WordPress Multisite Development
One network, many brands or regions. Shared design system, central governance, autonomy where it matters.
- Typically from
- $30,000
- Typical timeline
- 8 to 18 weeks
Multisite is the right architecture when many sites share a design system, a content model and a release cadence, and the wrong one when they only share a logo. Getting that call right at the start saves an expensive untangling two years later.
Where it fits, we build a network with a shared parent theme and a block library every site inherits, so a design change ships once rather than fourteen times. Governance is explicit: which roles exist at network level, what a site administrator may change, and what stays centrally controlled.
The operational detail is where these projects succeed or fail: a domain mapping strategy, per-site search and media isolation, a deployment pipeline that updates the network without taking every site down, and a plan for onboarding a new site that does not require an engineer.
What the engagement includes
Network architecture and governance
Role design, capability boundaries and what each site may and may not override.
Shared design system
A parent theme and block library inherited by every site, with controlled per-site theming.
Domain mapping and routing
Subdomains, subdirectories or mapped domains, with SSL and redirect handling.
Network deployment pipeline
Updates rolled across the network with staged verification rather than a simultaneous flip.
Site onboarding template
A repeatable provisioning flow so launching site fifteen does not need an engineer.
What you receive
Every engagement ends with artefacts you own, not a login to something we control.
- Network codebase and parent theme
- Governance and roles documentation
- Provisioning template for new sites
- Deployment pipeline configuration
- Administrator training for network operators
WordPress Multisite: common questions
Multisite or separate installs?
Multisite wins when sites genuinely share a design system, content model and release cadence. Separate installs win when teams need independent plugin sets, different release schedules or hard data separation. We make that call in discovery, before anything is built.
Can individual sites have their own look?
Yes, within the boundaries you set. Per-site theming through design tokens gives brands real differentiation while keeping the component library and the upgrade path shared.
How do updates work across the network?
Through a deployment pipeline with staged verification. Changes go to a representative subset first, get checked, then roll to the rest. Never a simultaneous network-wide flip.
Related services
Headless WordPress
WordPress as the editorial backend, Next.js or Nuxt on the front. For teams that need speed without retraining editors.
From $35,000Custom Theme Development
Hand-coded themes on modern PHP, Gutenberg blocks and ACF Pro. No Divi. No Elementor. No bloat.
From $5,000WordPress Maintenance
Staged updates, security hardening, tested backups and a named senior engineer on retainer.
From $750 / monthNeed wordpress multisite done properly?
Book a free 30-minute technical consultation. We will tell you what the work actually involves and what it should cost, whether or not you build it with us.