AWS Lightsail WordPress multisite setup

Setting up a WordPress multisite on AWS Lightsail involves a few additional steps compared to a regular WordPress installation. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you with the process:

Step 1: Launch an AWS Lightsail instance

• Sign in to the AWS Lightsail console at https://lightsail.aws.amazon.com/.
• Click on «Create instance» and choose the WordPress blueprint.
• Configure your instance settings and launch the instance.

Step 2: Connect to your instance

• Once the instance is running, connect to it using SSH. You can do this through the browser-based SSH client provided by Lightsail.

Step 3: Configure WordPress for multisite

• In the SSH terminal, navigate to the WordPress installation directory:

cd /var/www/html/

• Open the wp-config.php file using a text editor:

sudo nano wp-config.php

• Add the following lines just above the line that says /* That's it, stop editing! Happy blogging. /: / Multisite */

define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);

• Save the changes and close the text editor.

Step 4: Set up multisite network

• In the SSH terminal, go to the WordPress admin panel by accessing your instance's public IP address or domain name in a web browser.
• Go to «Tools» -> «Network Setup» in the WordPress dashboard.
• Choose the type of multisite setup you want (subdomains or subdirectories) and enter the network details.
• Follow the instructions provided by WordPress to update your wp-config.php and .htaccess files.

Step 5: Update DNS settings

• If you chose the subdomains option in the previous step, you’ll need to set up wildcard DNS records to point to your Lightsail instance’s IP address.
• Log in to your domain registrar or DNS provider and add a wildcard DNS record (e.g., *.example.com) that points to your instance’s IP address.

Step 6: Complete the setup

• Log in to your WordPress admin panel again, and you’ll now see the new «My Sites» menu.
• You can create new sites, manage existing ones, and customize the network settings from this menu.

That’s it! You’ve successfully set up a WordPress multisite on AWS Lightsail. You can now create and manage multiple WordPress sites within your network.