WORDPRESSMULTISITESouthern California WordPress Meetup, Feb
26th, 2013 Belsien Thomas, @belsien http://wppowerguide.com
WHO AM I? Im Belsien Thomas (@belsien), building websites with
PHP, JAVA, and various programming languages for over 12+ years.
Worked with WordPresss since 2006 (version 2.0). Built and Managed
a Multisite (5 sites) install for Murad
(http://muradinclusivehealth.com ). Utilized Global Navigation,
Multiple Access Roles, Caching/Performance Tuning, and other
enterprise features. Run a WordPress blog http://wppowerguide.com
has guides and tips on how to utilize WordPress as a CMS in
powerful ways, other than just a blog.
TOPICS COVERED Multisite Overview and Background
Advantages/Disadvantages Setup and Configuration User Roles and
Backend Options Network Themes and Plugins Recommended Plugins Uses
& Examples of Mutlisite
OVERVIEW & BACKGROUNDMultisite (MS) allows you to
createmultiple WordPress websites (aka aNetwork) with a single
installation ofWordPress.Previously called WordPress Multi
User(WPMU) but renamed to justMultisite, comes with WordPress
coresince version 3.0.
ADVANTAGES Create an unlimited number of websites with just 1
installation on your server. Share themes, plugins, and user
information across all websites in your network. Easy to Upgrade
everything across network at once. Flexible, can be setup to run as
Subdomains, Sub folders, or mapped to separate domains.
DISADVANTAGES Database is even more critical, corruption can
bring down all sites in network. (Keep backups!) Some Added Steps
and Screens to enable plugins and themes. Not every plugin works
well in MS environment. Can take more time and effort to
troubleshoot, much less articles written online about MS.
2 TYPES OF MULTISITENETWORKS Sub Domain Based Sub Folder Based
mysite.com mysite.com mario.mysite.com mysite.com/mario
stage.mysite.com mysite.com/stage
DOMAIN MAPPING (PLUGIN) Allows you to map a top level domain to
either a subdomain or subfolder.mariosite.co Mapped Mapped
luigisite.com to m to mario.mysite.co mysite.com/l m uigi
DECIDE WHICH TYPE OF NETWORK ISRIGHT FOR YOU Can not change the
type of network once you choose subdomain or subfolder. Highly
Recommended
reading.http://codex.wordpress.org/Before_You_Create_A_Networkhttp://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network
SETUP AND CONFIGURATION 3. Copy/paste 1. Allow 2. Choose and
your custom 4. Logout and Networks in Create a directives to
Login!wp-config.php network type wp-config.php and .htaccess
*Previous Versions of WordPress required creating a blogs.dir
directory under wp- content, but now not needed.
1. ALLOW MULTISITENETWORKS Add following to wp-config.php
define(WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE, true);
2. SETUP A NETWORK Tools > Network Setup
2. SETUP A NETWORK (CONTINUED)Chose either Sub-domains or
Sub-directories. CANT be changed later.For sub-domains you need to
have a Wildcard (*) entry in your DNS records.*.yoursite.com
3. COPY/PASTE CONFIGURATIONCODE TO WP-CONFIG.PHP
AND.HTACCESS
4. LOGOUT/LOGIN GET NETWORK ADMIN.
NETWORK ADMIN & OPTIONS Network Admin Manage/Create new
Websites, Themes, Plugins, and Users
NETWORK SETTINGS IMPORTANTAREAUser Registration, New Site
Settings, Welcome Emails, and NotificationsMax Upload File Limit
Database setting, trumps your php.ini file!Enable/Disable Plugins
menu for Site Admins
NEW ROLE SUPER ADMIN! Super Admins can: Super Manage Network
Settings & Admin Options Site Manage Sites Admin Manage Network
Users Manage Network Editor Theme, Plugins, & ..basically
anything in your Author site. Contributor Subscriber
HOW THEMES WORK IN MULTISITE Themes are not available to
websites in your network until youNetwork Enable them. By default,
site Admins cant install themes only the Super Admin can.
HOW PLUGINS WORK IN MULTISITE Plugins can be installed and
Activated across all sites in your Network OR Selectively activated
per website.
HOW PLUGINS WORK INMULTISITE By Default Plugins are hidden from
Site Admins. To Enable Plugins go to Network Settings in the
Network Admin area, check off Plugins under Enable Administration
Menus
RECOMMENDED PLUGINSDomain MappingMap a
top-leveldomain(example.com) to anysite in your networkAllow site
adminscontrol over mappeddomains
RECOMMENDED PLUGINSNew Blogs DefaultsSet defaults used for
allnew sites created in yournetworkCan delete defaultcontent like
Hello Worldpost, comment, etc.Can auto-add users to allnew sites
created by ID
RECOMMENDED PLUGINS WPMU New Blog Templates The default
template for all new sites created on your network. A template
selection when people sign up for a new site on your network. A
template selection when a super admin user creates a new site in
Sites > Add New in the network admin dashboard.
RECOMMENDED PLUGINSGravity Forms +User Reg Add-On Allows Users
to Create a new Site in your Network through a registration
form.
MULTISITE EXAMPLES WORDPRESS.COMBlogs Run by Automatic, over
400,000 Cloud Based multiple DBs
BLOGS @ BARUCHOnline LMS Teachers and Students have their own
blogsIntegrated with BuddyPress Members section
DISCOVER-WP.COMUsers can create their own free 30-day site
using tools provided byOnTheGoSystemsUses Blog Templates during
registration to let user choose which site theywant.
MURADINCLUSIVEHEALTH.COMGlobal Navigation and Branding across
all 5 sites easily expandableNetwork type is PATH based (sub
folders)