How to setup Wordpress MU with Top Level Domain Names on a Shared Host
This tutorial will guide you through setting up WPMU on a shared host like godaddy.com. After you set this up properly, you will be able to run unlimited websites on your host, each with a different domain name and website theme. This will save you money because you can use the cheapest hosting, which usually does not allow for parking domains into separate folders. It also allows you to create a large community just like wordpress.com where you control all the plugins and themes.
If you are going to work with this example, please use Opendls.com, my hosting website. All the examples will be from that host. Hosting is only $3.99/month.
Prequisites:
Linux Hosting Account. Wordpress will run on Window hosting account, but in the past I have had trouble with setting up PHP in a windows environment. I think you have to use IIS7 in order to install php on your host, but then you loose frontpage extensions… Not that you need frontpage extension… My point is just use lInux, much easier. Also when you set up the hosting account make sure you are using PHP 5.0
Database is set up and you know the location, username, password, and database name. Most shared hosting accounts come with Mysql, and allow for around 10 databases. You should be familiar with PHPMyAdmin (database manager)
we will assume that the host is set up with domain name aaa.com.
we will be adding bbb.com
Steps:
- Go get Wordpress MU
- Unzip WPMU onto your computer and then upload to the host. The folder structure is much like normal Wordpress site.
- Once it is all uploaded go to your domain name. You should see this
- Read this page and then enter you database username, password, location, etc… There are additional README’s on this page, but you should not need to read them. Your host should be set up already.
- Click install and if everything went well, you should see a congrats page with a link to admin section or link to homepage. You will also see the username and password for the website. The username will be admin and the password will be random. If you miss it, check your email. It will get emailed to you.
Now that WPMU is set up, we need to set up some domains to use. Get the IP of the host your website is running on, this can be found by either going to your hosting manager control panel or pinging your website domain name. From windows desktop go to Start > Run > Type cmd, then in the command window type “ping yourdomain.com” you will see your IP number.
To point a second domain to your host, go to the domain manager and set the “A record” for the domain. Click on edit, then update the IP number.
After you set the “A record” it will take an hour or 2 to properly point to your host. While you are waiting, go to your hosting manager and add the second domain name to your hosting. 
Go to hosting manager > Settings > Domain Management. Add a new domain name. Make sure that the second domain name points to the root folder of the host. For economy hosting, the root is the only option. Click save and now you can wait until all DNS is working properly. You can go to you browser and type the second domain name. When the DNS is set up, you will see the first domain name… meaning the second is set up, but the host does not know what to do with the second domain name. This is where WPMU comes into play.
Go to the admin section of the wordpress MU install. it is located at aaa.com/wp-admin
then go to “site admin” located on the right side of the page. You will notice that “site admin” is new and only on WPMU. You can select available themes, and other site specific settings in “site admin”. Once in Site admin, go to “blogs” and add a new blog. Normal WPMU is set up for subdomains, but we are going to use Top Level Domains (TLD) for our websites. So, for the new blog, you can use any subdomain name you want. For this example just use “test” so, then enter a title (optional) and your email address.
once the subdomain name is made, you need to go into the database and update the wp-options table and change the domain name from the subdomain name to the second domain name you set earlier. There are 3 rows that need to be changed.
WPMU is different then single user in that the table prefix is wp_‹blog_id›_options. On normal wordpress is is just wp_options. So if you have only made 2 websites, go to wp_2_options table to change the submdomain to the TLD.
The 3 rows are where the site_option is:
siteurl - this will be the subdomain, change to “http://bbb.com”- home - again, change to “http://bbb.com”
- fileupload_url - change to “http://bbb.com/files”
then go to wp_site table and add the new domain name. ID is auto-incrementing, so you only have to insert the new domain name in domain, and add “/” to the path. Click save and you will see that your new domain name is now id = 2.
go to wp_blogs and update the subdomain. set the site_id = 2 (should be 1) and change the domain name from the subdomain to “bbb.com”.
That is it, now go to bbb.com in your browser and you should see your new bbb.com website. You can set different themes for each website, and they are all seperated from each other. There is a special plugin folder called “mu-plugins” where you can add plugins that handle site wide functions. In that folder you can add scripts to automatically change all the database settings so you only have to enter the new domain name, and it magically make TLD and bypasses the entire subdomain set up.
If you need any support to install WPMU on a shared host, feel free to contact me, I can get it set up quickly.
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19 Responses to How to setup Wordpress MU with Top Level Domain Names on a Shared Host
Is there a way to set up a WP MU on Go Daddy so that it works with subdomains lije blog1.domain.com, blog2.domain.com, Blog3… etc?
admin
IN order for subdomains to work with wordpress you need to set a wildcard serveralias in the domain virtual host file(httpd.com for apache). You do not have access to this file if hosted on godaddy, but you might want to try to call godaddy support and see if they will add the entry to the httpd.conf file.
and example of ServerAlias would be:
ServerAlias http://www.domain.com *.domain.com
*.domain.com is the wildcard and allows for apache to direct traffic accordingly. You can also add many server aliases for different domains, example
ServerAlias *.domain.com http://www.domain.com *.domain2.com http://www.domain2.com
what is cool about multiple domains and WPMU is that each new domain can have subdomains in one wordpress install, so you can have one WPMU install to handle all TLD and subdomains
johndoe
Hi,
Are your instructions for a subdirectory based install of WordPress MU ?
I’m trying to redirect a domain name to a single blog in WordPressMU but most of the solutions and instructions on the net are for subdomain based installs.
If this is based on a subdirectory install of WorkPress MU then that would be great.
thanks
admin
@johndoe, Yes, these instructions are based on WPMU install with subdomains. This post should be exactly what you are looking for. Let me know what part you need help with.
I also just released a new website that is built with WPMU and creates both TLD domains and subdomains. If you have an extra domain name you can try it out at http://moneyhomepages.com
johndoe
Hi,
Our WordPress MU install is not subdomain but subdirectory based intalled.
ie:
myuniversity.edu.au\blog1
myuniversity.edu.au\blog2
etc.
I wanted to point a Domain name to one of the blogs.
So I persume these instructions don’t apply to us.
admin
Oh, I see…
I have never installed WPMU as subfolder.
I would imagine that the wp_blogs and wp_site would be very similar.
johndoe
I tried these instructions anyway.
As soon as I enter a second site in the wp_site table. I can’t connect to the WordPressMU website.
The error says:
“No WPMU site defined on this host. If you are the owner of this site, please check Debugging WPMU for further assistance.”
If I edit the database and remove the second entry in the wp_site table WordpressMU starts to work again.
I’m out of luck then.
admin
I have received that error also for subdomains… I’ll look into it. I think it can be done. When I was learning how to do it I got a lot of obscure errors.
I would like to add buddypress to my fitness website. I already have wordpress installed on my server. If I only intend on using subdirectories do I still need to install wordpress MU to accomplish this?
admin
Clinton, I have never worked with buddypress, but from what I understand, buddypress is WPMU. You might have the older buddypress plugin.
Subdomains can separate a server to host multiple websites, each of which can be a separate single user WP install. Make sure you make each subdomain points to a separate folder with wordpress on the server, and each WP install will need a database. Many basic hosting will only allow for 10 mysql databases so that will be a limiting factor unless you designate wp1_ wp2_ as the table prefix.
Since Buddypress is now built on WPMU, you might be able to install BP and us the builting subdomain feature for that.
Clinton Walker III
Is there anyone that I may contact to pay to install buddy press for me.
admin
I can put you in touch with someone. They will contact you shortly
You don’t even have to edit those fields in the database. Go to Site Admin -> Blogs, then Edit the blog in question. Same info, less messing around.
And yes it works in a subdirectory install as well.
I’m aware there’s plugins for this too, but funnily enough just editing these fields and pointing the domain to the MU install works as well.
And can I point out BuddyPress is a *plugin* for WordpressMU. Not single-user wordpress.
You need WPMU installed first, then BuddyPress added. It will not work on single WP and never did.
admin
Thanks Andrea_R…good stuff. You make it sounds so easy. I Guess I’m use to working with the database. I wrote function file in mu-plugins directory that does it all when new blog is created… there are about 3 update_options, and then an insert for site info…but other then that it is amazingly simple.
Install WPMU with Controlpanel 11 is easy. Try this …
If your hosting work with subdomain unlimited and Control Panel 11 your hosting is ready and no need anything again to install WPMU.
Try this:
from Controlpanel 11 create subdomain * (This is asterix, your subdomain like *.yourdomain.com)
Install WPMU and create database.
Chmod public_html and wpcontent and .htaccess to 777
continue install WPMU.
Finish.
WPMU work 100%. Try my test page (only for test) at http://iklani.co.cc
admin
This was written for people on shared hosting that do not have access to full host control. For example, godaddy does not allow you to make a wildcard subdomain.
Hi Friends,
I have Deluxe hosting plan in Godaddy server.
I have following scenario for installation of WordPress Mu.
1.I have domain http://www.mysite.com installed, which is alias to ROOT_FOLDER/
2.Also, I have installed Wordpress Mu to ROOT_FOLDER/blog so my blog link is http://www.mysite.com/blog
3.Installation and all went fine and it’s working with admin access.
4.But it’s NOT working when I try to create new blog and new user. It’s showing FILE NOT FOUND …Could you please help me to fix.
I found lots of blog is talking about this issue but without solution…
Raj
admin
Rajesh, do you have the wildcard DNS set up for your main domain name?
in godaddy’s control panel, go to total DNS control and make sure you add an “A” record with a *. It will look like *.mysite.com. Do not delete the 1st record with the @. you can chack to see if it is working by pinging your domain name with different subdomains… for example, ping asdsa.mysite.com will ping back. WPMU will handle it after that.
Let me know if that is it, good luck
