Configuring a WordPress Subdomain Multisite on Windows Localhost

By / Tech Tips

The following explains how to install and configure a subdomain-based multisite on a local Windows machine. Note that Linux and MacOS would be very similar although the paths to files are a bit different.

Example

In this example we will be installing a multisite to be hosted on localhost with XAMPP using an alias of ‘ms-subdom.loc’, with three subsites in total: ms-subdom.loc, one.ms-subdom.loc and two.ms-subdom.loc. In the example, XAMPP is installed to c:\xampp.

Substitute values of your own directories and subdomains.

  1. Add the following to c:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts: 127.0.0.1 ms-subdom.loc 127.0.0.1 one.ms-subdom.loc 127.0.0.1 two.ms-subdom.loc
  2. Add the following to c:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\httpd.vhosts.conf <VirtualHost *:80> DocumentRoot "D:/webroot/ms-subdom.loc" ServerName ms-subdom.loc </VirtualHost> <VirtualHost *:80> DocumentRoot "D:/webroot/ms-subdom.loc" ServerName one.ms-subdom.loc </VirtualHost> <VirtualHost *:80> DocumentRoot "D:/webroot/ms-subdom.loc" ServerName two.ms-subdom.loc </VirtualHost>
  3. Install WordPress (browse to http://ms-subdom.loc when installing)
  4. Convert the site just installed to a multisite as explained here.
  5. Login to http://ms-subdom.loc/wp-admin using the Network Admin user
  6. Go to My Sites > Network Admin > Sites and add sites one-ms-subdom.loc and two.ms-subdom.loc

After performing the above steps, you should be able to properly access http://ms-subdom.loc, http://two.mssubdom.loc and http://three.mssubdom.loc.

About The Author

I founded and operated the WordPress plugin business "Snap Creek Software", which created popular plugins Duplicator and Duplicator Pro. These products were recently sold to Awesome Motive. Prior to that endeavor, I worked as a corporate software developer, implementing solutions using C#, ASP.NET, embedded systems, SQL, and a variety of other technologies. I have a real passion for technology solutions so since selling Snap Creek, I've been developing software for and offering consulting services to businesses to assist them with challenges they are experiencing. If you would like to contact my about my services, or anything else, click on the "Contact Robert" link at the top of the page.