5+ Great WordPress Multisite Plugins for Powerful Networks
One of the many reasons for the popularity of WordPress is definitely its multisite feature. The platform allows you to create a network of separate websites in a single WordPress installation and manage them from one dashboard. Simply put, it means that you can effectively run all your websites from one place.
There are various types of multisite networks. You can set one up for an education establishment, a lifestyle magazine or an NGO, to name just a couple of common uses. And they all come with their own sets of requirements. That’s one of the reasons why there are so many WordPress multisite plugins out there. Some are created to help you with copying the content, others to simplify site administration – depending on the type of the multisite network you are running, you’ll find different plugins useful. That’s what inspired us to come up with this versatile list of multisite plugins that will certainly enable you to optimize the way you manage your multisite network:
If you need a plugin that will make sharing content between your sites a lot easier, you’ll find the WordPress Multisite Content Copier/Updater very useful. This plugin allows you to set up different templates for new sites so that all the sites you create have the same core content. But, it doesn’t mean that you are limited with this template and its content. Moreover, you can manually copy content parts from one site to another site in the network. The WordPress Multisite Content Copier is also very handy in case you’re running a network for one company and its multiple brands, some information will need to be included on all of the sites and this plugin will certainly make this process simple and easy.
Features that make WordPress Multisite Content Copier/Updater a great WordPress plugin:
- Copy/update posts and pages from one site to the other sites in your WordPress Multisite Network
- Bulk copy/update posts/pages from one site to the other sites
- Individual copy/update posts/pages from one site to the other sites
The NS Cloner – Site Copier plugin will save you a lot of time by cloning existing sites on your WordPress multisite network into a new site which will be completely identical to the original site in all aspects: theme & theme settings, plugins & plugin configurations, content, pictures, videos, and site settings. Everything on a new, cloned site will look and work just like it would if you set it up manually. The plugin comes in two versions: the core and pro. The core version works only with WordPress Multisite, while the pro (paid) version works for single sites too.
Features that make NS Cloner a great WordPress plugin:
- Copies an entire site in seconds
- Works in subdomain or subdirectory mode
- Copies all widgets, menus, and theme and plugin settings
- Copies all pages, posts, custom post types and taxonomies
- Copies all uploaded media files and associated data
Multisite Toolbar Additions is an easy to use, lightweight plugin that enables you to manage network-wide plugins, themes and settings. It is primarily made for SuperAdmins and Admins and adds very useful admin links to the toolbar in a multisite installation thus saving you a lot of time. For instance, it allows you to add a special section for new content, like on “regular” dashboards, except it’s only for the network admin, and includes special, network-specific items. It is good to know that the plugin is also fully WPML compatible and internationalized/translatable.
Features that make Multisite Toolbar Additions a great WordPress plugin:
- Network wide plugins
- Network wide themes (plus Theme Editor)
- Network settings, updates, plus site upgrade
- Special “+ New” (new content) section, like on site dashboards, but only for
- Network admin with Network specific items
The User Switching plugin allows administrators to switch and see the site as another user. As a multisite network SuperAdmin/Admin with this tool you will have a clear overview of different user roles, or if you are a multisite developer with many test sites you’ll find supervising all of them much easier with this plugin. Furthermore, if you run a site with multiple user levels, use multiple accounts for yourself or have a large number of users, this plugin will save you a lot of time and effort. Instead of logging in and out repeatedly and opening two browsers you can switch between accounts simply and easily without confusion. It is also very convenient that this plugin is compatible with: WooCommerce, BuddyPress, and bbPress. And you don’t need to worry about security, since passwords cannot be revealed and only users with the ability to edit other users can switch user accounts (administrators, super admins).
Features that make User Switching a great WordPress plugin:
- Switch user: Instantly switch to any user account from the Userscreen
- Switch back: Instantly switch back to your originating account
- Switch off: Log out of your account but retain the ability to instantly switch back in again
The clean and easy-to-use Multisite Language Switcher will add multilingual functionality to your WordPress Multisite network. With this plugin you can manage translations of pages, posts, tags, categories, custom post types, and custom taxonomies with no trouble. It allows you to switch between languages quickly, connect your translated posts and pages, tags and categories and use a widget, a Gutenberg Block or a shortcode. The plugin developers regularly update the language packs that come bundled with the plugin, which currently count at almost 30. And another great thing about this tool is that it is completely free.
Features that make Multisite Language Switcher a great WordPress plugin:
- Manage translations of posts, pages, custom post types, categories, tags and custom taxonomies with ease
- User-friendly, powerfull, easy to use
Multisite Enhancements is an extremely useful plugin that adds plenty of useful features to the network admin pages and provides admins with better control of their network. To list a few of its benefits, let’s mention that it enables the ‘Add New’ link under the Plugins menu for Network admins and lists the sites’ plugins activated in the network admin plugins screen. As for the theme enhancements, it allows you to see which themes are on which sites from your network admin themes screen. Furthermore, you can manage SEO and go straight to updates thanks to the special elements in the network admin menu bar. And where normally you can’t see ID of your sites easily, with this plugin you can view them in the network admin screen. And it is great to hear that this plugin is also free.
Features that make Multisite Enhancements a great WordPress plugin:
- Ability to see which sites are using which plugins
- Adds several useful items to the multisite ‘Network Admin’ admin bar
- Adds favicons from theme folder to each site for easier identification,
- Ability to see the URL and its status (eg. noindex) from the admin bar
Mapping domain names is not a simple task but if you have the Multiple Domain plugin it becomes a lot easier. The navigation under multiple domains will be much smoother, but bear in mind that this plugin does not support more than one theme or advanced customizations for each domain. The default WordPress behavior when you are dealing with more than one domain set in your host, is that all links and resources point to the default domain. But it is all different with Multiple Domain plugin as it updates all links quickly and easily.
Features that make Multiple Domain a great WordPress plugin:
- It is possible to set an optional base URL
- A language can be set for each domain
- End to end user navigation under the same domain
If you need a plugin that will enable you to quickly and easily log and view all emails sent from your entire multisite network, the Email Log plugin might be just the answer. This plugin is very practical for debugging email-related problems or storing sent emails for auditing purposes. As for advanced options, it allows you to resend emails and automatically forward emails. You can see the logged emails from the admin interface and filter them based on different criteria such as the date, subject etc. Furthermore, from the admin interface, you can delete all the emails in bulk or selectively.
Features that make Email Log a great WordPress plugin:
- Easily log and view all emails sent from WordPress
- Automatically forward emails
- Delete all the emails in bulk
In Conclusion
As you can see, with the right plugins, managing a multisite network doesn’t have to give you a massive headache, or make a hole in your budget. Nearly all of the plugins on our list are free, although many have premium plans as well. They meet various needs one SuperAdmin or Admin might have, from cloning websites, enhancing performance, managing domains, overviewing the emails, translating entire sites and a lot more. Not only can these plugins help you as a network Admin but they will also help your users, and make your network more powerful. Now choose the one that you find most useful and share your experience with us!
We hope this article was helpful. If you liked it, feel free to check out some of these articles as well!
