How to configure a WordPress Multisite in Plesk with your own domain

What is WordPress Multisite?

A WordPress Multisite network allows you to manage multiple WordPress websites from a single WordPress installation.

What do you need for a WordPress Multisite

You need a hosting plan with support for multiple domain classes such as our Web Hosting, SuperFast WordPress or Reseller Hosting packages.

Make sure you have a WordPress website active

Make sure you have a WordPress website active in Plesk. Install a new WordPress website or detect an existing one.

  • Login to the Plesk control panel
  • Click on ‘Websites & domains’
  • Click the ‘Install WordPress’ button if no WordPress website is yet present or ‘Scan’ to detect a WordPress website

Setting up your WordPress website as a Multisite

If you just installed WordPress with the “Install WordPress” button, you can skip this step.

  • In the Plesk control panel, click “Websites & domains.
  • Click on ‘File Management’
  • Open the wp-config.php file
  • Check if above
    /* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */

    the following line reads:
    define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);

    add the line if not and save your changes.

Activate multisite in WordPress

  • In the Plesk control panel, click on ‘Websites & Domains’ and then the ‘Sign Up’ button
  • In WordPress, click ‘Tools’ in the left navigation menu and then ‘ Network Setup’
  • Make sure the ‘Sub-directories’ option is selected and then click ‘Install’
    • Now add what you see under ‘1’ via file manager to the wp-config.php file above the line
      /* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */
    • Now add what you see under ‘2’ to the .htaccess file via file manager, replace the entire .htaccess file.

File management can be found in the Plesk control panel under ‘Websites & Domains’ -> ‘File Management’

Adding your first WordPress Multisite website

  • In the Plesk control panel, click on ‘Websites & Domains’ and then the ‘Sign Up’ button
  • In WordPress, in the top menu, click on ‘My Sites’ -> ‘Network Admin’ -> ‘Sites’
  • Click ‘Add New’ to add a new WordPress Multisite website
    • Site Address (URL): for example, websitevanjanjansen
    • Site Title: for example Jansen’s web store
    • Site Language: select the desired default language
    • Admin Email: to this address the log-in information for the new WordPress Multisite will be sent.
  • Click ‘Add site’ to add the new Multisite

The new WordPress Multisite is now accessible via the url domainname.nl/websitevanjanjansen

Make the Multisite website accessible under its own domain name

  • In the Plesk control panel, click on “Websites & Domains” and then the “Add Domain Alias” button.
  • Domain alias name: for example, websitevanjanjansen.nl
  • Uncheck ‘Synchronize DNS zone with primary domain’ and ‘ Forward with HTTP code 301′
  • Click ‘OK’ to add the domain alias
  • In the Plesk control panel, click “Websites & Domains” again, then “Settings for Apache and nginx.
  • Uncheck ‘Proxy Mode’ and click ‘OK’ to save the changes.

It may take up to 10 minutes for the changes to be active but then WordPress Multisite website domainname.nl/websitevanjanjansen will be accessible through the domain name websitevanjanjansen.nl

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