![\"Infographic](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/A-WordPress-Multisite-Network.png\")
In this post, I\u2019ll show you how to get domain mapping up and running on the latest version of WordPress Multisite. I’ll cover how to do it with a traditional shared hosting account (using cPanel), and\u00a0a managed WordPress hosting (WPMU DEV Hosting<\/a>). And yes, you need not\u00a0use a plugin anymore (more on that later).<\/p>\n We’ll cover:<\/p>\n By default, a WordPress Multisite network with a top-level domain (e.g. network.com<\/em>) assigns all the subsites as either:<\/p>\n When you\u2019re first activating a Multisite network, you can select if your subsites will use sub-domains or sub-directories. Please make a note that you cannot change this later.<\/p>\n Now, having a sub-domain or sub-directory URL is acceptable for most<\/em> use cases.<\/p>\n But what if you\u2019re managing distinct sites as part of a single Multisite installation? It\u2019s ideal to give each site a unique, custom domain of their own (e.g. domain1.com<\/em>, domain2.com<\/em>).<\/p>\n WordPress Multisite Domain Mapping assigns the network’s subsites a specific, unique domain name.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Gone are the days of using a plugin for domain mapping a WordPress Multisite.<\/p>\n WordPress 4.5\u00a0<\/strong>introduced domain mapping as a native feature. So, you don\u2019t have to use any third-party plugin anymore.<\/p>\n Since this is a new functionality, most domain mapping tutorials you’ll find on the web are no longer up to date. They’re based on using plugins like\u00a0our very own Domain Mapping<\/a> (now retired).<\/p>\n You can ignore all those tutorials. This guide is the only method you should use from 2019 onward. And as always, please take a complete backup of your site<\/a> before you make any changes.<\/p>\n Have the dashboards of your hosting account, domain\u00a0registrar, and WordPress Multisite open and ready.<\/p>\n Now, let\u2019s get mapping!<\/p>\n To get started, have a WordPress Multisite Network up and running, ideally with one or more subsites. Since this guide is about domain mapping WordPress, I won\u2019t go into finer details of how to set up a Multisite.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a basic overview of the Multisite network and subsites creation process:<\/p>\n You can refer to our Ultimate Guide to WordPress Multisite<\/a> for a detailed step-by-step process.<\/p>\n If your site is on WPMU DEV Hosting<\/a>, you can do this with just a single click. And it takes a full backup of your site automatically before starting the process, so in case you want to reset and restart<\/a>, you\u2019re covered there too.<\/p>\n Note:\u00a0<\/strong>Before domain mapping WordPress, make sure that your Multisite network is running perfectly. Also ensure that subsites creation works on your network with no\u00a0issues.<\/p>\n First, you need to make sure that your custom domain name points to your hosting server.<\/p>\n If you have different\u00a0domain and hosting accounts (which you really\u00a0should<\/a>), you’d have to repeat the steps to set up your network\u2019s main domain name (i.e. the primary domain on which you’ve installed WordPress).<\/p>\n If you bought a combo domain-hosting package, your hosting provider will have\u00a0taken care of this process for you in the beginning.<\/p>\n In either case, you need to configure your custom domain\u2019s DNS records manually. I can\u2019t give you a single catch-all process, since the exact method will depend on which domain registrar and hosting provider you use.<\/p>\n Here are official guides on how to edit DNS records on a few popular domain registrars (and make sure to check out our Ultimate Guide To DNS For WordPress<\/a>):<\/p>\n Note:<\/em> We now also offer DNS management<\/a> for WPMU DEV hosted sites (and we’ve fine-tuned it for Multisite!)<\/p>\n Depending on what kind of hosting account you have, you\u2019ll either have to add and\/or edit one or all these records.<\/p>\n For an in-depth guide, there\u2019s no better resource than our DNS & Domain Management docs<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Usually, it takes less than an hour to update your DNS records. Yet, in some rare cases, it may take up to 48 hours for them to propagate. Why? Well, only the DNS gods would know!<\/p>\n If you have many subsites you want to map to their own custom domains, you need to update all their DNS records right away. This way, you don\u2019t have to wait again later.<\/p>\n You can use DNS lookup services such as DNS Checker<\/a> or MxToolbox<\/a> to make sure that your domain\u2019s new DNS records have propagated successfully (tip: you only need to check for the records you\u2019ve updated).<\/p>\n If you\u2019re using WPMU DEV Hosting, you don\u2019t have to bother with third-party DNS lookup services. After you finish Step 3<\/em>, our system will automatically perform a regular check. If your custom domain\u2019s DNS records resolve to your hosting account, we’ll notify you via email.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re done with Step 2, regardless of whether your domain\u2019s DNS records have propagated, you can move ahead to the next step.<\/p>\n Next, you need to add this custom domain to your hosting server on which you’ve installed your main network site.<\/p>\n The exact method to do this depends on where you\u2019re hosting your network site, so I\u2019ll consider two common scenarios:<\/p>\n Go to your hosting account\u2019s cPanel dashboard. Here, look for an option called Alias<\/em> or Parked Domains<\/em> under the Domains <\/em>section.<\/p>\n Domain Aliases<\/em> (or Parked Domains<\/em>) let you access your website from different domain names. For example, you can make www.domain.org<\/em> and www.domain.edu<\/em> show content from www.domain.com<\/em>. For more details, head to\u00a0cPanel\u00a0docs<\/a>.<\/p>\n In my example, I\u2019ll use the Alias<\/em> option. Your cPanel dashboard may instead have the Parked Domains<\/em> option. They both refer to the same thing. Click it to get started.<\/p>\n Create a New Alias<\/em> by entering your subsite\u2019s custom domain name and hitting the Add Domain <\/em>button.<\/p>\n Some web hosts automatically set up a redirection for any domain alias. You can confirm this by looking at the Redirects To<\/em> column. In my case, there wasn’t any redirection set.<\/p>\n If it sets a redirection, click Manage Redirection<\/em> link on the right, and then select Disable Redirection<\/em>.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve now added your subsite\u2019s custom domain to your hosting account.<\/p>\n Adding your subsite\u2019s domain is a breeze on WPMU DEV Hosting.<\/p>\n Go to the Domains<\/em> tab in your Hosting<\/em> dashboard and then click on the blue Add Domain<\/em> button.<\/p>\n Enter your subsite\u2019s custom domain name in the popup. I recommend you to tick the Also use www.your-domain.com<\/em> checkbox here. And then hit the Add Domain<\/em> button.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve added the subsite\u2019s custom domain, our system will automatically check whether its DNS records resolve to\u00a0your hosting server’s IP address. If it fails, it\u2019ll try again after a few minutes. This will continue until it\u2019s successful.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re impatient though, you can click the Recheck DNS <\/em>link to trigger the check manually.<\/p>\n Look out for a green tick in the DNS Status<\/em> column to confirm the successful propagation of your custom domain\u2019s DNS records.<\/p>\n One of the many advantages of WPMU DEV Hosting is automatic SSL certificates for all added domains. The minute our hosting system sees that your domain\u2019s DNS records resolve towards us, it\u2019ll automatically install a free SSL certificate for that domain. No more dabbling with SSH or clunky web apps from the 2000s!<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also get an email once it\u2019s all done. When we say fully managed<\/em>, we mean it!<\/p>\n When you add a subsite to your WordPress Multisite network, you need to give it a sub-domain or sub-directory name (depending on your network\u2019s settings). This is what we need to map.<\/p>\n In the example below, we have a Multisite network (wpdemo.wpmudev.host<\/em>)\u00a0with subsites assigned as sub-directories (<\/span>alpha<\/em>, beta<\/em>, charlie)<\/em>.<\/p>\n Go to your Sites<\/em> panel in your Network Admin<\/em> dashboard. Here, hover over the subsite whose domain you want to map. Click on the Edit<\/em> button.<\/p>\n Enter the custom domain you want to map in its Site Address (URL)<\/em> field. Then, hit the blue Save Changes<\/em> button.<\/p>\n Now, your WordPress Multisite network considers that this subsite is at its custom domain (i.e. domain1.com<\/em>), rather than its default URL with the\u00a0sub-directory extension.<\/p>\n This completes mapping the custom domain to your subsite.<\/p>\n When you visit the custom domain in your browser, it’ll lead to the subsite it’s mapped to.<\/p>\n Note:<\/strong> You cannot map the domain name of your main installation (i.e. network.com<\/em>) from here. You can instead redirect it to another domain directly from its domain\/hosting settings.<\/p>\n If you have over one subsite on your Multisite network, and you want to have them all running on their own custom domain, you need to repeat Steps 2, 3 & 4. It\u2019s that simple!<\/p>\n It\u2019s crucial that you install SSL certificates for your primary network domain and all your mapped domains. Not only is it essential for your Multisite network\u2019s security, it also helps immensely with SEO. Google ranks SSL-certified websites higher in their search results.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re using WPMU DEV Hosting, we install\u00a0SSL certificates\u00a0for all the domains you add to your account. But most basic shared hosting setups don\u2019t support installing many SSL certificates for several domains on the same account.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a relevant thread in our forums<\/a> discussing the same. You need to get in touch with your hosting provider. Tell them you have a Multisite network setup with unique domains mapped for each subsite, and you want to have SSL certificates installed for all these mapped domains. A reliable host will definitely help you with this.<\/p>\n Want expert help? You can always rely on our 24\/7 live support team. Start a risk-free<\/a> membership today!<\/p>\n One of the most common issues faced by WordPress Multisite network admins is not being able to login to their subsites. You\u2019ll most probably face an error about blocked cookies. Rarely, you may even fail logging in with no error message at all.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an easy fix. Open your wp-config.php<\/em> file and add the below code after the line you added to create the network.<\/p>\n If this still doesn\u2019t fix it, you need to get in touch with your hosting provider\u2019s support staff.<\/p>\n\n
What is Domain Mapping?<\/h2>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/WordPress-Multisite-Network-Subdomains-Subdirectory-Domain-Mapping.png\")
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![\"WordPress](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Choose-Sub-Domains-or-Sub-Directories-Multisite-Network-Setup.png\")
<\/p>\nUses of WordPress Domain Mapping<\/h2>\n
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Say Goodbye to Domain Mapping Plugins<\/h2>\n
An Overview of WordPress Domain Mapping<\/h2>\n
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Step 1: Install a WordPress Multisite Network<\/h3>\n
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Step 2: Configure DNS Records (Nameservers) for the Custom Domain<\/h3>\n
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![\"The](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/DNS-Management-GoDaddy.png\")
![\"Google](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Google-Domains-DNS-Settings-Panel.png\")
\n
![\"WPMU](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/WPMU-DEV-Hosting-DNS-Records.png\")
![\"Bluehost](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Dreamhost-Nameservers-Shared-Hosting-Setup.png\")
Step 3: Add the Custom Domain to Your Hosting Account<\/h3>\n
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Adding a Domain Alias with cPanel<\/h4>\n
![\"cPanel](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/cPanel-Alias-Parked-Domains-Editor.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Screen](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Create-a-New-Alias-cPanel-Dashboard-Parked-Domain.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Confirm](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Confirm-Redirection-ofAlias-or-Parked-Domain.png\")
<\/p>\nAdding a Domain with WPMU DEV Hosting<\/h4>\n
![\"Adding](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Add-Domain-WPMU-DEV-Hosting.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Add](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Enter-Your-Subsites-Custom-Domain-Name-Here.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"WPMU](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/WPMU-DEV-Hosting-DNS-Status-Auto-check-System-SSL-Installation-Too.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"WPMU](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Added-Domain-Name-Subsite-Resolved.png\")
<\/p>\nStep 4: Map a Network Subsite to its Custom Domain<\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/WordPress-Multisite-Network-Subsite-Default-URL.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Clicking](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Click-Edit-Subsite-URL-in-Your-Network.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Edit](\"https:\/\/wpmu-dev.pro\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Enter-Custom-Domain-Name-Subsite-for-Multisite-Network-WordPress.png\")
<\/p>\nStep 5: Repeat the Process for More Subsites<\/h3>\n
Adding SSL Certificates for Your Mapped Domain<\/h2>\n
Fixing Network Subsite Login Error<\/h2>\n
define('COOKIE_DOMAIN', $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']);<\/code><\/p>\nWordPress Mapping, So You Don’t Get Lost<\/h2>\n