What is a WordPress Multisite and Do You Need It?
You could be using WordPress for years and never touch or work with a multisite. Maybe it’s something you’ve heard of, but you’re not quite sure what it means or entails. If you’re curious – you’re in the right place!
First, we’ll touch on what a multisite actually is. You’ll be able to get a good idea of whether or not one would be useful for you. Then we’ll get into specifics about when you would or would not use a multisite installation.
What is a WordPress Multisite?
To understand a multisite, it helps to first understand what a single site actually is. A singular WordPress site is made up of a group of files, inside a group of folders, which live on a server. That’s considered one installation and it results in one site.
A multisite is also one installation. But it uses a unique configuration of folders and files to display more than one site. Those sites are connected to each other via a shared dashboard. That means you as the admin can log into one place and affect change on multiple sites at once. We refer to this group of sites as a network.
As the Super Admin of the network, you can do things like:
- Create new websites
- Remove sites
- Add, edit, and remove content on the sites
- Create and manage new users – like editors, authors and admins of the individual sites
Multisites share lots of the same files – like plugins and themes. That way, you can make sure that the sites on the network remain visually consistent. They can share the same design and functionality and maybe have different URLs, unique content, and different users.
If you have lots of sites on your hosting account, that does not count as a multisite. Why? They aren’t connected, aside from the fact that they live on the same server. A multisite network is unique because it ties all the files together in one installation.
If you want to learn more about multisites and learn how to create one, I humbly recommend my LinkedIn Learning video on the topic!
Do You Need a Multisite Network?
I’ll be honest – probably not! Most companies and businesses that use WordPress do not need one.
Examples of brands, companies, and organizations that typically use multisites include:
- Schools and universities
- Non-profit organizations
- Large ecommerce companies and franchises
- Event series hosts
- News and media outlets
- Government entities
What do these sorts of sites have in common?
In most cases, websites like these work within a multisite network because they want to give the same branded information to multiple groups of audiences that have unique needs or interests.
For example, universities with different campuses might use a multisite so that each location can have its own site, its own content, and its own management team. But they want to make sure that all of the sites appear unified with the university as a whole.
eCommerce companies could use a multisite if they want to maintain a consistent brand identity, but want to sell different things to different people in different parts of the world. Each site in the network can display unique products, and use a local language and currency. Each of those sites could be managed by a local team of employees. Think of brands like Nike. You can visit their main site – nike.com. But if you go to nike.com/gb or nike.com/jp/en you’ll see that each location based site is different.
WordPress multisites also enable the ability for other people to create sites on your network! You can use a multisite to create a community platform on which others can publish blogs, portfolios, forums, and other content.
So ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I have multiple WordPress websites?
- Do they need to share the same overall look and feel, but have different uses?
- Do I want to use the same URL for all my sites?
- Do I want to be able to manage all of them at once from one dashboard?
- Do I want to be able to give different people access to manage individual sites?
- Do I want users to be able to create and publish sites on my network?
Keep in mind that there are unique challenges when it comes to creating and managing a multisite.
WordPress is great for providing no-code solutions to web design and development. But there is no codeless way to create a multisite. You will be required to work with code in order to make one.
The more sites you have on your network, the harder it might be to manage server resources and isolate issues if something goes wrong.
The high traffic to one install could require more time and money on optimizations and server resources.
You might find yourself restricted when it comes to customizing and editing your site. And there’s a higher learning curve overall if you want to manage a multisite installation.
Don’t let these things deter you! But it’s good to know what you’re getting into.
How Do I Set Up a Multisite Network?
Creating a multisite installation for your network of sites is possible if you have a host and some time to spare. There are tons of tutorials online. In fact, if you want to learn more about multisites and learn how to create one, I humbly recommend my LinkedIn Learning video on the topic!
If you’re not a tech-savvy person or don’t have the time to learn how to build a multisite, it’s a good idea to work with a professional. We’d be happy to chat with you for free about whether or not you need a multisite and how we can help you get one up and running.
