Using WP3 to Manage Multiple WordPress Sites

When it comes to managing multiple Wordpress sites, the hardest part is setting everything up. After that, it can all be managed from a single dashboard. With the merger of Wordpress and Wordpress MU, a lot of people were excited about the multi-site management ability that would be added to the Wordpress core. Here is a closer look at what you will need to activate the multi-site ability and get through the set up and domain mapping process.

1. At First Glance

After you install Wordpress, you may not notice that much as changed. This is because you will need to do some extra modifications to actually enable the multi-site function. It is important to note that while there is official support for multiple subdomains, there is only unofficial support for managing sites on multiple domains.

2. The Changes You Need to Make

The first thing that you need to do is add “define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);”. It is important to place that before: "/* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */". Once you do this, go back to the dashboard and find the Network Menu, which is located under the Tools tab. Sometimes, you will be asked to deactivate all of your plugins and sometimes you won't. If you are told to deactivate them, then make sure that you do so. Next, you need to enter all of the necessary information onto the Network Settings page, such as your server address, site title, and email.

Once you click on the Proceed Button, the next page that you will taken to will cover the next three steps. The first is to create a blogs.dir directory in your wp-content directory. This is where all of the uploaded media for your sites will be kept (This directory must be writable). You will also be given the code that you will need to use for your wp-config.php and .htaccess file. Simply copy and paste both of the codes into their correlating files. It is important that you completely replace the code in those files, not simply insert the additional code.

3. Adding the New Domains

Once all of the changes have been made, you should be in full multi-site mode. There are two different processes depending on whether or not you want to add a subdomain or new domain entirely.

Adding a Subdomain

When adding a subdomain, you will need to use the “add site” form available in the Super Admin (which is the menu at the very top). Next, you will need to configure your DNS, which may not be necessary if you used a wildcard to redirect your domain. Once the DNS propagates, it should be ready to go.

Adding a Unique Domain

If you are adding a unique/different domain, then it takes a little more effort. Again, you start out by using the add site form to add a new a subdomain. Once this is done, there are some small changes that you will need to make in in order to force Wordpress to accept the unique domain. Next, you will need to configure your DNS as well as add a Vhost for the subdomain. To see if this was done correctly, try to access the new site. If you see a Registration page, then the Vhost and DNS are both set up correctly. Next, you will need to edit the wp_site database table and set “domain” to the domain name and “path” to /. Make sure that you leave the “ID” field empty.

Once you have finished editing the wp_site table, you next need to edit the wp_blogs table. Simply find the row that belongs to the subdomain that you added. Now change the “site_id” to the id that was given to the row that you added to the wp_site table. You should also change “domain” to the actual domain name that you want to use. Finally, you need to change some of the wp_[blog_id]_options file. There are several settings that need to be changed in order to use the new domain name that you set up. These settings include: the siteurl, fileupload_url, and home.

The Hard Part is Done

Now that all of this has been completed, you can start to take advantage of all of the benefits that come with managing multiple sites from a single dashboard. Remember, Wordpress will use all of the plugins and themes from your main directory. However, you can allow or disallow plugins and themes for each subsite through the SuperAdmin.

• Easy Tricks to Optimize Your Wordpress Loading Time
• How to Choose the Best Hosting Company for a Wordpress Based Website
• How to Install Wordpress on a Windows Server
• If Your Wordpress Blog Isn't Running These Plugins, You've Messed Up
• Blogging on iPad: A Do or a Don't?
• 30+ Useful WP Plugins You Didn't Know About Before
  
• Joomla & WordPress Together – a Marriage Made in Heaven