WordPress Multisite (WP Multisite)

WordPress Multisite is a feature that allows a single WordPress installation to host a network of multiple websites, each with its own content and users, while sharing a common codebase, plugins, and themes managed from a central network administration panel.

What Is WordPress Multisite?

WordPress Multisite is a built-in WordPress feature that transforms a single WordPress installation into a network that can host multiple independent websites. Introduced in WordPress 3.0 (2010), Multisite is activated by editing the wp-config.php file and wp-settings.php.

Each site in a Multisite network has its own:

All sites share:

How WordPress Multisite Works

The Multisite architecture uses a single WordPress installation with a shared database. Each site in the network gets its own set of database tables with a site-specific prefix (wp_2_, wp_3_, etc.) for content, settings, and users. The shared database instance manages all sites — this is the primary scaling constraint at large network sizes.

Sites can be configured as subdomains (site1.example.com, site2.example.com) or subdirectories (example.com/site1, example.com/site2). Subdomain configuration requires wildcard DNS. With domain mapping plugins, each site can use a completely independent domain.

The Network Admin (accessed via My Sites → Network Admin) manages plugins, themes, and network-wide settings. Network administrators can install plugins and themes for the network; individual site administrators can activate but not install them.

WordPress Multisite at Dbugger

Dbugger implements and maintains WordPress Multisite networks for enterprise clients — including network architecture design, plugin compatibility auditing, domain mapping configuration, database optimization for large networks, and security hardening. For organizations outgrowing Multisite, we assess whether AEM or a modernized WordPress architecture (separate installs with shared infrastructure) is the appropriate next step.

Related terms: WordPress · AEM · Full Site Editing · Headless CMS · WordPress Hosting