The Complete Guide: Migrating WordPress to a VPS with Multisite Setup ( Forpsi shared to VPS )

Description

Learn how to move WordPress from shared hosting to a VPS  “Multisite Setup ( Forpsi shared to VPS )” and transform it into a powerful Multisite network. This step-by-step guide simplifies server setup, migration, and Multisite configuration for students and beginners.

Table of Contents

1. Why Move from Shared Hosting to a VPS?

2. What Is WordPress Multisite?

3. Pre-Migration Checklist

4. Step-by-Step VPS Setup

5. Migrating Your WordPress Sites

6. Configuring WordPress Multisite

7. Adding Subdomains to Your Network

8. Maintaining Your New Multisite VPS

9. Common Pitfalls and Solutions

10. Resources and Further Reading

Why Move from Shared Hosting to a VPS?

Shared hosting is like living in a dorm—you share resources with others. A VPS (Virtual Private Server) gives you your own “apartment”: dedicated resources, better performance, and full control. For growing sites or managing multiple sites, a VPS is cost-effective and scalable.

What Is WordPress Multisite?

WordPress Multisite lets you manage multiple websites from one central dashboard. Imagine running a main site, a subdomain site (like blog.yoursite.com), and future projects—all from a single WordPress install. It’s perfect for students, agencies, or anyone managing related sites.

Pre-Migration Checklist

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Access to your current hosting (Forpsi shared) and new VPS credentials

• Backups of both WordPress sites (files and databases)

• Domain and DNS management access

• Basic familiarity with terminal/SSH (or use a control panel like cPanel)

Step-by-Step VPS Setup

Choose Your Server Stack

For a standard VPS (like Forpsi Classic), you’ll need to install:

• Web Server: Apache or Nginx

• Database: MySQL or MariaDB

• PHP: Version 7.4 or higher

Most users opt for a LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) for simplicity.

Secure Your Server

Initial steps include:

• Updating system packages

• Configuring a firewall (UFW)

• Setting up SSH keys (disable password login)

• Creating a non-root user with sudo privileges

💡 Tip: Use a control panel like Webmin if you’re uncomfortable with the command line.

Migrating Your WordPress Sites

1. Backup Everything
   Use a plugin like UpdraftPlus to backup files and databases from both sites.

2. Transfer Files to VPS
   Upload backups via SCP/FTP or directly transfer using rsync.

3. Import Databases
   Create new databases on your VPS and import the SQL dumps.

4. Update Configuration
   Adjust wp-config.php with new database details and VPS IP/domain.

5. Test Before DNS Switch
   Temporarily modify your local hosts file to preview the site on the VPS.

Configuring WordPress Multisite

Once both sites are on the VPS:

1. Enable Multisite in wp-config.php by adding:

   php

   define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);

2. In Tools > Network Setup, choose Subdomain installation.

3. Follow WordPress instructions to update wp-config.php and .htaccess.

4. Your main site becomes the “primary” site; the subdomain site becomes the second site in the network.

Adding Subdomains to Your Network

WordPress Multisite can create new subdomains on the fly—but your server must handle wildcard subdomains.

For Apache:
Add to your virtual host config:

ServerAlias *.yourdomain.com

For Nginx:
Include a server block matching *.yourdomain.com.

Then, in WordPress Network Admin, you can add new sites with their own subdomains instantly.

Maintaining Your New Multisite VPS ( Forpsi shared to VPS )

• Regular updates (WordPress, plugins, themes) apply network-wide.

• Monitor server resources (CPU, RAM) via tools like htop.

• Implement automated backups for the entire network.

• Use a caching plugin (e.g., W3 Total Cache) or server-level caching (Redis).

Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Resources and Further

• WordPress Multisite Documentation

• DigitalOcean VPS Setup Tutorial

• How to Use WP-CLI for Multisite Management

This Article will help you:

• Best Practices for WordPress Security on VPS

• Choosing Between Apache and Nginx for WordPress