Multinational corporations need websites for multiple countries, languages, and brands. WordPress Multisite can manage all these from one platform. This deep dive covers architecture for large-scale deployments.

When to Use Multisite

Multisite makes sense when you have: multiple country sites with similar structure, need for centralized management, shared user base across sites, and consistent brand requirements.

Architecture Decisions

Subdomain vs Subdirectory

Subdomain (us.company.com, de.company.com) works better for distinct regional sites. Subdirectory (company.com/us/, company.com/de/) is simpler for closely related content.

Domain Mapping

For separate country domains (company.com, company.de, company.fr), use domain mapping. Each site appears independent while sharing one WordPress installation.

Server Architecture

Database Strategy

Multisite uses one database with prefixed tables per site. For large networks, consider: separate database servers, read replicas for performance, and regular table optimization.

File Storage

Media uploads are stored per-site in /wp-content/uploads/sites/. For global sites, use CDN with multiple edge locations. Consider S3 or similar for media storage.

Caching Complexity

Each site needs its own cache. Configure your caching solution (Varnish, Redis, plugins) to handle multiple domains correctly.

Content Architecture

Global vs Local Content

Some content is global (corporate news, product specs), some is local (regional promotions, local events). Plan how content flows between sites.

Translation Workflow

Options include: manual translation between sites, WPML with Multisite, or translation management integration.

Governance

Define clear roles: network administrators, site administrators, regional editors, global content managers. Document permissions and processes.

Performance Considerations

Large Multisite networks need: proper object caching, optimized autoload options, careful plugin selection (some do not work well with Multisite), and monitoring per-site.

Planning a Multisite deployment? Let us help architect your solution.