What Is WordPress Multisite? (& Should You Use It?)

If you're reading this, you're probably wondering, 'What is WordPress multisite?' The good news is we have an answer — and today, we're going to share everything you need to know about using WordPress to create a website network.

You're probably semi-familiar with what WordPress offers because it is an excellent option for those looking to launch an online shop, blog, company site, or portfolio. The free CMS allows you to piece together an impressive, engaging online presence without touching any code.

But maybe you didn't know that there's more to WordPress than single-site functionality. We're here to share the differences between WordPress multisites vs single sites and how this feature reduces strain and friction when running multipleWordPress websites。In this guide, you'll also learn how it works, whether it's the best solution for your case, and, if so, how to install it.

There are several reasons users opt for a WordPress multisite vs single site configuration. For businesses creating multiple websites, opting for multisite saves significant time and money. Multisite networks also consume less server space in comparison to separate installations. And, of course, sharing resources, including plugins and themes, across constituent sites is more manageable with WP's multisite functionality.

Multisite debuted in 2010 when version 3.0 hit the market. Since its initial launch, it has garnered a reputation for being an invaluable feature many WordPress administrators utilize to attend to networks that consist of dozens, hundreds, to thousands of websites.

How does WordPress multisite work?

When you compare WordPress multisite vs single site offerings, you'll quickly realize they have many similarities. Multisites work a lot like regular WP installations but with some additional features. To understand what makes WordPress multisites unique, let's review some critical aspects of multisites.

User Roles and Permissions

By default, a standard WordPress site has fiveuser roles。这些角色从大多数权威到最少的权威，是：

• 行政人员
• Editor
• 作者
• Contributor
• Subscriber

Multisite adds one more role above the administrator, called a super administrator. You may also hear this role referred to as the network administrator or super admin.

What is a super admin?

将超级管理员视为多站点系统的首席执行官。这个位置是整个网络的掌舵人。超级管理员负责监督其所有网站 - 称为“亚sidites”。管理员仅负责网络中的一个或几个站点，而超级管理员可以访问和控制其网络下的任何子站点。

当管理员创建一个多点与他们WP installation, they become super administrators. The super admin role offers access to a slightly modified dashboard where they can manage all their networked sites. Most notably, super admins can install plugins and themes on specific sites or across all subsites simultaneously.

If you have a multisite configuration, regular admins can't install themes or plugins on their site — that responsibility belongs to the super admin. However, they can activate or deactivate plugins or themes. In some cases, super admins may also need to create websites in the network for new admins. Or, they could permit users to create new sites themselves. Super admins can also assign administrators to one or more subsites in the network.

主题和插件

If using the WordPress multisite configuration, you won't need to install plugins and themes on individual sites. They're stored in the network and activated on websites for ease of use because subsites share files instead of each site getting a copy.

Those with super admin capabilities may opt to activate themes and plugins on all networked websites. Alternatively, they can toggle plugins and themes on and off for specific subsites. In addition, super admins can update themes and plugins across all the network's sites simultaneously — a significant time saver.

This is different from how typical WordPress installations work but allows for a more secure network. Since all sites in the network share a codebase, a harmful theme or plugin carelessly installed by a website administrator can negatively impact the entire network. Limiting this permission to super admins keeps the network better protected.

Domains and Domain Mapping

当您进行标准的WordPress安装并添加子站点时，您会创建一个WP多站点。因此，所有子站点共享原始网站的域名。在设置过程中，Super Admins决定是否要通过子域（ex：extery.network.com）或subdirectory（network.com/website）分开站点。

There's also the opportunity to attach unique domains to the subsites. To do this, map custom domains to sites in the network. This allows the subsite to appear like any other website to visitors — not connected to the original website. To map a domain to the subsite, visit your multisite network admin settings.

一个pro-tip:you begin domain mapping, check to guarantee the network is functioning correctly to ensure you can seamlessly create subsites.

Code and Storage

从表面上看，WordPress多站点与单独的单独的WP安装有很多共同点。他们的后端配置是关键区别。在Multiesities中，所有子站点都使用相同的核心文件，并且所有网站的文件都存在于同一WordPress目录中。该目录也是您保留插件和主题文件的地方 - 可节省大量的服务器空间。

不过，并非所有内容都在各个站点之间共享。亚地处于自己的媒体资产和数据。因此，每个站点在后端都有自己的上传文件夹和数据库表。

What are the benefits of a WordPress multisite?

您可以想象，使用WordPress多站点功能有很多好处。这些网络提供了值得考虑的各种优势。这些包括：

Efficient, Centralized Site Management

Multisite streamlines administrative tasks by making them significantly less time-consuming. For any changes you would otherwise need to make one-by-one on each subsite, a super admin can accomplish in one swoop, frominstalling themesand插件to updating software to modifying user permissions to changing other network settings.

Multisite networks also eliminate the need to install WordPress for each networked site — install it once, activate your Multisite, and add new websites without having to repeat.

Scalability

Say you're a restaurant franchise owner looking to create subsites for your different locations. You can use multisite as your franchise grows, as unlimited WordPress subsites are allowed under one URL. Not only can you add as many sites as necessary, but you may also delete the old ones without impacting the rest of the network. Some super admins even configure the network to enable users to create their sites without higher-up approval.

Adding a new website is significantly easier because all networked sites use the same plugin, core, and theme files. That brings us to our next point: affordability.

Affordability

Between themes, plugins, and other administrativecosts associated with running a WordPress website, your site's price tag can add up. Super admins can reduce server costs thanks to subsites' ability to share these files. For instance, some super admins manage hundreds or thousands of websites. Creating many sites individually would prove laborious and costly. The multisite configuration offers a solution.

Data Sharing

WordPress multisite stores logininformation for the whole network, so credentials on one subsite will work for other subsites — users won't have to make new usernames and passwords to access each subsite. Super admins can also grant users access to new subsites without having to create new accounts for them.

Because subsites on a multisite network are connected, it's much easier for developers to apply network-wide changes. Updates to core, plugin, and theme files apply to all networked sites using those files, so there's no need to worry about some networked websites falling behind with updates.

We want to point out that there is a tradeoff here. Any bugs in files will affect the entire network, so you should evaluate significant changes in a test environment before enacting them network-wide.

Permission Control

WordPress Multisite also allows tight control over who can modify the network and its subsites. Multisite networks concentrate control of the network to one or a couple of super admins, in charge of adding new users and assigning permissions.

For many WordPress users, this setup is preferable to a collection of dozens of separately administered websites with minimal oversight. With a multisite, super admins have a bird's-eye view of the network enabling them to identify and address problems quickly.

WordPress Multisite Use Cases

If you're pondering whether WordPress multisite vs single site is the right option for you, we've rounded up a few factors to consider. Remember: these networks function best when you want to manage a group of similarly performing sites. This means the subsites share the same hosting, use similar plugins and themes, and other custom extensions you'd like to add.

Here are some common use cases for WordPress multisites:

• A business with several subsites for different services or brands, like an international brand that deploys different subsites for each language
• An organization with subsites that all follow the same theme and branding, like a university with websites for its departments, or a company with internal sites for its employees
• 一个在线社区，用户可以为利基兴趣创建论坛子站点，即reddit。
• Blogging properties and online publications that employ subsites for different topics.
• 管理员在多站点网络上为其网站付款的服务出版ish a blog，个人网站或其他任何东西。
• Any group of aesthetically similar sites — super admins can install a theme and apply it to all sites in the network.

In all of these cases, system administrators can keep all subsites running correctly and looking consistent on the front-end without switching between installed versions of WordPress.

When Not to Use WordPress Multisite

到目前为止，我们已经谈论了多站点。但是，如果您想管理多个WordPress网站，这并不总是最好的方法。

如果：

• 您一般没有WordPress或网站的经验。如果您对网站配置和管理不太熟悉，那么解决多站点可能超出了您的技能。如果必须，请雇用某人为您设置。
• Your websites are very different in functionality and/or design. If you intend to install various themes and plugins across your networked sites, keeping them separate is easier. This can ultimately cause more trouble than it's worth.
• You're not willing to take heightened security precautions to protect your network. Since subsites share a codebase, a compromised file could bring down all your sites.
• You can't afford sufficient hosting. The more sites you run, the more traffic you'll need to handle, and the more you'll need to pay forWordPress hosting。

Sometimes people wonder if WordPress multisite is a good idea for developers creating client sites. It isn't the best idea if the client sites are unrelated. Instead, you're better off maintaining separate installations for each client and allowing them to configure their sites how they please.

Also, consider whether you need multiple websites for your project. If you're making a collection of very closely related sites, it might be more practical to create subdomains or subdirectories off your main site rather than separately managed subsites.

What is a WordPress multisite example?

这是三个在线服务，介绍了平台的功能，并向您展示WordPress多站点在实践中的样子。

City, University of London

City, University of London uses WordPress Multisite to power its blogging platform, City Blogs. City Blogs allows students and staff to create blogs under the university's domain to share their findings with colleagues.

On the website, users can sign up and request a personal blog. The multisite structure allows the university's IT staff to oversee students' online properties and seamlessly apply changes to the whole network.

The Wall Street Journal

该领先的出版物大量使用WordPress，包括其多站点功能来运行微座并共享不同类型的文章，其视频网站，其播客网站以及其网站以及各种语言。

WordPress.com

Yes, WordPress does use its software. The blogging platform WordPress.com runs the largest multisite on the web — millions of bloggers have their own subsites on the platform.

如该服务托管的各种博客所示，多站点网络非常适合具有不同受众和目标的网站，但在类似的基础后端运行。

1. Prepare to switch to Multisite.

在设置多站点网络之前，请确保您需要使用一个网络criteria listed above。如果你准备好了,检查如下:

• You must be the administrator of your WordPress site.
• You must be able to access your site's core files using FTP or a file manager.
• You must have sufficient hosting to support a WordPress multisite network.
• All your plugins and themes should be safe and up-to-date.
• All those with access to your current WordPress account are current, trusted users.

If you already have a WordPress site active, deactivate all plugins. You should also back up your files before making the switch. Or,如果您还没有安装WordPress，请立即执行。

2.编辑wp-config.php。

您需要做的第一件事才能切换到多站点wp-config.phpfile. Access your WordPress core files via FTP or your file manager, then openwp-config.php。

在此文件中，向下滚动到说：

/* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */

在此行的上方，粘贴以下代码：

/ *多站点 */
define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );

Save the file, then restart your browser.

3. Set up a network.

将上述代码添加到wp-config.php, you'll see some additional options in your WordPress dashboard.

In your dashboard, go to工具>网络设置。在此屏幕上，选择用子域或子目录表示您的子站点。区别？选择子域将使您的网络域基于网络域，而选择子目录将使您的网络路径基于网络。如果您改变主意，则可以在必要时以后再切换。但是，最好尽快决定配置，因为在多站点活动时间越长的情况下，切换可能会更具挑战性。

You may also change your network details as needed, including the server address (the primary domain of your multisite), network title (what you call your network), and admin email address (how people can contact you as super admin).

Once finished on this screen, click Install.

4.启用网络。

Next, you'll receive instructions to activate your network. They'll look similar to the screen below:

图像源

Follow these instructions, saving each file after you're done editing. Once finished, click the登录link to gain access again.

After doing this, you'll be able to add new subsites and configure your multisite settings. To access your network settings, select我的网站from the top toolbar, then choose any options from the dropdown.

For a comprehensive list of settings you may adjust, seethis WordPress article on Multisite network administration。

Multisite: A Hidden WordPress Superpower

多站点是一个隐藏的宝石。它不是最嗡嗡的WordPress平台功能之一，大多数用户对此并不需要太多。但是，如果您处于必须有效管理多个站点的情况下，多站点可能是真正的游戏规则改变者。

告别的时间冗余工作,你好to an intricate network of related WordPress installations. It's something of a hidden superpower. But, like any superpower, use it responsibly!

This post was originally published in September 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.