Change domain on a WP multisite subdomain installation

Hi Miro,

Welcome to the WordPress Forums!

Yes, using and configuring a Multsite Network is very easy. A little work is involved, but that’s only once. WordPress Multisite will allow you to create as many sites as you wish under the same dashboard. It will use a common database for all of them. So while taking backups, no extra work would be involved. Instead you will save a lot of time if you use the same theme/plugin on many different sites.

We think you have done a one click installation of WordPress and chosen allow mulitsite.

If not, here’s how you Create Your Own Network of WordPress sites.

After you’ve allowed multisite, you will only be able to create Sub-domains or Sub-directories. To enable/use another site which is not a sub-domain, you will have to use the WordPress MU Domain Mapping Plugin.

You can download it from the WordPress Plugin Repository.

After downloading it follow these instructions to install it.

Take special note of this point.

If you are using CPanel, use the Park a Domain menu to set the mapped domain to your main installtion.

Here’s an additional guide with illustrations for installing the same plugin.

If you get stuck, don’t mind to post again.

Hi WPgeeks,
Thanks a lot for the fast reply and for all the details you provided. I appreciate.
Also: yes, by this reply you have answered also the other post I have make (that was maybe a bit redundant, sorry about that).

Yes. I have done a one click install by the cPanel, that installs it by Mojo Masketplace. Then I have created my network, and I’ve chosen to go with subdomain type. I have done it following the same article you suggested. So, this part of the work is ok. It went well, with no problem.

The point on my doubt is that I realise that I would like to have this network under my other domain (mirosoares.com), that is not yet available because it is still in a process of transferring. I feel that as this domain will hold most of my content, this should be my network domain and the other one should be mapped to an specific site of the network. So, I would like to know how to change the domain of my network installation.

Or do you really think I shouldn’t think about changing the domain of the installation? Are you saying that if I have the MU Domain Mapping Plugin I don’t need to change the domain of my WP network? That even in terms of my personal organisation (not for the user since he will only see the mapped domains) it’s not important that the network installation should se in the bigger site? Because if I leave the way it is now, it is like my network installation is on a particular site and I have to map a domain for the main structure (I had the felling that that should be the opposite, that I should map a domain just to fit with a specific site).

I hope I could express myself clear. I guess my question is not only about how to map the domain but also related to organiser a structure for the networks and the other sites that could be create in the future.

Thank you again!

By the way, I have just installed the MU plugin and I am getting error when I try do access the dashboard of the new site.

Any idea what have I possibly done wrong?

Thanks in advance.

The point on my doubt is that I realise that I would like to have this network under my other domain (mirosoares.com), that is not yet available because it is still in a process of transferring. I feel that as this domain will hold most of my content, this should be my network domain and the other one should be mapped to an specific site of the network. So, I would like to know how to change the domain of my network installation.

Actually, it won’t matter much as to which domain is the network’s main domain. Plus, we aren’t sure if changing the network’s main domain after installation would be a good idea. See, it really is a matter of personal choice. You do either of these two –

• Let it be the way it is now and map the new domain onto the existing one
• Do a fresh install after you get your new domain

But also take note of the following points –

• What you go with won’t affect the functioning of your WordPress sites whatsoever.
• Every site will have the same dashboard.
• If you plan to, maybe, discontinue the network’s main site in future, then you should consider going with your new domain. Otherwise we don’t think it would be a problem.
• If your sites grow big in the future, then you can always consult WordPress experts. The good thing is that your content and your backend always stay different. So as far as the installation is concerned, you don’t need to worry about it.

By the way, I have just installed the MU plugin and I am getting error when I try do access the dashboard of the new site.
Any idea what have I possibly done wrong?

Can you share an online snapshot of the error? And please describe what you have done so far.

Thanks again WPgeeks.
I think I will stick with the installation as it is.

About the error:
When I click the dashboard of my new site it loads a page of error with the logo of Blueost with this message:

404 Error File Not Found
The page you are looking for might have been removed,
had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.

After installing the MU plugin I have created a subdomain “*”. (I think it is called a wildcard, right?)
Is it possible that it only that it need sometime to propagate? Does subdomains need this time like a normal domain?

I found a similar question here:
https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/multisite-troubleshooting-1?replies=2

Thanks.

You’re welcome Miro.

We think that this happens when the site2 has been added under the sub-domains section in your cPanel. Nope, sub-domains don’t take time to propagate. Doing the following will mostly solve your problem.

• First, check if you have added a wildcard subdomain (*)mainsite.com under Sub-domains on your cPanel. You just have to add the *.
• Second, the site2 (and site3, and so on and so forth) need to go under Parked domains.
• Third, check if you have changed the domain’s address correctly under Network Admin > Sites > All Sites > Site 2 (Click on Edit. It should be https://www.site2.com and not https://www.site2.mainsite.com).
• Fourth, check if you have configured the domains correctly under the Domains section of the WPMU Domain Mapping plugin. Go to Network Admin > Settings > Domains. Check if the Site Id is correct and, most importantly, don’t add a www while adding your domain. Don’t know the logic but site2.com will work and www.site.com might give an error page like the one you’re getting.

Hope this solves the problem.

Hello,
Thanks again for the support.

First of all I would like to tell a previous experience I have before coming to this forum. I had actually tried uninstall my network and install it again in my park domain. I try to do a multisite subdomain installation, but I noticed 2 strange things: permalink was showing “blog” and it seems that it was actually a subdirectory kind of installation (I had subdirectory when creating a new website). Anyway, the point of telling this experience it that I have the impression that when I was creating a new site I could choose one of my two domains. And now I don’t see my second domain (mirosoares.com) only my primary domain (mirosoaresstudio.com).

Ok, so to the 4 itens you had pointed out:
1- Yes, I had added a wildcard domain (*) for both my domains.

2- Yes, my second domain is set as Park domain.

3- Here I don’t have https://www.site2.com. I have only site2.mainsite.com. I went to site 2 and clicked EDIT: I see a field HTTP:// followed by the subdomain: site2.mainsite.com. Should I just change here for my second domain? (It doesn’t feel right, because if I had created a new site it should work directly).

(Detail: When I create a new site I can only enter a subdomain .mainsite.com. I can’t choose my other domain).

4- I may have something wrong here because in the Network Admin > Settings > Domains I have a blank field. Actually I had never entered any info here. The lynda.com course I am following doest mention any thing I should do here in this part of settings. It only instructs me to put the Server IP address in the field. Server CNAME domain is empty (I don’t know what ii is). Domains options from 1 to 5 is check on: 1, 3 and 4.

In the part you mentioned, Network Admin / Settings / Domain:
Search Domains: I type my second domain here and nothing happens when I search.
New Domain: Site ID and Domain fields are empty.

Does these infos gives you any useful information to figure out what is happening?
I am still intrigued by the fact that when I try to create a new site I only see my primary domain.

Thank you once again WPgeeks. I really appreciate your advices.
Miro

Anyway, the point of telling this experience it that I have the impression that when I was creating a new site I could choose one of my two domains. And now I don’t see my second domain (mirosoares.com) only my primary domain (mirosoaresstudio.com).

The domain you do the WordPress installation on becomes the primary domain.

1- Yes, I had added a wildcard domain (*) for both my domains.

Just add it for the network’s main domain. Remove the other one (*site2.com). It’s not needed. (We aren’t sure if it should be there. We haven’t added it and our network of sites work fine.)

Should I just change here for my second domain? (It doesn’t feel right, because if I had created a new site it should work directly).

Yes, instead of site2.mainsite.com, make it site2.com.

(Detail: When I create a new site I can only enter a subdomain .mainsite.com. I can’t choose my other domain).

Yes. That’s right. One has to go and ‘edit’ the url as we stated above.

I may have something wrong here because in the Network Admin > Settings > Domains I have a blank field. Actually I had never entered any info here.

Well that’s why you’re aren’t seeing your website! Lol. No issues. You can add it right now. We explained how to do so below.

The lynda.com course I am following doest mention any thing I should do here in this part of settings. It only instructs me to put the Server IP address in the field. Server CNAME domain is empty (I don’t know what ii is). Domains options from 1 to 5 is check on: 1, 3 and 4.

Uncheck the third one, unless you’re going to allow users to create their own sites. Doing so will not change anything for you. You can always add new sites from the Network Admin.

The funny thing is that even after going through many Multisite Installation guides, we got stuck too. Not once, not twice, but thrice. But thankfully, we figured out a lot of common issues in the process, and maybe it’s time we do a blog post about it.

In the part you mentioned, Network Admin / Settings / Domain:
Search Domains: I type my second domain here and nothing happens when I search. New Domain: Site ID and Domain fields are empty.

So now, add the site2.com under Domains. First input the Site ID. For finding out what your Site ID is go to Network Admin > Sites > All Sites and hover over your site2.com. At the bottom of your browser, you will see a URL, and at the end, you’ll see something like id=2. Your site number maybe different. Then add domain name – site2.com. Uncheck the Primary box. Click Save.

Now, you should be able to access your second site and it’s Dashboard as well.

You’re welcome, Miro. ??

HI WPgeeks,

Thank you.
I have followed all the steps and I am able to access the Dashboard of my second site.

But unfortunately I still have problems when creating a new site, even simply as a subdomain of the main domain (the network domain). I click on Network Admin > Sites > Add New. I type the subdomain I want to use. And then I think the site is not create: it doesn’t show in the top list of the menu (My Site), but I can see it in Network Admin > Site.

If I click on dashboard it loads a 404 page of BlueHost, and if I click on the link of the site (or type in the browser) it goes to an empty page on bluehost (slightly different, with out mentioning the 404 message).

I thought that when we create a new site, simply of the network domain, it should work automatically? isn’t it right? Or I need to go to Network Admin > Settings > Domain and add the domain I want to use and the site ID for every single site I create? Even for the ones that are not mapped?

I hope you can give some thoughts.
Thank you.
Miro

Another info that I noticed here that can may be explain my problem:
The tutorial I follow, shows that after installing the MU plugin (in order to map domains) I should see, under Tool, the option Domain Mapping when I am in the dashboard of my site.

I don’t see it when I am in my sites, not in my network site nor in my other site. I only see an option Domain Mapping in the settings of Admin Network.

I am thinking that I have done something wrong in the process. Since I still didn’t start working on any content of my site, I am actually considering to uninstall wordpress multisite and start it again with a clean install. What would you suggest?

Thanks again.

Did you network activate the plugin?

Basically I want to know if it is an easy process to change the domain where I have installed my WP multisite (subdomain).

That’s … I don’t understand why you went this long route.

Can you change the domain? Yes. You Move Multisite: https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Moving_WordPress#Moving_WordPress_Multisite

Then pick up and move the files. Done. I don’t know why the rest of the directions are there.

Hello Mika,
Thank you for your reply.
I am new to wordpress (even though I am starting to understand it better after the last 3 days). As I don’t have yet any content I would rather do an uninstall of my multisite and install it again on my park domain.

But I have tried that and it didn’t work well. I have chosen a subdomain installation, but it turns out to be a subdirectory (I could notice: blog was always in my permalink[by the way I saw lots of post you were helping in this regards] and whenever I try to create a new site it was giving me the option to create a subdirectory, not a subdomain).

So, I decided to uninstall and install it again on my primary domain. Once I have installed in my primary domain, the option subdomain was correct (not long on permalink, and sites were able to be subdomain). But still I have the problem that when I create a new site, I am not able to do to its dashboard.

I wonder if I have done anything wrong in the process. Maybe when installing the MU plugin. I am thinking about uninstalling my multisite again and reinstalling again. That would be the 3 time I uninstall and reinstall. Actually it is a quite fast process. I do it only by the MOJO marketplace automatic installation. I don’t bother at all. But is there it something bad on it? I wonder if this installation/uninstallation are not messing up my directory. Is it possible that some unnecessary files left in my directory? Or that should be fine? I also have deleted the database in my Cpanel when I had uninstalled/reinstalled.

Thanks.

Also, if I uninstall WP multisite… Can I install it in my park domain and not in the primary domain of my hosting account? (I though that was possible, but the problem I mentioned earlier happened when I have installed on my park domain).

As I don’t have yet any content I would rather do an uninstall of my multisite and install it again on my park domain.

Okay…

1) DELETE all the WP files
2) DELETE the database
3) Unpark the domain (make it an Add-on or it’s own domain – you’ll need to contact your host for the exact directions how, everyone is a little different)
4) Install WP in the new domain (formerly your parked domain)
5) Go forward ??

Right now, clean it ALL up, delete it all, start from zero. It’ll be easier.

Thanks Mika,
I think I will do it. I would be more comfortable with that.

But I am a bit confused about the park and add on domains. I mean I know the difference, but I don’t know exactly how these kind of status relate to WordPress multisite.

I think I don’t want none of my domains to be related only to a subdirectory. So I believe I would not use an add-on domain, right? In the tutorials I saw the instructor adding a second domain to the network as a park domain. And he was able to connect this domain with one of the site. I would like to do the same. What is often the status of a second domain in WP multisite?

So, if not a add-on domain, you said to make its own domain. When you say make it it’s own domain you are talking about making it the “primary domain” in my hosting account? (I mean in the Cpanel, not in WprdPress)?