Multiple Site Hosting

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Concrete CMS version 9 introduces Multiple Site Hosting, enabling the management of multiple websites from a single installation. This feature streamlines administration and ensures consistency across various sites.

Benefits of Multiple Site Hosting

  • Centralized Control: Manage all sites through a unified dashboard, simplifying content updates and user management.
  • Site-Specific Customization: Assign unique themes and content structures to each site, maintaining individual brand identities.
  • Shared Resources: Utilize common themes and blocks across sites, promoting design consistency and reducing redundancy.
  • Efficient User Management: Implement unified user accounts with role-based access control tailored to each site.
  • Scalability: Easily add new sites as your organization grows without significant performance impacts.

Setting Up Multiple Site Hosting

  1. Enable Advanced Permissions:
    • Navigate to Dashboard > System & Settings > Permissions & Access > Advanced Permissions.
    • Click Enable Advanced Permissions.
  2. Configure Canonical URL:
    • Go to Dashboard > System & Settings > SEO & Statistics > URLs and Redirection.
    • Set the canonical URL for your main site and save the changes.
  3. Enable Multiple Sites:
    • In the dashboard, go to System & Settings > Multiple Site Hosting > Multisite Settings.
    • Click Enable Multiple Sites.
  4. Create a Site Type:
    • Navigate to System & Settings > Multiple Site Hosting > Site Types.
    • Click Add Site Type and provide:
      • Handle: Unique identifier (e.g., restaurant).
      • Name: Descriptive name (e.g., “Restaurant”).
      • Theme: Default theme for sites under this type.
      • Homepage Template: Template for the homepage.
    • Click Create Site Type.
  5. Add a New Site:
    • Go to System & Settings > Multiple Site Hosting > Sites & Domains.
    • Click Add Site and select the appropriate Site Type.
    • Provide:
      • Handle: Unique identifier for the site.
      • Name: Site name.
      • Canonical URL: Primary URL for the site.
      • Default Timezone: Set the timezone.
    • Click Add to create the site.

Domain Configuration

Ensure that each site’s domain is correctly configured:

  • DNS Settings: Point each domain to your server’s IP address.
  • Web Server Configuration: Set up your server (e.g., Apache, Nginx) to recognize and route each domain to the Concrete CMS installation.

For subdomains, consider setting up wildcard DNS entries to simplify management.

Managing Multiple Sites

After setup:

  • Site Selector: Use the site selector in the dashboard toolbar to switch between sites for configuration and content updates.
  • Permissions and Themes: Customize permissions, themes, and settings for each site individually to maintain distinct identities.