This guide walks you through enabling WordPress Multisite on your HOSTDOG hosting account. You will modify wp-config.php, run the network setup wizard, update your .htaccess file, and create your first sub-site — using either subdomains or subdirectories.
Prerequisites
- A working WordPress installation on your HOSTDOG account (see How to install WordPress)
- Access to your hosting control panel and File Manager
- If using subdomains: a wildcard subdomain pointed to your hosting (create
*.yourdomain.comas an A record in DNS zone editor) - All plugins deactivated (reactivate them after network setup)
Enable the network feature
Open File Manager, navigate to your WordPress root folder, and edit wp-config.php. Add this line above the comment "That's all, stop editing!":
define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );Save the file.
Log in to your WordPress dashboard. Go to Tools → Network Setup. Choose between:
- Subdomains — each site gets its own subdomain (e.g.,
site1.yourdomain.com). Requires wildcard DNS. - Subdirectories — each site uses a path (e.g.,
yourdomain.com/site1). Only available if WordPress is installed in the root directory and the site is less than one month old.
Enter a network title and admin email. Click Install.
WordPress displays two blocks of code to add. Copy the first block into wp-config.php (above the "That's all" line) and the second block into your .htaccess file (replacing the existing WordPress rules). Both files are in your WordPress root directory.
.htaccess can make your site inaccessible.
After saving both files, log in again to WordPress. You now have a My Sites menu in the admin bar. Click Network Admin → Dashboard to manage the network. From here you can create new sites, install network-wide themes and plugins, and manage users across all sites.
Create a new sub-site
In the Network Admin dashboard, go to Sites → Add New. Enter the site address (subdomain or path), title, and admin email. Click Add Site. The new site is immediately available.
Troubleshooting
If using subdomains, verify the wildcard DNS record (*.yourdomain.com) is set up correctly. If using subdirectories, check that the .htaccess rewrite rules were updated as instructed in Step 3.
In a Multisite network, plugins must be Network Activated from the Network Admin dashboard, or individually activated per site by the site admin. Go to Network Admin → Plugins and click Network Activate for the plugins you want available across all sites.