What is WordPress Multisite? The 110% Starter Guide (2019)

For the most part, WordPress doesn’t have too many secrets. What you see is typically what you get with this content management system.

That said, were you aware that WordPress has a Multisite feature? How do you create a Multisite network in WP? What exactly is WordPress Multisite anyway?

In essence, this is a feature that allows users to manage multiple WordPress websites from a single installation of WordPress. However, this is not something you can introduce to your site through the installation of a plugin or theme nor can it be activated through the WordPress default settings.

WordPress Multisite is an actual feature built into the WordPress CMS that needs to be flipped on if you want to use it. The only thing is, you need to first be aware that the feature exists if you want to use it since the on/off switch isn’t readily available on the dashboard. It’s also important to understand who Multisite is right for before activating it since this solution doesn’t have universal applications and might not be the multi-site management tool that’s best for you.

Not only does Multisite add a layer of complexity to your WordPress setup - it requires special attention to security and performance to make sure it's both safe and fast for your visitors.

In the following guide to WordPress Multisite, I’m going to answer the following questions and help get you on your way to creating your first Multisite network in WordPress:

• What is WordPress Multisite?
• Who Should and Should Not Use WordPress Multisite?
• How Do You Create a WordPress Multisite?
• How Do You Manage a WordPress Multisite?
• What is WordPress Multisite Domain Mapping and Do You Need It?
• Which Resources (Plugins, Themes, Hosts) Should You Use with WordPress Multisite?

What Is WordPress Multisite?

If you don’t remember or even know what WordPress MU was, that’s okay. It was a feature that allowed WordPress users to create a network of blogs on a WordPress site. In June of 2010, WordPress integrated that feature into the CMS and expanded upon it with the release of version 3.0.

WordPress Multisite took MU’s idea of creating a network of blogs and expanded it to allow for the creation of a network of websites within a single WordPress installation. So, if you’ve ever wondered if there were an easier way to manage all of your WordPress websites, WordPress Multisite is one such solution created for this explicit purpose.

Perhaps the most attractive thing about using WordPress Multisite is that once enabled, the feature becomes a natural part of the WordPress interface. So long as you’ve worked inside WordPress before, there should be a minimal learning curve with Multisite as it functions just like the rest of WordPress. There are a few things that do differ between WordPress Multisite and the regular WordPress management experience though:

1. You will need to be comfortable updating files like wp-config.php and .htaccess in order to activate this feature.
2. There can only be one super admin for WordPress Multisite. The super admin will control which sites are added to the network as well as which themes and plugins will be activated and available for use. The site admins can make use of the tools they’re given access to, but cannot modify anything.
3. Because your network exists within a single instance of WordPress, updates to the core, theme, and plugins are much easier to implement.

In general, multisite doesn’t create too much of a disruption in terms of what it does to your WordPress installation. The interface is basically the same and the functionality works as it normally does. There will, of course, be some differences with your database files because you now have an entire network of WordPress sites running from a single installation.

For example, your wp-uploads folder will have a subfolder for each website in the network. WordPress will also have to hold more database tables for you. Typically, a WordPress website has 11 database tables that contain information about your site. A WordPress Multisite network instead will have 9 database tables for each website.

It’s not all that often that web developers do anything with these database files and tables, so this shouldn’t be of much concern to you. It’s more of an FYI so that you can understand why a WordPress Multisite might not be the best solution for you at this time (as I’m about to explain).

Who Should Use WordPress Multisite?

Before you start celebrating the potential time-saving benefits of WordPress Multisite for your web development business, it’s important to understand that WordPress Multisite won’t be right for everyone. The good news is that it’s not the only multi-site management solution that exists.

Outside of WordPress, there are WordPress management tools like ManageWP that work towards a similar cause: to help developers manage multiple websites simultaneously.

However, there’s a reason they don’t exist within WordPress and that Multisite does. Here’s what you need to know about the two before you move on in your decision to use WordPress Multisite:

• WordPress Multisite allows you to manage numerous WordPress websites all from within a single installation of WordPress. However, these websites must all reside on the same network. That means they share server resources, have the same IP address, and, for the most part, will be relegated to a subdomain or subdirectory of the main network’s website.
• WordPress management tools allow you to manage numerous WordPress websites all from a single dashboard outside of WordPress. These tools almost always cost money to use, but they come with added features like security and performance monitoring and management. You also have the flexibility of managing websites from disparate web servers (hosting), clients, etc. and each website can use a custom domain.

If your goal is to indeed create a connected network of sites, then WordPress Multisite will likely work well for your purposes, though there are some reasons you still may choose not to go down that path. Let’s take a look at the specific use cases of WordPress Multisite as well as some examples of Multisite networks to try and help you decide whether this is the right multi-site management solution for your needs.

Who Should Not Use WordPress Multisite

• When you only have one or a small handful of websites to manage.
• When you’re uncomfortable updating WordPress files.
• When you can’t afford the kind of web hosting or the amount of bandwidth and storage necessary to host that many websites on a single plan.
• When all the websites you’re developing and managing belong to different clients.
• When all the websites you’re developing and managing belong to the same client, but they are for completely different brands and are unrelated.
• When your client wants each website to have its own web hosting account and IP address (usually for security reasons).
• When you can’t afford to compromise uptime if the main network site should go down or one of the other sites experiences a traffic surge.
• When you’re unable, unqualified, or uncomfortable with managing an entire network of sites--including monitoring for and fixing performance and security issues.
• When your site admins need full control over their sites and want limitless customization capabilities.
• When there are specific WordPress plugins you need to use for your sites, but they’re not compatible with Multisite (which is the case sometimes).
• When each website requires a separate WordPress theme or entirely separate set of WordPress plugins. One of the benefits of using Multisite is to keep your server light in terms of installed software. If there’s no replication of resources across sites, it defeats the purpose of sharing the server space or WordPress installation.

Who Should Use WordPress Multisite

• When you want single sign-on access to and management of all your sites from a single dashboard.
• When you want to outsource the day-to-day management of your network’s websites to other admins, leaving you to focus on the bigger picture.
• When you have a related network of WordPress sites you can manage from the same WordPress installation and server. This usually means websites belonging to a single client.
• When you (a web developer or designer) want to show off examples of your web-related work and want to do so not with screenshots, but with a fully functioning website that exists as a subdomain on your own main site.
• When you want to create different branches of a website and allow them to use their own unique subdomain, theme, management team, etc.
• When you want to monetize or just incrementally grow a website by enabling others to create their own websites on the network.
• When you want to cut down on the costs of paying for multiple web hosting plans for websites that could easily be stored together (though you do still have to think of the costs of upgrading server space to accommodate for that).
• When the websites in your network share many of the same plugins and themes. This means less stress on your server as only one installation of each plugin or theme is needed for the entire network. This also means less work for you as you only need to install plugins or themes once, no matter how many websites use them.
• When you want to streamline the updates process for all your WordPress sites as the core, plugins, and themes will only need to be updated for the network, not for the individual sites.

WordPress Multisite Examples

Here are some examples of what Multisite looks like in action. These should give you a good sense of what kinds of businesses would benefit from this:

WordPress.com

This is perhaps the most well-known example of a WordPress Multisite network. WordPress.com enables users to create their own websites on WordPress’s network.

Users are then able to build and manage their WordPress subdomain on the network, though restrictions do apply--like the ability to add themes that exist outside the selection WordPress has made available to them.

Edublogs

Edublogs is another example of a WordPress network that invites people to create and host their web content for free on their network. The only catch is that they need to be educators.

The University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia uses this Multisite feature to keep its various websites tied to the main university’s website. So, there are subdomains for different campus locations and other university-related sites, but they all remain within the UBC hub.

Thomson Reuters

Reuters has an entire network of sites that focus on its products and sectors.

Click through each and you’ll encounter a new subdomain. To navigate to another subdomain on the network, click back to the “Directory of sites”.

NBC

Major TV networks can use Multisite to keep subdomains for each TV show on their roster within the same site. NBC is an example of this. Click on the Shows link at the top and you’ll be presented with options for show subdomains you can explore for more information.

As you can see, the show sub-pages look just like the regular NBC website. As you scroll down and click on the various links on those pages, however, you’ll notice that they each have their own microcosm.

New York Times

The New York Times is a great example of a news site or online magazine that uses subdomains to keep each of its individual blogs within the network. This is especially helpful if they belong to the same brand, but have a unique identity that would be worth separating off into its own subsection of the site.

How Do You Create a WordPress Multisite?

If you’ve gone through the above exercise and determined that Multisite is indeed right for you, then let’s review how to create Multisite in WordPress.

Step 1: Install WordPress.

If you are building a Multisite network from-scratch, then you need to install WordPress. Your web hosting provider should offer a one-click install process for WordPress. If that’s not available, then download WordPress here.

Note that if you’re creating a brand new WordPress installation for this Multisite, then you have a choice between using subdomains or subdirectories for your network’s web addresses.

A subdomain looks like this:

https://websiteA.yournetworkname.com

A subdirectory looks like this:

https://yournetworkname.com/websiteB/

In general, a subdirectory is easier to work with as it creates a completely new directory within your site. This means you don’t have to adjust your domains or DNS records with your web hosting account (which I’ve documented below under the WordPress Multisite domain mapping section). However, if your website has existed for more than 30 days, then you have no choice but to use subdomains within Multisite.

Step 2: Back up your site.

If you already have a WordPress site (which will now serve as the main network hub for your Multisite), then please make sure to capture a backup of it before proceeding. Use a backup and restore plugin to do this.

Step 3: Deactivate all active plugins.

WordPress advises that all active plugins currently running on your site be deactivated before you activate Multisite. Once it’s working, you can reactivate your plugins.

Log out of WordPress for the next step.

Step 4: Update wp-config.php.

Next, we will update your WordPress site’s files in order to activate the WordPress Multisite feature.

Log into your web hosting account. You can either use your file manager tool or FTP client to update your files.

Go to the root of your website (it’s usually labeled as “public_html”) and find the wp-config.php file.

Open the file for editing and search for the following highlighted line:

Directly above this line, add the following directive:

/* Multisite */
define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );

It should then look like this:

Save the changes to your file.

Step 5: Install Multisite in WordPress.

Log back into WordPress.

Under Tools, you’ll now see an option called “Network Setup”. Click on it.

You’ll now need to create a name for your network and assign super-admin rights to someone (if not yourself). Be sure to use their email address here.

Note that if your WordPress installation were new, you would not see the Sub-domain Installation note that I received above. That is there to let me know that I cannot use subdirectories. If your site is new, you will be given a choice as to which you prefer to use.

When you’re ready, click Install.

If your web host and control panel software requires that you create a wildcard subdomain before proceeding, you’ll receive a message before being able to move on. If that does happen, follow WordPress’s instructions for configuring wildcard subdomains.

Step 6: Enable the Network

The next screen you’ll see contains two snippets of code.

Return to your file manager or FTP client. Make sure you turn on the option to reveal hidden files this time.

Open the wp-config.php file once again for editing. Paste the corresponding snippet using WordPress’s instructions for guidance.

Save your changes and close.

Next, you will need to edit the .htaccess file. These files are usually hidden on the server, which is why you’ll want to ensure that all hidden files are exposed within the file manager. If for some reason you still can’t see .htaccess but know it’s there (a search through your file manager will confirm that), append this to the end of your file manager’s URL: “&showhidden=1&saveoption=1”. It will expose all hidden files for you.

Once you’ve located your .htaccess, locate the following line in your file:

The RewriteEngine On statement located after that line now needs to be replaced by the snippet provided by WordPress. If you don’t have an .htaccess file, you can create a new one containing only this snippet, and then upload it to the server.

Here is how the file will now look:

Save the changes to the file and re-log into WordPress.

How Do You Manage a WordPress Multisite?

As you’ve probably noticed by now, WordPress looks a little different when it’s configured for Multisite (if you’re the super admin):

So, let’s take a look at what you need to do with these new options.

Settings

The first thing to do here is to configure your network settings. Since you’ve already created the Network Title and Network Admin (AKA the super admin) email, you can scroll down to configure registration, user, and other settings.

• Registration settings dictate whether or not people can sign up to create their own site on your network. You can also grant site admins the ability to assign new users to their sites.
• New Site settings are where you can craft custom messages that new admins will receive when they start creating content in your Multisite network.
• Upload settings will keep your admins and other users in check in terms of what kind of content files they can upload to their sites and how large those files are.
• Language settings allow you to change the default language for your network of sites.
• Menu settings can be turned on so that site admins have the ability to pick and choose which plugins they want to activate on their sites. If not, leave this unchecked and you’ll determine this for them.

Sites

Although the interface is essentially the same as before, you’ll notice that there is a new module called “Sites”. This is where you can create new websites on your network.

Setup is simple. Create the web address and title of the blog, and then assign an admin to manage the site. The new website will then show up when they log into WordPress with that email address. If they’re unsure of where to look, point them to the My Sites tab in the top menu bar.

If you want to configure settings and users for the site even further, click on Sites > All Sites. Then click on the Edit button beneath the site’s name. Within here, you can assign different users to the site, change their roles as it pertains to that particular site, and enable or disable themes that they’re allowed access to.

Users

Here you will see a list of all your users. You can also use this module to add and delete users for your network and sites, just as with regular WordPress.

Themes

Now, in terms of assigning WordPress themes to a Multisite network, you have a few different options.

As I mentioned above, you can drill down into each individual site and activate individual WordPress themes to be made available.

In addition, if you go to your Themes tab on the sidebar, you’ll now see these options available:

Here you can enable whole themes for use across the network if you want everyone to build their sites with a consistent design.

Plugins

Plugins differ from themes in that you only have one option: you can activate them only for the entire network.

There is no way to pick and choose which plugins will be made available to different sites. That said, if you checked the Menu settings options mentioned above, then your admins can at least choose if they want them activated or deactivated at any time.

Since your plugins from your old regular installation of WordPress will still be deactivated, now is a good time to get these back up and running if you want to use them on your WordPress Multisite.

Updates

WordPress Multisite is like regular old WordPress. In order for it to remain secure, WordPress core updates, as well as those for plugins and themes, need to be made.

When you see a notification show up on your dashboard regarding updates, the update will apply network-wide. This is because there is only one version of WordPress, one version of each plugin, and one version of each theme on your server. Only the master version that lives in your network dashboard will need to be updated, thus saving you the time in having to log into each individual site to make updates.

The only difference between Multisite updates and standard updates is that this requires two steps now. The first is to install the update upon receiving the notification. You’ll then have to push the update out to all your sites.

What Is WordPress Multisite Domain Mapping?

Once you have your main network domain set up, WordPress installed, and Multisite activated, you can start adding new sites to the network. If you’re content with using subdomains and subdirectories to name your sites as detailed in the process above, then you won’t need this feature and can move onto the next section of this guide. However, if you’d like to give your sites custom domain names, keep reading.

Domain mapping is the process by which you allocate a totally custom domain name (e.g. https://werdpressnerds.com) to one of the subdomains on your network. Yes - you can implement WordPress Multisite with multiple domains! While the default choices are to create subdomains or subdirectories, you can enable users to have custom domains. It just takes a little more work.

That said, as of WordPress 4.5, domain mapping became a native feature of WordPress which means a WordPress plugin is no longer necessary in order to complete this process. You can handle this on your own if you find that subdomains and subdirectories just don’t do the trick.

For every site you want to grant a custom domain name to, here is the process you must follow (you’ll have to repeat this for each one):

1. Buy a New Domain

The person that intends on managing the sub-site needs to purchase a domain name. If you have not done so already, you can acquire this through your web hosting company. Simply do a search for the domain name you’re interested in using and add it to your account.

Note here that, while a WordPress plugin is not necessary for the Multisite domain mapping process, you may still want to invest in the Domain Mapping plugin if you’re looking to monetize your network even further (or even at all). This plugin allows you to provide domain resale and mapping services as a premium upgrade to network users.

2. Install an SSL Certificate

WordPress recommends that each site on a Multisite have its own encrypted login. As you’re completing the custom domain setup, be sure to install an SSL certificate as well.

3. Map the Domain in DNS

This step will vary depending on which web hosting company you use to procure and manage your domains. However, so long as you create your domain within the same account as your web hosting and the main network’s domain, this should be a quick and relatively painless process for you.

A quick note: if your domain isn’t on the same accounts, you may want to consider transferring your domain now. If you intend on repeating this process for multiple websites, then it’s best to get everything into one place anyway. After all, the whole reason you’re creating a Multisite network is to streamline your workflow, and complicating the domain mapping process will only hinder that progress.

So, when you’re ready, let’s take a look at how this is handled through BlueHost. The process should be similar to other web hosting companies, but the interface will probably look a little different.

Step 1
Log into your web hosting/domain account.

Step 2
Navigate to your domain management system.

Step 3
You should find here a number of options for actions you can take on your domains. The one you want to look for is “Assign a domain to your cPanel account.”

Step 4
Select the domain you want to assign a custom domain name to and add to your Multisite network.

Select the option that that will turn this into an Addon Domain. As BlueHost explains, “An Addon Domain is a domain name that points to a different subdirectory on your account. This gives you the ability to make it look like an entirely different website.”

A little further down, be sure to give your domain a unique directory. The main site of your network will reside at:

public_html/

So, yours will need to be at:

public_html/[your site’s name here]

As you can see from the note above, cPanel also requires you to give this site a subdomain name. Although it’s not what visitors will see when they visit your site or find it through the network, it’s required for setup, so give it a name while you’re here.

When you’re done setting this up, go ahead and assign the domain. Essentially, what you’ve done here is set up a subdomain for your Multisite network and masked it with a custom domain name.

4. Add the Custom Domain in WordPress

Finally, you need to make the connection between your now-connected custom (subdomain) domain to your Multisite network.

Return to WordPress. Under Sites, click on Add New.

Under the Site Address (URL) field, you can now add your new custom domain to the network. Then follow the instructions for configuring a new site, assigning users, and applying themes and plugins to it.

Which Resources Should You Use with WordPress Multisite?

While I have mentioned web hosting, WordPress plugins, and WordPress themes in conjunction with the setup of a WordPress Multisite network, I haven’t really gone much into which ones you should use.

As with anything else you do in WordPress, you want to ensure that you’re using the best resources to get the job done efficiently and correctly. While you should still abide by the same best practices when it comes to managing and maintaining a WordPress site, there are some key differences in the resources you use to do it. Multisite may be an inherent feature in WordPress now, but it’s not totally compatible with everything we use on a single site installation.

So, let’s take a look at what type of web hosting, WordPress themes, and WordPress plugins you should be using in order to prioritize quality, performance, and security for your network.

WordPress Multisite Hosting

Does web hosting really matter for WordPress Multisite aside from using a reputable web hosting company? Sure, it does.

1. Deep WordPress Knowledge

First, you have to think about the fact that you’re not just running one WordPress website on this hosting plan; you’re running numerous WordPress sites from it. So, you’ll want to work with a web hosting provider that knows WordPress. And, ideally, one that either has specialized plans available for WordPress Multisite hosting or is capable of providing support for customers that want to set up a Multisite network on their server.

2. Security and Performance

Secondly, you have to think about the strain all these sites are going to put on your server. If your intention is only to create a network with maybe a few small blogs or static sites, then shared or cloud hosting for businesses may be just fine. However, anything larger than that, and you’d be better off with plans that offer more bandwidth, storage, and control over your server’s security and performance. VPS would be your best bet in that case.

Here are some web hosting companies we recommend you start with:

Kinsta

Kinsta is a managed hosting provider that we personally recommend to our customers. In addition to being an all-around reliable hosting provider for WordPress, Kinsta also offers Multisite support for its customers. In addition to providing full support, Kinsta’s pro plans also include domain mapping assistance, in case you want to offload that work to someone else (which is super convenient).

Cloudways

Cloudways is one of those such providers that offers a WordPress Multisite hosting platform for customers. In addition to security and site speed being front-and-center here, Cloudways also includes a Migrator and Cloning tool which are especially helpful when you’re trying to save time in building out your network.

WordPress Multisite Themes

Next, let’s talk about WordPress themes for Multisite. As a recap of what we've discussed above:

• WordPress themes can only be installed on Multisite by the super admin.
• The super admin is also the only person who can enable them for use on individual sites.
• Admins can then choose which of those themes (if multiple choices are made available) they want to activate for use on their sites.

Now, in terms of which WordPress themes can be used in Multisite, there really aren’t any restrictions (as is the case with plugins). WordPress themes aren’t typically designed explicitly for single WordPress sites or for Multisite networks.

That said if you think about why you’re creating a Multisite network in the first place as well as the way in which it is configured, a multipurpose or multi-concept theme is a smart choice. If your goal is to install only a few theme files on your WordPress Multisite installation, then a multipurpose theme would still give your users versatility in terms of which kinds of designs and features they use to construct their individual sites.

If you’re looking for high-quality multipurpose WordPress themes to add to your Multisite network, start with these top picks:

Kalium

Salient

TheGem

Uncode

X Theme

WordPress Multisite Plugins

Most importantly, we need to look at which WordPress plugins you can use with Multisite.

In terms of how plugins work in Multisite, remember:

• WordPress plugins can only be installed on Multisite by the super admin.
• The super admin can only activate (or deactivate) plugins across the entire network of sites.
• The site admin cannot delete or add plugins to their site; however, they can choose whether or not to enable them (if the super admin grants them access to do so).

As I’ve mentioned a number of times already, plugins can be problematic for a WordPress Multisite network. This is why you should always pay attention to the Multisite-friendliness of a plugin before installing or buying one. Typically, the plugin developer will note whether or not it works with Multisite, so always check for that before committing.

To save yourself the trouble of hunting around for WordPress Multisite plugins, here are some you should be aware of. Some of these are explicitly made for Multisite use while others just happen to be Multisite-friendly and are an essential part of running a WordPress site.

Anti-Splog

Nervous about users taking advantage of your willingness to bring new sites and blogs into your network? If you don’t want to spend countless hours every week monitoring each site on your network for spam activity, you can use Anti-Splog to do the work for you.

Domain Mapping

I mentioned the Domain Mapping plugin earlier, but it’s worth another shout-out as it will definitely come in handy if you decide to upsell the domain management and mapping part of your workflow.

Duplicator Pro

If your web hosting plan does not include cloning or migration services, there’s no need to fret. The Duplicator Pro plugin helps users save time in creating new and similarly-designed sites on a Multisite network.

The team behind Duplicator Pro are dedicated to bringing you one of the easiest backup and restore solutions available in the WordPress space.

And with so many fantastic user testimonials, it's easy to see why people trust this plugin to backup and duplicate a website from one server or domain to another!

Hummingbird

You’ll need to be incredibly careful about using a caching plugin on WordPress Multisite as issues have been reported with some of the more popular performance plugins. The Hummingbird page speed optimization plugin, however, will not give you any issues and can safely be used on your network.

iThemes Security Pro

Because you have the ultimate say over which plugins site admins use on their sites, it’s important that you give them the tools needed to succeed. A big part of this--especially when you have so many websites sharing the same server space--is giving them a security plugin that works--like iThemes Security Pro, which not only supports Multisite but also comes bundled into WP Buffs’ Perform Plans.

Pro Sites

Similar to the Domain Mapping plugin, Pro Sites will help you more easily turn a profit on your Multisite network by streamlining the setup of upgrades and marketing for it.

Snapshot Pro

There are a lot of reasons why the setup of your Multisite network might fail, forcing you to roll your WordPress installation back to a previous version. The same goes for a security breach in one site that leaves the rest of your network vulnerable. That’s why a backup and restore plugin like Snapshot Pro is a necessity.

Support System

As the super admin and manager of your WordPress Multisite network, it’s your job to see to it that your site admins succeed, right? After all, you rely on their continued use of your Multisite network in order for your own site to succeed. And, so, you have to ensure they have everything they need from you to do this, starting with a Support System built right into their WordPress dashboard.

WSDesk

WSDesk is a multi-site friendly WordPress Helpdesk Plugin that will integrate smoothly with your WooCommerce store. It offers an AJAX-based user interface for fast responses. The plugin also boasts a set of useful features such as email pulling, triggers and automation, canned responses, rich text formatting, and much more. WSDesk offers you full control over your user data compared to other cloud-based solutions. You can also create an XML file to back up your tickets on WSDesk so that you won't face trouble in case of domain migration.

User Role Editor

As your WordPress Multisite network grows, the number of users within it may become unwieldy. For larger networks, this User Role Editor plugin would be a big help when trying to apply bulk edits to user roles and permissions across the network.

User Switching

While much of what you do as a super admin in WordPress will be done within your own main dashboard, you may have reason to log into other sites on the network from time to time. Rather than log out of WordPress and then log back in with new credentials to the subdomain, use the User Switching plugin to simplify this process.

White Label Branding

Want to give your Multisite users a customized and branded WordPress dashboard to work within? White label branding is always a great opportunity to make a solid impression with users as you leave them with a professional, clean, and well-thought-out workspace. It also brings some cohesion and consistency to all the site dashboards within your network.

And if you're an agency or freelancer and bringing on a white-label technical partner piques your interest, take a peek at our white-label partnership program.

Yoast SEO

Having the ability to optimize each page and site for search on your network is going to be especially important for your admins. The Yoast SEO plugin will add this functionality to each page, giving everyone custom control over what their pages rank for.

Summary

As you can see, WordPress Multisite has a number of useful applications for the WordPress developer or webmaster hoping to get a better handle on concurrently managing multiple websites--and it does it all from one convenient location: WordPress.

Just remember: as the super admin of a Multisite network, you now have much more you’re responsible for. If you’re nervous about keeping up on the management of this network in addition to the usual security and performance monitoring that goes on in your day-to-day, reach out to WP Buffs to relieve some of that pressure.

Want to give your feedback or join the conversation? Add your comments 🐦 on Twitter.

Brenda Barron

Brenda Barron is the blog editor for the WP Buffs WordPress blog and a freelance writer from southern California. When not working, she’s spending time with her family, homeschooling her kids, knitting, and getting outdoors. Find out more about her at Digital Inkwell.

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