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Freedom251 › Blog › DNS

WordPress Multisite: Create and Configure a Subsite

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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Add a Multisite site from Network Admin → Sites → Add New while signed in as a Super Admin. Before you submit the form, confirm whether the network uses subdomains (such as site1.example.com) or subdirectories (such as example.com/site1); that choice determines the address you can enter and the DNS, server, and rewrite configuration required for the site to work.

What adding a site actually does

WordPress Multisite is one WordPress installation that serves several virtual sites. Creating a site adds a new site record and its own database tables and media-upload directory while keeping the WordPress core installation shared across the network. Network-wide plugins and themes can be made available to multiple sites, but each site has its own content, settings, users’ site roles, and uploaded media.

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Site creation is a network-level task. You do not create a subsite from the individual site dashboard, and being an administrator on an existing site is not enough. The account must be a Super Admin, the role that controls network sites, plugins, themes, and other network settings.

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Choose the network address model first

Your network was configured for one of two address models. Use the model already defined for the installation rather than mixing formats when you add a site.

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Model Example site address DNS and server work Important checks
Subdomain site1.example.com Each hostname must resolve to the server and be routed to the WordPress installation. On-demand subdomain networks normally need wildcard subdomains. Confirm wildcard-subdomain availability, DNS control, and web-server mapping. A host with limited server or filesystem control may not support this model.
Subdirectory example.com/site1 The existing domain serves the new path, so DNS is usually less involved than with a new hostname; the server still needs to route requests and apply the network’s rewrite rules. Check that the proposed path does not conflict with an existing permalink, directory, or reserved path on the main site.

Subdomains give every site a separate hostname, which can be clearer when sites represent distinct properties. They also require wildcard or per-site DNS and correct server routing. Subdirectories keep sites under one hostname and are often simpler when you control only the existing domain, but a short site slug can collide with an existing path. The practical decision is the model your hosting environment can support reliably, not merely the URL style you prefer.

  • Use a subdomain model only when you can point the required hostnames to the server and map them to the Multisite installation.
  • Use a subdirectory model only when the requested slug is available and your rewrite rules support the network path structure.
  • If you cannot control DNS, the web server, or the installation’s filesystem, ask the host which Multisite model it supports before creating sites.

Prerequisites before you open Add New

  • A working WordPress Multisite installation with network administration enabled.
  • A signed-in account with the Super Admin role.
  • A site address that follows the selected model and uses only the characters accepted by the official form: lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens.
  • A site title, a site language, and an administrator email address for the new site.
  • DNS and web-server access if you are adding subdomains or will later map a custom domain.
  • Working rewrite configuration for your web server. WordPress can generate Apache and IIS rules, but it does not automatically generate Nginx configuration.

Prepare the address before creating the site. For a subdomain network, enter only the site portion requested by the form if that is how the network is configured; for a subdirectory network, enter the path slug. Keep the spelling stable because links, bookmarks, and site settings will use the resulting address.

Step-by-step: create the new Multisite site

  1. Sign in as a Super Admin. A regular site administrator may see a site dashboard but will not have the network-level site-creation controls.
  2. Open Network Admin → Sites → Add New. This is the official creation screen for a Multisite network.
  3. Enter the Site Address (URL). Use the network’s existing subdomain or subdirectory format. Follow the form’s character rules: lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens. Do not enter a format that belongs to the other model.
  4. Enter the Site Title. This is the human-readable name shown in the site dashboard and network site list; it can contain spaces and normal title capitalization.
  5. Choose the Site Language. Select the language the new site should use for its WordPress interface and language-dependent defaults.
  6. Enter the Admin Email. Use an address monitored by the person who will administer the site. The address identifies the intended administrator for the new site; it does not by itself grant every network capability.
  7. Select Add Site. WordPress creates the site record and its site-specific tables and upload location within the shared installation.

After creation, return to Network Admin → Sites and locate the new entry. Open it to edit its settings, add users, visit its dashboard, or use the available actions to activate, deactivate, archive, or delete the site. Creation and activation are separate operational concerns, so check the site’s status in the list if it does not appear publicly.

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Configure and verify the site after creation

Open the site’s settings

Use the new site’s entry in the network Sites list to inspect its address, title, language, and status. This is also where a Super Admin can reach the site dashboard without signing out of the network administration area.

Make themes and plugins available

The WordPress core is shared. Themes and plugins can be shared across sites, but their availability and activation are controlled at the appropriate network or site level. A site administrator does not gain network-wide plugin or theme control merely because the site was created for them; those capabilities remain with the Super Admin.

Test the public address and dashboard

Open the site’s front end and dashboard using the address model selected for the network. Test both an unauthenticated page and a dashboard login. A site that exists in the Sites list but fails these tests usually has a DNS, server-routing, rewrite, SSL, or user-assignment problem rather than a failed creation step.

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Users, roles, and access on a new site

Multisite stores users in shared network user tables, so one account can be used across several sites. Access is still assigned per site. Creating or recognizing a network account does not automatically make that person an administrator, editor, author, or other member of the new site.

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  1. Open the new site’s dashboard or its site-specific user settings.
  2. Go to Users and add the intended administrator’s existing network account, or create the account if appropriate.
  3. Assign the role for this site, such as Administrator or another role required for the person’s work.
  4. Have the user sign in through the site’s address and confirm that the expected dashboard capabilities are present.

A site Administrator manages that site’s content and settings within the capabilities allowed by Multisite. The role is narrower than a single-site WordPress Administrator because network-level plugin, theme, and site-management controls remain with the Super Admin. If a user can log in to one site but not another, check the second site’s Users settings instead of creating a duplicate account.

Map a custom domain to the subsite

WordPress includes native domain mapping in version 4.5 and later. A mapped domain replaces the network-style address for visitors, but it still depends on DNS, web-server routing, and valid HTTPS configuration.

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1. Point the domain to the server

Configure the custom domain’s DNS so it resolves to the server hosting the Multisite installation. Then configure the web server to route that domain to the same WordPress installation directory. DNS alone is not enough: the server must recognize the hostname and pass the request to the Multisite application.

2. Install SSL for every hostname

Install and validate an SSL certificate for the network’s primary domain and for each mapped domain. Use the HTTPS form of the address only after the certificate and server configuration are working; otherwise browsers may report certificate or redirect errors before WordPress can serve the site.

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3. Change the site address in Network Admin

  1. Open Network Admin → Sites.
  2. Select the subsite you want to map and open its settings.
  3. In Site Address (URL), enter the full HTTPS address for the custom domain, including the correct hostname.
  4. Save the change, then test the front end and dashboard at the mapped address.

Do not leave the mapped address on HTTP when the site is intended to run securely. Check that internal links, login redirects, and media URLs use the same HTTPS hostname after the change.

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4. Handle blocked-cookie login errors

If the mapped-domain login reports that cookies are blocked, use the official domain-mapping guidance for the COOKIE_DOMAIN configuration workaround. Apply that setting only when the symptom is present and verify the result in a private browser window after clearing stale cookies. A cookie workaround cannot fix a domain that still points to the wrong server or lacks a valid certificate.

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What must happen between the browser and WordPress

A new site can be correctly listed in Network Admin and still be unreachable because several independent layers must agree:

  • DNS: The hostname must resolve to the server that hosts the network. This is especially important for subdomains and custom mapped domains.
  • Server mapping: The web server must recognize the hostname or path and route it to the WordPress installation directory.
  • WordPress network address: The site’s Site Address (URL) must match the model or mapped domain configured for the network.
  • Rewrite rules: Requests must be rewritten to WordPress correctly. Apache and IIS rules can be generated by WordPress; Nginx configuration is not generated automatically.
  • SSL: Every HTTPS hostname used by visitors must have a certificate that covers that hostname.
  • Site membership: A user must have a role on the individual site before the dashboard grants that person access.

Checking these layers in order prevents you from changing WordPress settings to compensate for a DNS or server problem.

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Troubleshooting: why the new site does not load or log in

The address does not resolve

  • Confirm that you used the network’s configured subdomain or subdirectory model.
  • For a subdomain or custom domain, verify that DNS points to the correct server.
  • Confirm that the web server maps the hostname to the directory containing the Multisite installation.
  • For an on-demand subdomain network, verify that wildcard-subdomain support is configured where required.

The site shows a 404 or the wrong site

  • Check the site address for spelling, lowercase characters, and the intended hyphenated slug.
  • On a subdirectory network, look for a conflict with an existing permalink or directory name.
  • Review rewrite rules. Apache and IIS can use rules generated by WordPress, while Nginx needs an explicit server configuration.
  • Confirm that the request reaches the correct WordPress installation rather than another virtual host on the server.

HTTPS fails or redirects incorrectly

  • Install an SSL certificate covering the primary network domain and every mapped domain.
  • Use the full HTTPS address in the subsite’s Site Address (URL) after the certificate is active.
  • Retest in a private browser window to avoid cached redirects and cookies.

The user cannot access the dashboard

  • Confirm that the person is a network user and has been added to this specific site.
  • Assign the required site role from the site’s Users settings.
  • Do not confuse a network account with site membership; shared user storage does not grant automatic access to every site.

Mapped-domain login says cookies are blocked

First verify DNS, server routing, and HTTPS. If those are correct and the cookie warning persists, apply the COOKIE_DOMAIN workaround documented for native domain mapping, then retry the login after removing old cookies for the affected domain.

Pre-launch checklist

  • The site was created from Network Admin → Sites → Add New by a Super Admin.
  • The address uses the network’s subdomain or subdirectory model and follows the lowercase, number, and hyphen rules.
  • The title, language, and administrator email are correct.
  • The site appears in the Network Admin Sites list with the intended status.
  • DNS and server routing send the address to the Multisite installation.
  • Rewrite rules work for the selected web server, including a manual Nginx configuration when applicable.
  • SSL covers every HTTPS hostname, including any custom mapped domain.
  • The intended administrator has a role on this site, not merely a network user account.
  • The front end, dashboard login, links, and media uploads have been tested at the final address.

Once these checks pass, adding another site follows the same process: choose an available address in the established model, create it as a Super Admin, assign site-specific users, and validate the DNS, server, rewrite, and SSL layers that make the address reachable.

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DNSDomain MappingSSLsubdirectoriesSubdomainsWordPress MultisiteWordPress network administrationWordPress troubleshooting

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