This article is current as of WordPress version 3.4.1.
Compared to standard WordPress, WordPress Multisite can be a learning curve when trying to add additional sites to your WordPress Multisite installation. This article will guide you through the ‘commonly used’ steps in creating a new site on your WordPress Multisite installation.
Please note: When you sign up for the WP Engine Professional package, Business package, or Premium package, you can select to have WordPress multisite enabled. (If you didn’t select this on signup, and want Multisite enabled, just contact our support team via our ticket system and we can enable it for you. If you selected it and it doesn’t appear to be working, please contact us and we can troubleshoot.)
This article will go through a scenario where you plan to use different domains or sub-domains for your subsites. This does not cover how to change the top level site’s domain name.
First, to add the site, proceed to the ‘network admin’ link when you login to your top level site. It is parked on the upper left hand corner under the drop down menu “My Sites”.
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When you end up in the network admin menu, go to the sites menu. When you select that screen you will see a listing of the sites you have on your multisite. You can select the add new option under the WordPress sites menu or select the add new link at the top.
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When you add the site, make sure to take note of the site’s site ID. You will need to know this information later.
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Once you have added the site, you will need to tell the WP Engine system the domain you intend to use with the site. To do this, you will have to login to the WP Engine Customer Portal. You can find the link under the WP Engine Menu in your WordPress Admin.
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In the Customer Portal, go to the link that is labeled Domains. You will go ahead and add a new domain.
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ALMOST DONE! Last, but not least, you will have to tell WordPress which site the domain is attached to. To do this, you will log back into the WordPress admin, back to the network admin menu. You can optionally install the WordPress MU Domain Mapping Plugin. You do not have to use this plugin, but if you choose to use a different one then the rest of this article may or may not apply.
In the network admin menu, go to the Settings menu and go to the domains link. You will see a menu asking you to add a site ID, and the domain name you will like to use. Remember the site ID I asked you to remember before? This is where you will use the site ID.
If the domain you are adding is the primary domain of the site, make sure to check the primary option. When you save your settings, it should look a little like the picture below.
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After you do this, you will need to clear the site cache from the WP Engine plugin. If you don’t, you may see some redirect errors on the site you just updated. In some rare instances, you may also need to clear your browser cache.
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The steps listed in this FAQ aren’t the exact order that you need to follow, but it is the process we follow whenever helping clients set up sites.