Multisite Network

WordPress Multisite Network

WordPress Multisite lets you manage multiple websites from one WordPress installation and one central network dashboard. It can simplify administration, user access, plugin and theme management, and updates while still allowing every site in the network to have its own content and configuration.
Centralized Management Manage multiple sites from a single WordPress Network Admin dashboard.
Separate Site Administrators Give users administrative access only to the individual sites they are responsible for.
Shared Themes & Plugins Install themes and plugins once and make them available across multiple sites in the network.
Simplified Updates Update the main WordPress installation and apply the changes across the network.

A multisite setup can be useful for organizations that operate many related websites, such as media companies, educational institutions, government or non-profit organizations, businesses with multiple branches, or networks of private blogs.

On this page

Install WordPress and Enable Multisite

1Start WordPress installation

Open the platform Marketplace and start installation of a supported WordPress package. The Multisite feature can be used with either a WordPress Cluster or a WordPress Standalone package.

2Enable the Multisite option

Open the package’s Advanced Features and enable Install WordPress Multisite Network. Configure any other required package features and continue with environment installation.

The source example uses LiteSpeed application servers with Web Application Firewall and brute-force protection, MariaDB Galera, GlusterFS storage, Let’s Encrypt SSL, and the WordPress Multisite Network feature.

After installation is complete, WordPress Multisite mode is already enabled. You do not need to manually activate the network feature in the WordPress configuration.

Choose the Multisite Network Type

Websites inside one WordPress multisite network can be organized in either a domain-based structure using subdomains or a path-based structure using subfolders.

Subdomain Network

Each website receives its own subdomain under the main network domain.

site1.wpcluster.domain.com
site2.wpcluster.domain.com

Subfolder Network

Each website is created as a path below the main network domain.

wpcluster.domain.com/site1
wpcluster.domain.com/site2
Example used in this guide: The workflow below follows the subfolder model for creating websites in the WordPress multisite network.

Create a Website in the Network

1Log in to WordPress

Open the WordPress Admin Panel and sign in using the administrator credentials provided in the successful installation notification or post-installation email.

2Open the Network Sites page

From the WordPress administration menu, navigate to My Sites > Network Admin > Sites.

The Sites page lists all websites that belong to the WordPress multisite network. Immediately after installation, only the main website is available.

3Add a new site

Click Add Site at the top of the Sites page.

4Configure the website

Complete the site form by specifying the required details, and then click Add Site.

  • Site Address (URL) — defines the site path or address inside the multisite network.
  • Site Title — the name displayed for the new website.
  • Site Language — the language used by the new WordPress site.
  • Admin Email — email address of the administrator responsible for the site.
Repeat the same procedure whenever another website needs to be added to the multisite network.

Bind a Custom Domain to a Sub-Site

Binding a custom domain to the main WordPress site follows the standard WordPress custom-domain procedure. For a multisite sub-site, the domain must also be included in the network’s SSL configuration and assigned to the required site.

1Create the DNS record

At your DNS provider, create an A record for the custom domain and point it to the public IP address of the WordPress load balancer or standalone container.

2Add the domain to Let’s Encrypt

Find the Let’s Encrypt Free SSL add-on for the WordPress environment and click Configure. Add the custom domain to the registered-domain list and click Apply.

If several custom domains are being configured, enter them as separate domain values according to the add-on interface.

SSL limitation: Let’s Encrypt applies certificate issuance and rate-limit rules. If those limitations do not meet the project requirements, use another supported SSL certificate authority or certificate deployment method.

3Edit the multisite website

Return to Network Admin > Sites, locate the required sub-site, and click Edit.

4Replace the site address

Change the Site Address (URL) field to the required custom domain and save the changes.

Repeat the DNS, SSL, and WordPress site-address steps for every sub-site that needs its own custom domain.

Result: The websites remain part of one centrally managed WordPress multisite network while visitors can access individual sites through their own custom domain names.

What’s next?