Installing WordPress MU or Network

After making the decision to use WordPress MU, or Network, you'll need to change your existing WordPress install. You will need to follow these steps to set up a WordPress Network:

1. You will need to set up a wildcard subdomain on your account. For more information on setting up wildcard subdomains please read our tutorial here.

2. Once wildcard subdomains are set up, you will need to enable multisite on your current WordPress installation. To do this go into your File Manager and edit the wp-config.php file in your file on your WordPress directory. Once you have opened the file for editing, add the following line of code:

Place the code one line above the code that says /* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */:. Once the code has been inserted, click on "save changes" at the top right of the page. Keep your cPanel open, we will be making more modifications in a moment.

3. Next, you will need to open your WordPress Dashboard. Under Administration, click Tools and then Networks. This is where you will be configuring your new mutlisite or network. 

• Addresses of the Sites in your Network:  Here you decide if you want to use subdomains (site1.yourdomain.com) or sub-directores (yourdomain.com/site1)
• Network Details:  These will be filled in automatically, just make sure they're correct.

Once you are done choosing your settings, click Install. 

4. the last step, you need to enable the network. Keep your dashboard open as we will need to retrieve some information from it. Go back yo your cPanel file manager and into the WordPress directory. Then, create a blogs.dir folder in the /wp-content/ folder. 

Next, you will need to reference your WordPress Dashboard. Under tools, click Network. This will show a page with custom coding that needs to be placed into your wp-config.php file. It should look something like this:

With your cPanel file manager, edit the same wp-config.php file that you edited in step 2. 

Directly above the /* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */: line, put in the two blocks of code marked with a "1" in the picture above.

Next, you will add the generated mod_rewrite rules to the .htaccess file in your WordPress folder.  In the .htaccess file, add all coding marked in the picture with a "2." Remember that your code may be different then the one in our picture.

Log out of your WordPress Dashboard and back in to make sure the changes take effect.  To make any additional changes, there is now a new Network Admin sub-section in your Dashboard.

If you missed our previous article, please see the Using WordPress MU tutorial. For more information on this course please visit WordPress MU/ Network