If you’re a website owner, it’s worth understanding the difference between single-site WordPress and WordPress multisite to manage your online presence more effectively. Both are approaches to website management that can serve your business or your clients in different ways.
Below, we’ll explain what each option means and explore the advantages and disadvantages of both.
WordPress Single Website vs. Multisite
This is a standard WordPress installation with its own domain name. A single site may be the best option for you if you don’t want to/can’t share the user database with other sites.
WordPress Multisite is a WordPress feature that allows you to create numerous websites and run them entirely from a single dashboard, and manage them as a super admin.
The key differences between the two are:
- Management Structure With a single site, you manage one website at a time. With Multisite, you can control thousands of subsites from a central dashboard as a super admin.
- Resource Usage Since each WordPress installation requires significant server resources, Multisite saves server space and hosting costs by storing shared themes and plugins only once.
- Updates and Maintenance With Multisite, you can install themes and plugins once and make them available across all websites in the network. However, when a theme or plugin is updated, it affects all sites simultaneously, which can be problematic if different sites need different versions.
- Security Considerations A security breach on one site in a Multisite network can potentially affect all other sites since they share resources. Similarly, high traffic on one site might impact the performance of others.
- User Management In a Multisite setup, all websites share the same user profiles. You cannot create the same username twice for different sites in the network.
- Plugin Compatibility Not all WordPress plugins work properly with Multisite, which can cause conflicts between websites in your network.
The choice between Single Site and Multisite ultimately depends on your specific needs. If you’re managing multiple websites with similar purposes or design principles, Multisite offers significant efficiency advantages.
However, if you need completely independent sites with different requirements, separate Single Site installations might be more appropriate.
How to set up a WordPress multisite network
We show you how to install the WordPress Multisite network in your dashboard. Once you have successfully installed WordPress, it’s time to activate your multisite network.
Case 1: You have already set yourself up as a super admin
To get to the network admin:
- Log in to any website in the Multisite network as a Super Admin.
- Click on My Sites at the top left.
If you do not see My Sites, you are either not logged in as a super administrator or your multisite network is not configured correctly.
Case 2: You have never set up your WordPress multisite network
First, click on Network Setup in the navigation bar under Tools.
If you are setting up your WordPress multisite network for the first time, you have the option of choosing between a subdomain or subdirectory configuration. It may not seem like a big deal, but it’s worth thinking about as this has an impact on search engine optimization.
In the eyes of Google, subdomains are considered separate websites, while subdirectories are part of the same website – the primary domain of your WordPress Multisite network.
Once you have made your choice, WordPress will provide you with a code that you need to copy and paste into your wp-config.php and .htaccess files. Paste the code into these files and save your changes.
Now, log back into your WordPress installation and you will see the changes made. Your account should now have the Superadmin role with unique permissions to manage the entire Multisite network. This is different from the Administrator role, which has permission to control everything on a single site (but not the network).
Once you access the new Network Administrator dashboard, you can manage all sites, users, plugins, themes and settings for all sites in the Multisite network.
In the Network Admin navigation bar, there is a Sites option that allows you to control the sites in your WordPress Multisite network. You can also switch between sites using the WordPress toolbar shortcuts labeled “My Sites” at the top of your screen.
When you should use WordPress Multisite
Although WordPress Multisite offers several useful features, it’s not always the right choice. The main problem is that the websites in a multisite network share the same database. In other words, you can’t back up just one website, you have to do this for the whole network.
Large organizations, such as universities and colleges, are the perfect candidates for a multisite network. Each department can have its own website, while one team manages the entire website network/network.
Similarly, WordPress Multisite is a good solution for multinational companies that need to efficiently manage their separate websites for each subsidiary. Banks and financial institutions, government agencies with multiple departments, hotel chains, stores with multiple branches, and e-commerce companies can also use a multisite network to manage their marketing for different regions.
How to add a new website to the Multisite dashboard
The number of websites in WordPress Multisite is unlimited, so you can add as many websites as you like. Below are some simple steps to add a new website to the multisite dashboard.
Step 1: Go to “My Sites”, click on “Network Admin” and select “Sites”.
Step 2: Click on “Add new”.
Step 3: Fill in the details in the field.
- Add the new URL to your new website
- Enter the title of the website
- Enter the email of the administrator of your new website
It’s a simple enough process to go through, but make sure to use descriptive titles and URLs that align with your overall site architecture for better organization of your network.
Conclusion
You’ve seen all the features of WordPress multisite and single site. With multisite, you can create an independent network of websites for commercial purposes and manage these websites efficiently from one central dashboard. Single Site installations, while offering complete independence, require you to manage each site separately, which can become time-consuming when handling multiple websites.
In our article, you can easily choose the right solution for your business needs. If you run multiple websites in the same industry for the same purpose or with the same design principles, WordPress multisite is the perfect solution.
