Update the Site Address (URL) of a network site

The Network Sites launch tool in the VIP Dashboard can be used to not only launch a site, but to update the Site Address (URL) of a network site to a new custom domain, subdomain, or custom domain with a subdirectory structure.

When using the Network Sites launch tool to update the Site Address URL of a network site:

• If the new custom domain is already mapped and DNS pointed at VIP, the network site will be web-accessible with the updated domain once the search and replace process in the Network Sites launch tool is complete.
• If the new custom domain is mapped to the environment, but DNS is not yet pointed to VIP, the Network Sites launch tool will be able to complete the search and replace process to update the new domain value throughout the database, but the site will only be accessible by modifying a hosts file.
• The custom domain assigned to the main site (ID 1) is the primary domain for the multisite environment. If the Network Sites launch tool is used to relaunch the main site (ID 1) with a new domain, that domain will become the new primary domain for the environment.
• In the last step, marking the site as “Launched” is only necessary if the site will receive public traffic.

Rename the subdirectory of a convenience domain

By default, a new WordPress multisite environment is provisioned with a convenience domain and configured with a subdirectory structure. In this initial state, the Site Address (URL) for the main site (ID 1) will be similar to example.go-vip.net.

Only subdirectories of a convenience name are supported (e.g. example.go-vip.net/example-subdirectory). Attempts to create a custom sub-subdomain of the convenience domain and assign it to a network site will cause that site to be inaccessible.

To rename the subdirectory of a convenience domain for a network site (e.g. updating example.go-vip.net/old to example.go-vip.net/new), follow the steps to manually launch a site on a multisite.

While a site is using a convenience domain, or a subdirectory of a convenience domain, it is not publicly accessible. Use the Network Sites launch tool to update the site’s Site Address (URL) to a new custom domain, subdomain, or custom domain with a subdirectory structure.