7 октября 2019
A website is easy enough to manage when a company has only one website. However, the business expands over time, and such websites can become many. It is not convenient to support and manage several websites at once, because you have to log in on every website, analyze the statistics, carry out the same actions, train the staff to work with CMS, etc. Bitrix has foreseen this problem and created the multisite feature that enables to create an unlimited number of websites using one copy of the product.
In this article, we will tell you in detail about the multisite technology of Bitrix: how it works, what are its limitations, and how it can be configured without the help of a programmer.
What the multisite feature is for
The multisite technology of Bitrix enables us to create many websites using one license, which means that you will not need another license of Bitrix to create a new website. All of the created websites will have different addresses and open parts, but one common administrator panel and database.
The multisite feature is an easy solution to the working hours’ issue and multiple websites issue that can be easily managed by one content editor.
Advantages
- If you set the end-to-end login configurations, the users will not have to register separately on each website.
- The content of all websites can be administered from one place.
- Unified security system. Security can be controlled from one place.
- The centralized display of the ads and banners on the websites.
- Analytics on each website.
Limitations
- All the websites have to be on one hosting and linked to one installation of Bitrix. Otherwise, you will have to acquire a separate license for each hosting.
- You cannot create more than two websites using the Start edition. The number of websites on the other editions is unlimited. The up-to-date information about the number of websites is published on the official website of Bitrix.
The multisite feature implies that the websites will have a common database, which is why all the websites have to be placed on the same hosting as the primary website.
How to Configure the Multisite Feature
There are two ways to configure the multisite feature:
1. On the same domain. In this case, the websites are placed on the subdomain of the primary domain. This option is optimal for a multi-language version of a website.
2. On several domains. This will do in the other cases when the websites have different domains but are on the same hosting.
Configuring on the same domain
If you configure the multisite feature for one domain, you need to create a folder in the root of the website that will be a separate itself. For example, /home/bitrix/ext_www/example.ru/ website is the primary website, and /home/bitrix/ext_www/example.ru/en/ is the additional English-version website.
After that, add the new website using Configurations / Product Configurations / Websites / List of Websites tab in the administrator panel of Bitrix.
Upon adding the new website, you need to set configurations, e.g.:
- ID: en
- Name: English version
- Domain name: empty
- Website folder: /en/
- Site name: Example
- Server URL: example.ru/en
- The path to the root folder of the web server for this site: empty
In this case, the second website is identified as en, but you can set any other identifier and name.
Do not fill in the website’s domain name and the path to the root folder, because they are only needed when configuring the multisite feature on various domains. The Website folder and Server URL fields are to be filled in as consistent with the primary website.
More detailed instruction on how to configure the multisite feature on one domain is available here.
Configuring on the same domain
The only difference between this approach and the previous one is that the websites are placed in separate categories of the server. For example: /home/bitrix/ext_www/site1.ru/ and /home/bitrix/ext_www/site2.ru/.
Those are two different websites with different addresses, but they have common /bitrix/, /upload/ and /local/ (if needed) folders. Because of that, you need to create symlinks in the directory of the new website to the abovementioned folders of the primary website (/home/bitrix/ext_www/site1.ru/).
After that, add the new website through Configurations / Product Configurations / Websites / List of Websites tab in the administrator panel of Bitrix.
Upon adding the new website, set configurations, e.g.:
- ID: s2
- Name: Site 2
- Domain name: site2.ru
- Website folder: /
- Site name: Example site 2
- Server URL: site2.ru
- The path to the root folder of the web server for this site: /home/bitrix/ext_www/site2.ru/
In this case, type / in the «Website folder» field, the current address of the new website in the «Server URL» field, and the path to the website folder on the hosting in the path to the root folder.
Such a way to configure the multisite feature is not simple, because you will need some experience of work with the server and configuring. Because of that, we recommend to use the configuring instruction or resort to a programmer’s assistance.
Multisite Feature for Websites 24
Websites 24 is a website builder that allows you to create and configure simple websites without any programming skills.
You can also use the multisite feature to create such websites. If necessary, you can use the multisite tool to configure its place on the website or a separate domain.
Conclusion
Therefore, we can deduce that the multisite feature makes the work with websites simpler in many ways and helps to avoid many problems. Websites’ management becomes centralized and does not require additional working hours.
The multisite feature will be useful for the branches of an organization or networks of the trade companies when the websites are many and require centralized management and any changes whatsoever. However, in such a case, you will have to make sure in advance that the resources of the hosting will be sufficient.
