Multisite: Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

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Multisite:
Lessons I Learned the Hard Way
Susan Walker
susanwrotethis@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/susanwrotethis

What is Multisite?
Multisite is a WordPress feature which allows users to create a
network of sites on a single WordPress ...

How Does it Work?

How Does it Work?
Multisite relies on two elements:
• lots of database tables
• magic dust

Some WordPress tables found
on a single-site installation

Some WordPress tables found
on a multisite installation
…

Some WordPress tables found
on a multisite installation
…

Some WordPress tables found
on a multisite installation
global tables

Some WordPress tables found
on a multisite installation

The Magic Dust
WordPress stores a unique ID and
path for each blog in wp_blogs. As
the multisite loads, WP uses this info
...

The Multisite Admin
The multisite administrator is called
the Super Admin. Instead of a site
dashboard and admin menu, the...

Multisite Terminology
In multisite, an individual site is
referred to as a blog. The terms “site”
and “network” normally r...

Multisite Terminology
Sites can run as subdomains…
• www.example.edu
• math.example.edu
• history.example.edu
• finearts.e...

Multisite Terminology
… or as subdirectories:
• www.example.edu
• www.example.edu/math
• www.example.edu/history
• www.exa...

Who Uses Multisite?

Who Uses Multisite?
Multisite is a good fit if you have web
sites with commonalities:
• site purpose
• content ownership
•...

Who Uses Multisite?
Examples:
• a professional group’s blogs
• a chain with location-specific sites
• an arts organization...

Who Uses Multisite?
It’s useful if you have a number of
related sites, especially when you
have limited resources with whi...

WARNING
Multisite documentation may be incomplete,
outdated or missing entirely. You have to learn
a lot of it by trial an...

(Part of)
the
Missing Manual

I. Getting Started
Will you:
• have enough server resources?
• use subdomains or subdirectories?
• need wildcard SSL?

I. Getting Started
Will you:
• have enough server resources?
• use subdomains or subdirectories?
• need wildcard SSL?

I. Getting Started
Will you:
• have enough server resources?
• use subdomains or subdirectories?
• need wildcard SSL?

I. Getting Started
Will you:
• have enough server resources?
• use subdomains or subdirectories?
• need wildcard SSL?

II. Creating Sites
Remember to:
• use a site naming convention
• avoid page and site naming conflicts

II. Creating Sites
Remember to:
• use a site naming convention
• avoid page and site naming conflicts

II. Creating Sites
Remember to:
• use a site naming convention
• avoid page and site naming conflicts

II. Creating Sites
You can’t use slugs twice. That is,
www.example.edu/biology can’t be
both a page on the root site and a...

III. Managing Plugins
You’ll need to:
• see if a plugin is multisite-friendly
• understand network activation
• avoid plug...

III. Managing Plugins
You’ll need to:
• see if a plugin is multisite-friendly
• understand network activation
• avoid plug...

III. Managing Plugins
Some plugins are built just for
multisite, some aren’t but work on it
fine, and others … not so much.

III. Managing Plugins
How can you tell?
• check the support forums
• ask the developer
• look in the uninstall file

Example 1 uninstall.php

Example 2 uninstall.php

III. Managing Plugins
You’ll need to:
• see if a plugin is multisite-friendly
• understand network activation
• avoid plug...

Network activation of plugins

Multisite Plugin Manager

III. Managing Plugins
You’ll need to:
• see if a plugin is multisite-friendly
• understand network activation
• avoid plug...

III. Managing Plugins
You’ll need to:
• see if a plugin is multisite-friendly
• understand network activation
• avoid plug...

Network settings for plugin menu

IV. Modifying Themes
Never:
• modify theme code directly
• put non-theme code in functions.php

IV. Modifying Themes
Never:
• modify theme code directly
• put non-theme code in functions.php

IV. Modifying Themes
When you update a modified theme, your
code changes will be overwritten. Use a
child theme instead. L...

Example custom theme

IV. Modifying Themes
Never:
• modify theme code directly
• put non-theme code in functions.php

IV. Modifying Themes
So, where do these changes go?
Save them in a PHP file and drop it
into:
wp-content/mu-plugins

IV. Modifying Themes
Must-use plugins make for a safe
alternative to functions.php mods.
• they load before regular plugin...

Non-theme code mods

Must-use plugins

Must-use plugins

∞-I. Cleaning Up
WordPress is remarkable, but it’s not
self cleaning. Be prepared to clear up
the clutter that invariably ...

∞-I. Cleaning Up
You’ll probably need:
• an exit strategy for defunct sites
• a plan to clear unused accounts
• database m...

∞-I. Cleaning Up
You’ll probably need:
• an exit strategy for defunct sites
• a plan to clear unused accounts
• database m...

∞-I. Cleaning Up
You’ll probably need:
• an exit strategy for defunct sites
• a plan to clear unused accounts
• database m...

∞-I. Cleaning Up
You’ll probably need:
• an exit strategy for defunct sites
• a plan to clear unused accounts
• database m...

∞-I. Cleaning Up
Plugins are available to remove:
• options
• cron jobs
• roles and capabilities
• orphaned tables

∞-I. Cleaning Up
Back up your database before you
start!

∞-I. Cleaning Up
And don’t forget to dump unused media
files from sites. A lot of requests for
increased storage space wou...

What’s
Still Missing?

More Missing Manual
• managing roles and capabilities
• finding good multisite tools
• using scripts to update settings
• ...

Final Word of Advice
Never test new themes, plugins or
scripts directly on production.

The one thing that’s scarier than seeing the White Screen of Death on your site …

… is seeing it on all of them.

Susan Walker
susanwrotethis@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/susanwrotethis

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