# How to install WordPress Multisite step by step

With WordPress Multisite, you can **create and manage multiple websites within a single WordPress installation**. This allows you to build a network of separate WordPress sites that you can centrally manage and maintain with Super Administrator privileges. In this guide, you’ll learn how to benefit from WordPress Multisite and how to **set up your wp multisite step by step**.

## Why use WordPress Multisite and what are the benefits?

WordPress Multisite is ideal whenever you need to centrally manage multiple WordPress sites. A WordPress multisite network can serve as the foundation for a wide range of websites. Often, sites within such a network **share design and functionality elements**. As the ‘Super Administrator’ of a WordPress multisite, you determine which themes (design templates) and plugins are installed globally—making them available to all sites. You also control **user roles and permissions**, such as assigning sub-admin access (referred to in WordPress as ‘Users’).

Key advantages of a WordPress multisite setup include, in addition to **centralised control**, notable **savings in time and costs**:

- All websites in the network **reside within a single WordPress installation**, sharing the same themes and plugins—saving disk space.
- All themes and plugins are centrally managed. **Updates only need to be applied once**, not individually for each site.
- The Super Administrator has **comprehensive control**, especially regarding design (themes) and functionality (plugins).

Common use cases for WordPress Multisite include:

- **Small businesses or individuals** who want to create and manage multiple websites efficiently and affordably—e.g. landing pages, regional versions, or brand extensions.
- **Enterprises and corporations** managing several websites, where centralised control and consistent design help enforce corporate identity.
- **Agencies** that design, host, and maintain WordPress websites for clients. WordPress multisite provides a relatively simple, cost-effective way to offer services to multiple clients.

## Prerequisites before you install WordPress Multisite

You can enable WordPress multisite on an existing installation. Before you begin the WordPress multisite setup, take the following **preparatory steps**:

- Deactivate all plugins.
- Create a [backup of your WordPress site](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/hosting/blogs/create-wordpress-backup/) to restore it in case of issues.
- Ensure you have FTP access to edit your WordPress site’s code—either via your hosting provider or a tool like FileZilla.
- Confirm that permalink settings are working properly in your WordPress installation.
- Decide in advance on your preferred URL structure. During the install WordPress multisite process, you must choose between a ‘subdomain structure’ or a ‘subdirectory structure’. You **cannot change this later**.

The next sections cover permalink testing and URL structure in more detail.

Tip IONOS offers comprehensive [Hosting for WordPress](https://www.ionos.co.uk/hosting/wordpress-hosting "Easy Hosting for WordPress"), which allows you to easily create multisite networks.

### Test permalink functionality

You’ll find permalink settings in your WordPress dashboard under ‘Settings’. These determine how your page URLs look, such as `https://example.com/?p=123` or `https://example.com/page-name`. It’s important to ensure that the permalink changes work correctly in your system. If you’re unsure, you should test the permalink settings. When you modify something under the ‘Common Settings’ for permalinks, the browser should display a different URL. To see the changes reflected in your browser, you’ll most likely need to refresh the page.

[![Image: Permalinks – Common settings, different link structure options](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/d/f/csm_wp-permalink-settings_a83e443ba1.webp "Permalinks – Common settings, different link structure options")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2024/wp-permalink-settings.png) Permalinks – Common settings, various link structure options. ### Choose a URL structure for your WordPress Multisite

Before you install your WordPress multisite, you should decide which URL structure you want to use. You can choose between a **subdomain structure** and a traditional **subdirectory structure**, which determines how the different sites in your multisite network will be accessed. During the wp multisite setup, you must choose one of these two structures—this decision cannot be changed later.

**Subdomain structure example**: `https://site1.yourdomain.com`; `https://site2.yourdomain.com`; `https://site3.yourdomain.com`

**Subdirectory structure example**: `https://yourdomain.com/site1`; `https://yourdomain.com/site2`; `https://yourdomain.com/site3`

The URL structure is an important factor when it comes to **[search engine optimisation (SEO)](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/online-marketing/search-engine-marketing/the-basics-of-search-engine-optimization/)**. If you choose a subdomain structure, each subdomain—such as `https://site1.your-maindomain.com`—is treated by search engines as a separate website. If you opt for a subdirectory structure, all websites within your WordPress multisite network are considered part of a single (larger) website. With a subdomain structure, you’re essentially managing multiple (usually smaller) websites that are indexed independently. With a subdirectory structure, search engines see your wp multisite network as one large site. Both options have their **advantages and disadvantages for SEO**, so you should carefully consider them in advance. Additionally, keep in mind that search engines like Google update their rules from time to time.

## How to set up WordPress Multisite step by step

Once you’ve completed the steps above, you can **install WordPress multisite** by following this procedure:

- Add a code snippet to the *wp-config.php* file to enable multisite
- Use the WordPress dashboard to configure the network and generate code snippets
- Insert those code snippets into the *wp-config.php* and *.htaccess* files

### Add a line of code to *wp-config.php*

**Step 1:** Download the WordPress file *wp-config.php* to your computer and save it locally. You can use your hosting provider’s FTP tool or an FTP client like FileZilla. Some providers also allow you to open, edit, and update the *wp-config.php* file directly within their system, in which case downloading the file isn’t necessary. Whichever method you choose, make sure that no data is lost during the process.

**Step 2**: Open *wp-config.php* and find the line:

```php
/ *That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing.* /
```

Directly **above** this line, insert the following **code snippet**:

```php
define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );
```

[![Image: wp-config.php file with the added code line](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/5/6/csm_wp-allow-multisite_cb0fae2548.webp "wp-config.php file with the added code line")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2024/wp-allow-multisite.png) \*wp-config.php\* file with the added code line **Step 3:** Depending on how you completed Step 1, upload the modified *wp-config.php* file back to your system. If your hosting provider allows it, you can also save and update the file directly within their platform.

### Adjust settings in the WordPress dashboard

**Step 4:** After completing the previous steps, open your WordPress dashboard—you may need to refresh it. In the **‘Tools’ section, you’ll now see a new option called ‘Network Setup’.** When you open it, you can choose whether your new multisite network will use subdomains or subdirectories. Then, enter a network title and your email address as the network administrator. Click ‘Install’ to continue.

[![Image: Tools – Network setup: Option to choose between subdomains and subdirectories](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/b/e/csm_wp-network-setup_60be9f55cd.webp "Tools – Network setup: Option to choose between subdomains and subdirectories")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2024/wp-network-setup.png) Tools – Network setup: Option to choose between subdomains and subdirectories **Step 5:** After clicking ‘Install’, WordPress will generate two code snippets on the next screen. You’ll need to copy and paste them into your *wp-config.php* and *.htaccess* files as outlined in the next steps.

[![Image: Tools – Network setup: Code snippets to activate the network](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/1/7/csm_wp-code-fragments_b4e4c40b2b.webp "Tools – Network setup: Code snippets to activate the network")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2024/wp-code-fragments.png) Tools – Network setup: Code snippets to activate the network ### Insert code snippets into wp-config.php and .htaccess

**Step 6:** Now open the *wp-config.php* file again, just as you did earlier. Then copy the first code snippet you received from the WordPress dashboard and paste it into the *wp-config.php* file. Be sure to insert it once again **above** the following line:

```php
/ *That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing.* /
```

Then upload the *wp-config.php* file again, or save and update it directly through your hosting provider.

[![Image: wp-config.php file with the added code from the WordPress dashboard](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/1/a/csm_wp-config-add-code_9059521fc3.webp "wp-config.php file with the added code from the WordPress dashboard")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2024/wp-config-add-code.jpg) \*wp-config.php\* file with the added code from the WordPress dashboard **Step 7:** Now repeat the process with the second code snippet from the WordPress dashboard and the *.htaccess* file. In most cases, this means replacing existing code with the code provided by WordPress. A typical *.htaccess* file with the code to be replaced might look like this:

[![Image: Existing .htaccess file with highlighted code to be replaced](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/4/9/csm_wp-htaccess_6f22b6f41d.webp "Existing .htaccess file with highlighted code to be replaced")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2024/wp-htaccess.png) Existing \*.htaccess\* file with highlighted code to be replaced The updated *.htaccess* file with the new code would then look like this:

[![Image: Updated .htaccess file with the new code from the WordPress dashboard](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/e/5/csm_wp-htaccess-new-code_13c2b424ce.webp "Updated .htaccess file with the new code from the WordPress dashboard")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2024/wp-htaccess-new-code.jpg) Updated \*.htaccess\* file with the new code from the WordPress dashboard Once the updated *.htaccess* file is saved or uploaded, your WordPress multisite installation is complete. You can now configure various settings within your WordPress multisite network. To proceed, you’ll need to **log back in to WordPress**.

## How to configure your network in WordPress multisite

As a Super Administrator with full privileges, you can now configure a variety of settings in your WordPress multisite network. For example, you can **add new websites**, **install new themes and plugins**, and also add users with limited admin rights for specific sites in your network.

[![Image: WordPress multisite – Network management with dashboard, sites, users, etc.](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/6/1/csm_wp-network-admin_289cf0c9b6.webp "WordPress multisite – Network management with dashboard, sites, users, etc.")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2024/wp-network-admin.png) WordPress multisite – Network management with dashboard, sites, users, etc.  Note For general information about WordPress, check out ‘[Create a WordPress website](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/hosting/blogs/creating-a-website-with-wordpress-a-beginners-guide/)’. For essential security tips, see ‘[WordPress plugins to secure your website](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/hosting/blogs/wordpress-security-the-most-important-security-plugins/)’. And for design inspiration, take a look at ‘[Most popular WordPress themes](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/hosting/blogs/wordpress-themes-the-best-designs-for-your-website/)’.


This is a markdown version of: [https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/hosting/blogs/wordpress-multisite/](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/hosting/blogs/wordpress-multisite/) for AI/LLM consumption.