WordPress is an amazing place to work on. It never fails to surprise us with its features. One of its features in install and setup WordPress multisite network.
What’s WordPress Multisite Network?
WordPress multisite network is a network of multiple websites operating from same WordPress installation and database. To install and setup WordPress multisite network you need to use the same login ID on every website. But each website in your multisite network will have different layout.
Each site in the network will have its own setting, set of plugins and themes as well. With this WordPress multisite network a user can be cumulative and can have more advantages.
How To Install And Setup WordPress Multisite Network?
Before creating a network of potential websites you need to make sure that your server is supportive of it. Also make sure that the hosting of your website is reliable and powerful. The host plays vital role here as if it shuts down all the websites in your network get affected.
Now, let’s get started!
1. Subdomain:-
You must know that to create a website on WordPress you need to have a host, a domain and a root directory. These are the primary things you need to have before planning the layout and functionality of your website. Now to install and setup WordPress multisite network, you will have to add subdomain and subdirectory every time you add a new website.
The process of creating subdomain and subdirectory is same as having a domain. The subdomain go something like this- subsite.multisitenetwork.com
Here you have a liberty to add new users into your multisite network. You can allow a user to create their website into your multisite network by activating and configuring wildcard subdomain for the hosting.
The subdirectory will go something like this- multisitenetwork.com/subsite/
You should know that if you use this option for your multisite network then there will be clashes between existing URLs. That’s why you need to create pretty permalinks in your source site.
2. Enable Features:-
WordPress already comes with the settings of multisite network. You just need to activate it to enable its features. But before doing that you have backup your site. As a primary security measure you need to take backup of your site.
To enable the multisite network features, you need to navigate to FTP client or cPanel that your host has provided. Then connect your site with it and go to wp-config.php file. Open that file. Then paste code line in the file. Save this file and upload it again into the system. This will enable the multisite features.
3. Install And Setup:-
Now we need to install and setup WordPress multisite network. But before that make sure to deactivate all the plugins in your current website. For this go to dashboard into Plugins and click on installed plugins. There click on deactivate installed plugins.
Then go to Tools. Into Network Setup select subdomains and subdirectories. There choose the option that suits you. Then add network title and network admin email. After all this click on Install.
You will receive same code we recently added to wp-config.php file. But this time you need to add it to wp-config.php and .htaccess file as well. The code will appear on screen. You just need to copy paste it in both files. This will install the multisite network successfully.
4. Configuration:-
For this log into your WP site. There you will find the multisite network dashboard. Then go to My Site on the top menu, then in Network Admin and dashboard. There find the tab for Settings and click on it. Put the network title and network admin email there.
Then use Registration settings to make configurations. Here you can allow users to add site into network or allow administrators to add new user.
5. New site settings:-
Here you are going to setup the new site in your multisite network. This will enable you to manage new sites added into your network. You can do this by configuring welcome email and welcome user email text. Along with that you can configure the content for the first site.
6. Upload settings:–
For this you need to use the Upload Settings. This will fix the site upload space, types of file to upload and maximum upload size. The default upload size in 100 MB and can be increased and decreased.
7. Plugin Menu:–
There in the Menu Settings you will be able to Enable Administration Menu for plugins. This will enable the plugin menu for site admin. But they won’t be allowed to install new plugins.
8. Add new sites:-
Go to My Sites into Network admin and click on Sites. Here you will see the list of added sites. Click on Add New. There add new site’s address like subdomain and subdirectory. Then add site’s title and admin mail address.
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