WordPress Multisite is a feature that lets you run multiple WordPress websites from a single installation. Instead of managing 10 separate WordPress sites with 10 separate dashboards, you manage them all from one place — with a shared codebase and user database.
How It Works
When you activate Multisite, your WordPress install becomes a network of sites. You get a Network Admin area to manage all sites, users, themes, and plugins across the whole network.
Common Use Cases
- Companies running multiple brand websites
- Universities with different department sites
- Agencies managing multiple client sites
- News networks with multiple regional sites
- SaaS platforms giving each user their own site
Subdomains vs Subdirectories
Multisite can be set up in two ways:
- Subdomain — each site gets its own subdomain (site1.yourdomain.com)
- Subdirectory — each site lives in a folder (yourdomain.com/site1/)
Pros and Cons
- Centralized management and updates
- Shared users across sites
- If the network goes down, all sites go down
- Not all plugins are Multisite-compatible
- More complex to set up and maintain
Multisite is powerful but adds complexity. Only use it if you genuinely need to run multiple related sites.
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