core

WordPress Multisite

Multisite has been part of WordPress core since version 3.0 (released June 2010). As of 2026, it ships with every standard WordPress install; you activate it by editing wp-config.php and .htacces...

What Is WordPress Multisite?

WordPress Multisite is a built-in WordPress feature that lets you create and manage a network of multiple websites from a single WordPress installation. Instead of installing WordPress separately for each site, you run one install and spin up additional sites inside it — each with its own content, users, and URL.

Multisite has been part of WordPress core since version 3.0 (released June 2010). As of 2026, it ships with every standard WordPress install; you activate it by editing wp-config.php and .htaccess rather than installing a separate plugin.

Answer capsule: WordPress Multisite is a core WordPress feature that runs multiple websites under one installation. A single database, one set of core files, and one admin panel host every site in the network. Each sub-site gets its own content and can use a subdomain (blog.example.com), subdirectory (example.com/blog), or mapped custom domain.

Who this is for

This glossary entry is for beginners managing more than one WordPress site — agency owners with client portfolios, small business owners with regional sub-sites, or anyone evaluating whether Multisite fits their setup before committing to it.

What does WordPress Multisite actually do?

WordPress Multisite creates a parent-child relationship between sites. One Network Admin controls network-wide settings — which plugins are available, which themes sites can activate, and who can create new sites. Individual site admins manage only their own content and users.

We see this most often on client networks where a single agency manages 10–30 branded microsites. Installing one WordPress and using Multisite cuts plugin update time by roughly 70% compared to updating each site separately — you push one update and every site inherits it.

When should you use Multisite?

Use Multisite when your sites share a common purpose and owner. University departments running faculty blogs, a franchise brand with location sub-sites, or a SaaS platform offering user-generated sub-sites (like WordPress.com itself) are the textbook cases.

Skip Multisite when your sites are unrelated or belong to different clients. Shared infrastructure means a single plugin conflict or server outage hits every site simultaneously. On shared hosting plans under $20/month, that shared risk is rarely worth the management convenience.

One thing most guides miss

Themes and plugins are installed once at the network level but activated per-site. That sounds efficient — and it is — but it also means a plugin an individual site admin wants may be blocked until the network admin approves it. On client networks, we’ve watched this create support friction when clients expect the same plugin freedom they’d have on a standalone site. Set that expectation before you migrate anyone to a Multisite network.

How sub-site URLs work

When you enable Multisite, WordPress asks you to choose a URL structure during setup:

  • Subdirectories: example.com/siteone, example.com/sitetwo
  • Subdomains: siteone.example.com, sitetwo.example.com

If you want each sub-site on its own custom domain (clientone.com, clienttwo.com), you need domain mapping — either via a plugin like Mercator or through your host’s panel. WordPress.org documents the Multisite network setup process in full.

  • Network Admin — the super-admin role that controls a Multisite network
  • Sub-site — an individual site within a Multisite network
  • Domain mapping — pointing a custom domain to a Multisite sub-site
  • wp-config.php — the core configuration file where Multisite is enabled
  • WordPress network — another term for a WordPress Multisite installation

Additional reading:

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