Managing WordPress Multisite: A Complete Technical Guide

What is WordPress Multisite?

Instead of installing WordPress 10 times for 10 websites, you install it once and enable the Network feature. All sites share the same core files, themes, and plugins, but they have separate media libraries and database tables.

When to use Multisite?

• Agencies: Manage 50 client landing pages from one dashboard.
• Education: A university giving every student their own blog.
• Enterprise: A brand with different sites for different regions (e.g., amanaflow.com, bd.amanaflow.com).

How to Enable Multisite (Step-by-Step)

1. Edit wp-config.php

Add this line above the /* That's all, stop editing! */ comment: define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );

2. Network Setup

In your WP-Admin, go to Tools > Network Setup. Choose between Subdomains (site1.example.com) or Subdirectories (example.com/site1).

3. Update Site Configuration

WordPress will provide two blocks of code. One for your wp-config.php and one for your .htaccess file. Update these files via your AmanaFlow File Manager.

Managing Your Network

As the Super Admin, you control which plugins and themes are available to all sites. Individual site admins can activate them, but they cannot install new ones.

Scaling Multisite on AmanaFlow

Multisite is resource-intensive. For networks with more than 5-10 active sites, we strongly recommend a Managed VPS with AMD EPYC cores to handle the increased database load and concurrent traffic.

FAQ

Q: Can each site have its own domain?
A: Yes! This is called "Domain Mapping." You can map site1.net to your multisite subdirectory seamlessly.

Q: Will a plugin crash all sites if it fails?
A: Yes. Since they share the same plugin files, a critical error in one can affect the entire network. Testing on a Staging Site is mandatory.