WordPress 3.0 is a feature rich blogging platform that is merged with WPMU. Feature that allows a user to run multiple websites from single installation is known as Network or Multi Site Option. This feature is disabled by default to simplify the blogging platform for those who don’t want to run multiple blog from single installation.
This article is aimed to guide you on how to enable multi site option in WordPress 3.0. Procedure is very simple, open the file wp-config.php file located in WordPress root folder and add this magical line;
define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);
After you add this line and upload it to root folder, you need to click network option found under tools menu. You will see a page like having two options for creating your network of blogs.
Select your desired option and click install. But be sure that you are clicking right option as per your required configuration, because this process is irreversible and you would have to install fresh copy of WordPress 3.0. So be careful.
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After installing your desired configuration, next screen will welcome you with some instructions to modify your config and htaccess file for proper working of multi blog option in WordPress 3.0.
Just follow the instructions and upload the files to respective locations. For changes to take effect, re login and you are notice a new menu bar of Super Admin. This menu offers you to add site and add user and options for proper configuration of your network of blogs.
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This is a really great tutorial, Imran. I know people will find this very helpful cos they are going to be searching for it now that Wordpress 3.0 is out. I started searching for it way back so I already have this answer, hehe
, the life of a geek 
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Really great tutorial though
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you were supposed to know the answer. Well I am working on other problems occurred due to new version and will be witting posts on it.
I think you have much to Write about Wordpress 3. I installed it and am not one bit impressed BTW Great tutorial as wordpress 3 says that you can enable multi site but does not tell you how this tutorial is perfect for people who are multi blog authors and wish to enable the feature.
I have installed it on my local server at home to try it and will not use it in live blog until we have version 3.1. I myself unable to understand that why enabling multi site option is reliant on editing config file. This should be integrated in wordpress as an option and may be in some future release they might think about it. As far as writing about wordpress is concerned, I will let my readers know as I find some problem and its solution. Thanks for your reading.
Hi Imran,
I’ve yet to get into 3.0. I guess I should have expected WordPress to make it a little challenging for the new guy.
No one has mentioned anything so far about security for MU. I’m just a little concerned about this. Any thoughts?
Morgan, with the passage of time issue will be highlighted. But for time being, upgrading to WP 3 is not worthwhile. You may encounter plugin compatibility issue and if you have enabled multi site option, even compatible plugins will also create problem due o multi site in nature. Though activation of plugin at two levels is available. Network vides activation and activation for that particular blog/site. Let me go through these issues at this week end (due to my professional life promises
Great guide.
I started following it, but when the Google XML Sitemap plugin recommended that I disable it because it’s not yet multisite ready I stopped and reverted back to a normal site.
Won’t even start to think of all the other plugins that don’t work well with MultiSite but don’t tell me they haven’t been tested on a WP 3.0 MultiSite blog
Henrik, fact is, not all plugins are currently compatible with WordPress 3.0 Multi Site feature. Limited number of plugins are working with multi site feature like Super Cache which is updated to work with Multi Site Feature. Best strategy would be to wait for net release of WordPress or wait for at least 2-3 month to have compatible plugins.
Recently I updated my blog to WordPress 3 but I didnt know that it has mutli site feature. This feature is much useful to me. Thanks for telling about it with a clear procedure to use it.Well Done
how can I disable multisite mode? My Google XML Sitemap plugin is incompatible with this feature. I have change the line to be
define(‘ALLOW MULTISITE’, false)
but the message of incompatibility is still exist
please help me..
Let me to write a Quick post for you to resolve this issue.
Update:-
Please read post on How to disable Multi Site Option in Wordpress 3.0
I’ve heard a lot about this new feature of Wordpress 3.0 but still don’t know how it works. This great tutorial clarifies it for me and this will be very helpful as I want to create a site for multi-users. Thanks very much, Imran.
Multi blog feature is attractive but still have various issues like compatibility with different languages. Lets wait for some future release that will address these issues.
Hi,
This is a really helpful article, as multi-site is not an obviously enabled feature of Wordpress 3.0.
I’ve written an article that goes into more depth about the .htaccess file and wp-config.php. You may find it helpful: http://catn.com/2010/08/09/enabling-wordpress-3-0-multi-site/
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