h2>\n
Once you’ve set up Multisite using either of the methods outlined above, you’ll notice a few changes on your dashboard. Namely, Multisite replaces your default tabs with some new ones that you’ll use to manage your network. Let’s check out the new Sites\u00a0<\/em>tab first.<\/p>\n
Step #1: Add new WordPress websites to your network<\/h3>\n
Right now, your network should be empty aside from the site where you just set up Multisite. Let’s fix that by going to the\u00a0Sites \u2192 Add New\u00a0<\/em>tab:<\/p>\n
\"Adding<\/p>\n
Set a name for your subdomain<\/a>, as well as a title, language, and administrator email for your new site:<\/p>\n
\"Configuring<\/p>\n
When you’re done, click on\u00a0Add Site\u00a0<\/em>to make the new site a part of your network. It’s as simple as that!<\/p>\n
Step #2: Manage themes and plugins for your network<\/h3>\n
The process of installing plugins<\/a> using Multisite works just the same as with a regular WordPress site. However, when you install a plugin, you’ll now see an option to activate it for your entire network:<\/p>\n
\"Activating<\/p>\n
As soon as you activate the plugin using this button, it\u00a0will be enabled for every site on your network. Individual site administrators won’t be able to set up their own plugins, so you’ll need to repeat this process for any plugins that you want to use on your network.<\/p>\n
The process for adding WordPress themes to your network works in exactly the same way. However, individual site administrators can<\/em> choose which of the available themes they want to use for their sites.<\/p>\n
Step #3: Manage your sites’ users and contributors<\/h3>\n
When you add new sites to your network, Multisite will automatically create admin users for each one. However, if you want to put someone else in charge of these sites, all you have to do is go to the\u00a0Sites\u00a0<\/em>tab, click on the\u00a0Edit<\/em>\u00a0button for the site you want to modify, and find the\u00a0Users\u00a0<\/em>tab:<\/p>\n
\"Your<\/p>\n
Now, scroll down to the section called\u00a0Add New User<\/em>. Here you can choose a\u00a0username, enter a corresponding email, and select a user role from the\u00a0drop-down menu:<\/p>\n
\"Adding<\/p>\n
Then, simply repeat this process for as many users as you’d like to add. The choice of which roles to assign<\/a> is up to you, but we do recommend that you limit the number of administrators for security purposes.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
Managing several WordPress websites<\/a> can be complicated. There\u00a0are a ton of tasks you need to keep track of, including installing updates, setting up new plugins, and more. Even if you’re a WordPress veteran, these responsibilities can take up a lot of time unless you use a management tool such as Multisite.<\/p>\n\n\t\t
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\n\t\t    \t\tHow to install and set up #WordPress Multisite<\/a>\n\t\t    \t<\/div>\n\t\t    \t
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Do you have any questions about how to set up WordPress Multisite? Ask away in the comments section below!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n