WordPress Multisite: How to Run Multiple Sites from One Installation

WordPress Multisite: How to Run Multiple Sites from One Installation

WordPress Multisite is a powerful feature that lets you run multiple WordPress sites from a single installation. It’s perfect for businesses managing multiple brands, universities running department sites, or agencies managing client sites.

What is WordPress Multisite?

WordPress Multisite (formerly WordPress MU) creates a network of sites that share the same WordPress installation, database, and file system. Each site can have its own domain, theme, and plugins.

When Should You Use Multisite?

Good use cases:

• Running a network of related blogs or news sites
• Managing multiple client sites as an agency
• University or organization with department subsites
• Multilingual sites with country-specific domains
• SaaS-style WordPress hosting

When to avoid Multisite:

• Completely unrelated sites with different purposes
• Sites that need different WordPress versions
• High-traffic sites that need independent scaling

How to Enable WordPress Multisite

1. Add to wp-config.php: define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);
2. Go to Tools > Network Setup
3. Choose subdomain or subdirectory structure
4. Follow the configuration instructions
5. Update wp-config.php and .htaccess with the provided code

Managing Your Multisite Network

As the Super Admin, you can:

• Add and remove sites from the network
• Install themes and plugins network-wide
• Manage users across all sites
• Control which themes and plugins individual sites can use

Best Plugins for WordPress Multisite

• WP Migrate DB Pro – Migrate multisite networks
• Multisite Clone Duplicator – Clone sites within your network
• NS Cloner – Quick site cloning for agencies
• Domain Mapping – Map custom domains to subsites

Download Multisite-Compatible Themes

Browse our collection of WordPress themes that are fully compatible with Multisite. Also check out our plugins optimized for network installations.

Also find free WordPress resources at our partner: WP Unlocked.