Performing backups and migrations with basic WordPress sites are pretty straightforward nowadays. There are thousands of step-by-step tutorials on the web and plugins which automate the entire process, making it quick and painless.
However, when it comes to a WordPress multisite setup, tasks such as backups and migrations are a little more complex.
This is primarily due to the fact that multisite setups share the same WordPress database and installation. Therefore, unless you’re migrating or backing up the entire multisite, you have to segment the job down to the subsite level.
Or worse, maybe you’re wanting to turn a subsite back into a normal WordPress install.
Today we’ll share with you a few WordPress multisite plugins we recommend.
Ready? Let’s dive in!
Backing up and migrating a multisite network is complicated by a few factors:
Backing up and migrating the entire network is the same as backing up and migrating a single site: the process is no different. But backing up and migrating subsites within the network is made even more complicated because the way files and data for the subsites are stored isn’t exactly straightforward:
So is backing up and migrating subsites into and out of a multisite network impossible? Of course it isn’t! There are a number of premium plugins you can use to do it and some free methods.
In this article, we’ll show you all of those so you can backup and migrate your subsites yourself.
Before getting into the detail of using a plugin to backup or migrate subsites run your network, you need to know how plugins work in WordPress multisite.
Each plugin is only installed once on your network, and only the network administrator can do this.
To install a plugin, go to Network Admin > Plugins > Add New, and install the plugin exactly as you would if you were managing a normal site.
Installing a plugin in Multisite
The difference is in how . Plugins can either be network activated, so they’re active on every single site in the network, or they can be activated for individual sites.
Only the network admin can network activate a plugin. Site admins can activate individual plugins on their own site, but only if the network admin has given permission for this.
As a network admin, to edit plugin activation permissions, go to Network Admin > Network Settings. Scroll right down to the bottom of the screen and either check or uncheck the Plugins box next to Enable administration menus.
Enable plugins for site admins
If plugins are activated for site admins, they can go to the Plugins screen in their admin and activate any plugins they need. You can only turn this off for all plugins, not for a select few (unlike themes).
If you want a plugin to be activated for every single site in the network, then you need to activate it from the network admin screens.
Go to Network Admin > Plugins. Find the plugin you want to activate and click the Network Activate link.
Network activating a plugin
Migration and backup plugins/u>, which generally work at a network level and not a site level, are perfect examples of plugins that need to be activated for the whole network, as their function applies to the network and not to individual sites.
To network deactivate a plugin, simply click the Network Deactivate link where the Network Activate link was. This is only available if you activated the plugin for the whole network. If the plugin was activated for individual sites, either the network admin or the site admin can deactivate it for each site, from within the site admin screens for that site.
There are some plugins that will help you manage your multisite network and work with it more efficiently. They will sometimes give you information that will make the process of backing up or migrating your subsites easier.
Note that all of these plugins need to be network activated because they work at a network level.
Multisite Enhancements WordPress plugin
The Multisite Enhancements plugin gives you more information about your multisite network and more tools to work with. A particularly useful feature is the ability to see which plugins or themes are active on which site in the network.
This means that if you want to backup or migrate an individual site, you’ll know which plugins and themes are activated on it. It’s also useful for testing – if a plugin causes problems on one site in your network, you know which other sites you need to test.
Multisite enhancements – plugins screen
Multisite Toolbar Additions WordPress plugin
The Multisite Toolbar Additions plugin adds some quick shortcuts to the WordPress toolbar for network admins.
This can save time if you need to do things like manage plugins and themes and configure settings without going through lots of clicks.
Extra toolbar items
User Switching WordPress plugin
The User Switching plugin isn’t just for multisite but it’s particularly useful on multisite networks as they have more user roles. If you manage a network and want to troubleshoot a problem one of your site administrators is experiencing, it lets you access the network as if you were using their login.
User Switchig – interface
Simply go to the Users screen, hover over a user and click the Switch To link. It can save a lot of time logging in and out again and lets you support your network users better.
WP Multi Network WordPress plugin
If you’ve ever wondered if it’s possible to create a multisite network within a multisite network, the WP Multi Network plugin has your answer.
When installed and network activated, it adds a My Networks menu to the admin menu and lets you turn any of the sites in your multisite network into a network all of its own, meaning you can have two layers of WordPress multisite.
It’s especially useful for businesses running a multisite network for departments or child companies, which are then able to create networks of their own.
Important
This plugin hasn’t been tested with the latest major releases. We strongly suggest to test it in a staging environment first.
Multisite Language Switcher WordPress plugin
If you use WordPress multisite to manage a network of sites in different languages, the Multisite Language Switcher plugin will make it easier.
It adds multilingual support to your entire network, including subdomains and subdirectories, and allows for translation of all content types including pages, posts, custom post types, and taxonomies.
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Backing up the entire network will be useful if you experience problems that affect the entire WordPress installation and not just an individual site. If you have lots of sites on your network, you don’t want to go through the process of restoring each one individually when restoring the entire network would have been easier.
If you’re planning on migrating individual sites in your network, it makes sense to back up the entire network first, in case of problems.
Backing up a WordPress multisite network isn’t all that different from backing up or migrating a normal WordPress installation.
If you’re with Atakdomain, our automated backups will give you the peace of mind of knowing that your entire network is being backed up automatically every day.
To access your backups in MyAtakdomain, go to Sites, click on your site, and then click Backups in the menu.
Backups in MyAtakdomain.
From here, you can access your most recent snapshot backups and restore your site from one of these. You can also run a manual backup, which is a good idea before you start migrating any sites into or out of your network.
If you prefer backing up your WordPress multisite network to an off-site location, we provide two convenient options.
If you aren’t with Atakdomain, you’ll need to set up backups using a backup plugin. Follow our guide to WordPress backup plugins to get this working.
Migrating or backing up individual subsites is different from migrating or backing up your entire Multisite network because you’ll only have to work with the data and files that apply to that specific site.
This means migrating or backing up the following:
This is a complex process, so if you want to do it with a plugin via the admin screens, you’ll have to pay for a premium plugin.
However, there are a few ways you can do a migration for free if you’re prepared to use the command line or to follow a longer process.
There are three methods you can use to migrate subsites for free. These are:
Note that these methods can’t be used for backups: you’ll have to use a premium plugin for that.
Let’s take a look at the first two!
To migrate a subsite manually, you’ll need to:
You can’t easily migrate user records this way and if you have lots of users on the subsite this method is not recommended.
Using a dedicated backup or migration plugin that’s compatible with multisite will speed up the process considerably. Here are the most suitable plugins for doing this.
The WP Migrate DB Pro plugin claims to help you ‘push/pull your WordPress site with ease’. If you combine it with the WP Migrate DB Pro Multisite Tools add-on, you can use it to migrate a subsite both into and out of a multisite network.
It lets you migrate a subsite in (almost) any permutation you might need:
The one thing it can’t do right now is migrating a subsite from one multisite network into another multisite network as a subsite. However, there is a workaround you can use.
So whether you have a subsite in your network that needs to be transferred to its own install, or you have an external site that you need to pull in as a new subsite, this plugin has your back.
The Duplicator Pro plugin is designed to help you duplicate and migrate WordPress sites, but it will also work with subsites of a multisite network.
There are five steps to using the plugin to migrate a subsite into a single site install:
The premium WPvivid Backup Pro plugin is another that’s compatible with multisite.
The plugin lets you back up or migrate sites using manual migration, automatic migration, or migration via remote storage. With the premium version, you can back up and migrate subsites in your multisite network.
Info
The free version of the WPvivid plugin is incompatible with Atakdomain hosting because it runs non-incremental backups.
The ManageWP plugin isn’t limited to backups and migrations. It includes a range of tools designed to help you manage your site and keep out up to date.
The premium version comes with tools to help you quickly migrate a WordPress site, including subsites in a multisite network. Both the free and premium versions include backup tools, but you’ll need the premium version to backup subsites individually.
When using ManageWP with subsites, you’ll need to be aware of the following caveats, which are detailed in the plugin documentation:
Once you’ve migrated a subsite into or out of a multisite network, you might need to do some clean-up.
If you’ve migrated the site out of your network and no longer need it, make sure to delete it from your sites.
Go to Network Admin > Sites and find the site you’ve migrated. Click the Delete link under the site’s name.