How to Set Up WordPress Multisite
WordPress Multisite runs several sites from one shared installation. Back up files and database, verify permalinks, deactivate plugins and add WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE before opening Tools → Network Setup. Apply the generated configuration for the chosen network structure, confirm DNS and certificate coverage, then test a subsite. Wildcard DNS is needed for on-demand subdomain sites, not every network.
For administrators building a WordPress network who need the right setup sequence, DNS coverage and a safe migration or recovery path.
knowledge
- Read time
- 2 min
- Sections
- 4
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
When multisite is the right install
Multisite is one database and one set of core files. A super admin can add sites, share plugins and update everyone at once. That suits any university, a franchise or a set of campuses you will always operate. What the network is, and when not to use it, is what is WordPress multisite.
It is a poor fit when a client will later want their site on their own account. Splitting a site out of a network is harder than moving a normal install. Separate WordPress installs are then the simpler choice.
Subdirectory or subdomain
Choose a subdirectory or subdomain network according to the existing installation, required URL structure and hosting support. Wildcard DNS is needed for on-demand subdomain sites, not every manually provisioned subdomain.
| Subdirectory | Subdomain | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | example.com/shop | shop.example.com |
| DNS | No extra record | Explicit records, or wildcard DNS for on-demand sites |
| Shared hosting | Usually allowed | Ask before you choose it |
Ask support@webji.services whether the account allows wildcard DNS before you pick subdomains. Mail is staffed 24/7. The phone +91 141 4941811 is business hours only. The account type is explained on WordPress hosting.
Run Network Setup
Back up WordPress, verify working pretty permalinks, deactivate plugins and enable Network Setup before installing Multisite. Use the configuration instructions generated for that exact installation, then reactivate only compatible plugins and test the network.
- Back up files and the database. Deactivate plugins for the setup.
- In wp-config.php, above the line that tells you to stop editing, add define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true); and save.
- In the dashboard open Tools, then Network Setup. Choose an available structure that fits the existing installation and confirmed hosting support. Install.
- Paste the extra lines the screen shows into wp-config.php and into .htaccess, exactly as printed. Those lines differ for subdomains and subdirectories, so do not reuse a snippet from another site.
- Log in again. Network Admin is where you add a site. Then turn your plugins back on and test one subsite.
The WordPress Create a Network handbook documents the generated constants and rewrite changes. On Nginx, arrange equivalent server routing with the administrator; an Apache .htaccess file is not read by Nginx.
define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );This constant enables the setup menu; it is not the complete network configuration. Preserve custom directives when applying the network-specific changes.
Migrating a Multisite Network to a New Host
Moving a network is not the same as moving one WordPress site: there are extra tables for every subsite, and each domain or subdomain must resolve at the new host before the network works. Back up the files and the whole database, then test using the intended hostnames before switching public DNS.
- Export all tables, not only the main wp_ set; a network also stores wp_2_posts, wp_2_options and the same pattern for every subsite.
- If domain names change, use a tested, serialisation-aware search-replace across the affected tables, including wp_blogs and wp_site, and verify the result on staging.
- If the network uses subdomains, provide DNS and certificates covering the actual subdomains at the new host before you switch traffic.
- Mapped custom domains need their own DNS records and certificates; incorrect DNS, TLS or virtual-host configuration can cause different failures.
- Keep the old host online until the new one passes the test list, then cancel it after the DNS TTL has expired.
The website migration service is the route when the network has mapped domains or more than a handful of subsites.
The backup and restore guide helps verify the full file and database copy. If the public domains stay the same, a host move does not automatically require replacing those domain names throughout the database.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up WordPress multisite?
Back up, add WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE in wp-config.php, open Tools then Network Setup, and paste the lines that screen gives you into wp-config.php and .htaccess. Confirm the generated network settings and test a subsite before changing production traffic; a backup is the recovery path if setup is wrong.
Should I use subdomains or subdirectories?
Choose from the structures Network Setup allows and verify hosting support. On-demand subdomain creation needs wildcard DNS; manually managed sites can use explicit DNS records. Confirm the generated network settings and test a subsite before changing production traffic; a backup is the recovery path if setup is wrong.
Is multisite the same as two separate WordPress installs?
No. Multisite shares one core, one database and one super admin. Separate installs can be moved or handed to someone else one at a time. Confirm the generated network settings and test a subsite before changing production traffic; a backup is the recovery path if setup is wrong.
Can I undo multisite later?
It is awkward. Take the backup before you add the constant. A site you may need to give away should start as its own install. Confirm the generated network settings and test a subsite before changing production traffic; a backup is the recovery path if setup is wrong.
Can I split one site out of a multisite network?
Yes, but treat it as a migration: export that subsite's tables and uploads, import them into a fresh WordPress install, then point the domain at the new install. Core WordPress has no one-click split.
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
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