WP Multisite

Configure GrootMade for WP Multisite (network) installations.

Overview

WP Multisite lets you run multiple sites from one WP installation. GrootMade supports Multisite with special considerations.

Installation

Network-Wide Installation

Install the connector plugin network-wide:

Per-Site Installation

Alternatively, activate per-site for granular control.

Configuration

Network-Level Settings

Configure once for all sites:

1. Go to Network Admin → GrootMade
2. Enter your API key
3. Configure network-wide settings

Network Settings Options

Product Management

Network-Activated Products

Themes and plugins activated network-wide:

• Managed from Network Admin
• Update applies to all sites
• Settings may vary per site

Site-Activated Products

Products activated per-site:

• Each site controls their own
• Updates still centralized
• Individual site configurations

Auto-Updates

Network-Wide Updates

One update applies everywhere:

Network Admin triggers update
    ↓
Plugin/theme files updated
    ↓
All sites receive update simultaneously

Staged Rollouts

For large networks, stage updates:

1. Update on test site first
2. Monitor for issues
3. Roll out to remaining sites
4. Have rollback ready

Site-Specific Configuration

Override Network Settings

Individual sites can override:

• Update schedule
• Notification preferences
• Enabled products

Access Control

Control which subsites can:

• Download new products
• Modify settings
• Trigger updates

Subdomain vs Subdirectory

Both configurations supported:

Subdomain

site1.example.com
site2.example.com

Subdirectory

example.com/site1
example.com/site2

No configuration differences required.

Domain Mapping

If using domain mapping:

1. Configure primary domain in GrootMade
2. Mapped domains work automatically
3. SSL must be valid on all domains

Common Scenarios

Agency Network

Multiple client sites on one network:

• Network-wide base plugins (security, backup)
• Per-site theme activation
• Separate collections per client type
• Centralized billing, distributed management

Franchise/Multi-Location

Same brand, multiple locations:

• Identical plugins across all sites
• Shared theme with per-site customization
• Synchronized updates
• Centralized control

SaaS/Membership Platform

User-generated sites:

• Core functionality network-activated
• Premium features per-site
• Tiered access to products
• Usage-based licensing

Performance Considerations

Large Networks

For 100+ sites:

• Use WP-CLI for bulk operations
• Schedule updates during low-traffic
• Consider dedicated update server
• Monitor server resources

Caching

Network caching considerations:

• Object cache recommended
• Page cache per-site
• Clear cache after updates

Troubleshooting

"Plugin already exists" Error

In Multisite, plugins exist once but can be activated multiple ways. If seeing conflicts:

1. Check Network Admin activated plugins
2. Check individual site activations
3. Resolve duplicate activations

Updates Not Applying

Check:

• Network Admin permissions
• WP-Cron status (network-level)
• File permissions on shared files
• Any object caching conflicts

Different Versions Showing

If sites show different versions:

• Clear object cache
• Verify all sites pointing to same files
• Check for symlink issues
• Review any custom wp-content structures

API Considerations

Network Requests

API calls include network context:

{
  "site_url": "https://site1.example.com",
  "network_url": "https://example.com",
  "is_multisite": true,
  "blog_id": 2
}

Webhooks

Configure webhooks at network level to receive events from all sites.

Billing

Multisite networks count as:

The entire network counts as one "connected site" for billing purposes.