How to make a WordPress Multisite

In this manual we will guide you through the configuration of a new WordPress multisite. Depending on the choice you make, the different sites can be found as nieuwesite.example.nl or example.nl/nieuwesite. So you can choose to run your multisite with the different subsites as a subdomain or as a subdirectory. You can later configure if you want to use the multisite under two or more very different domains. Any other questions about multisites? Read the FAQ or contact support.

1. WordPress basic configuration  

To set up a multisite it is important that your main domain is set correctly. You cannot use the temporary Savvii-URL (x.savviihq.com) for this. For more information about modifying the Home and Site URL, read this article.  

If you want to use your multisite with subdomains, it is important to set your main domain at https://example.com (without www.). If you choose subdirectories or different domains, it doesn't matter if you have www. in front of your primary domain or not.  

2. Enabling Multisite  

The multisite functionality is enabled via an adjustment in the wp-config.php file. You can find this file by connecting to your site via sFTP and going to the /wordpress/current/ folder. There you download the file, to insert the following line:

define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE',true);

Insert this line above the line where it says: "That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging."

Your wp-config.php now looks like this:

* in their development environments.
*/
define('WP_DEBUG',false);
define('SAVEQUERIES',false);
define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE',true);
/* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */

Then upload the wp-config.php to the same directory it came from, and overwrite the previous version.

3. Configuring Multisite  

When you log in to your WP-admin again, you will see the option Network Setup in the left bar under Tools. In this menu you choose which configuration you want to go for:

• Subdomains: Every site you create can be reached via nieuwesite.example.nl.  
• Subdirectories: Every site you create can be reached via example.nl/nieuwesite.  

You can also enter the title of the multisite and change the e-mail address of the administrator. When you are completely satisfied, you can click on Install.

4. Add configuration to wp-config.php  

The next step in the installation process shows a block of code to add to the wp-config.php. This code can be pasted directly under the line you added before enabling the multisite, in the same way as in step 2.  

define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);
define('MULTISITE', true);
define('SUBDOMAIN_INSTALL', true);
define('DOMAIN_CURRENT_SITE', 'yourdomain.com');
define('PATH_CURRENT_SITE', '/');
define('SITE_ID_CURRENT_SITE', 1);
define('BLOG_ID_CURRENT_SITE', 1);
define('COOKIE_DOMAIN', '');

The other step you get to see, modifying your .htaccess file, is not necessary with Savvii. We have already incorporated this in our configuration.

You are now ready to use your multisite!

Optional: Domain mapping 

The latest versions of WordPress (after 4.5) include the option to use domain mapping in your multisite. You can reach the different subsites under different domain names by changing the Site Address (URL) field of each subsite in the menu you reach via Sites -> All Sites to the domain name you want to use for the subsite. Please note! This also has to be https://.  

These domains must also be added within admin.savvii.com. This way, the server knows what to do with the traffic coming from this domain name on the server to which hosting package the traffic has to be sent.