Using WordPress Multisite with LearnDash

By: Justin Ferriman September 11, 2017
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Some learning programs call for WordPress multisite. When this is the case then LearnDash is the perfect solution.

WordPress multisite is a network that allows you to launch and manage any number of WordPress sites from a single installation.

You can create new sites and manage them using just one account. You even can allow others to create their own blogs using a sub-domain – for example, “customer.yourdomain.com”.

If you are interested in learning the ins-and-outs of WordPress multisite then I encourage you to have a look at this very comprehensive article by WPBeginner. They cover everything from the network settings to custom configurations.

Using LearnDash with Multisite

Multisite has a lot of use-cases in the context of educational sites. It is one reason we made sure that LearnDash can run on a multisite environment.

I have seen franchises set-up location specific training portals, departments of government each have their own training specific environment, and even consultants selling branded learning portals to other companies. You can really get creative with the number of applications.

When fielding questions about using WordPress multisite with LearnDash, probably the most frequently asked question we get is:

Can I share my LearnDash course material across all of the sites on my network?

The idea is simple: create a “parent” site that contains the courses and as you set-up “child” sites, you push the courses to those sites as well. This eliminates the need to recreate the course content on each site allowing you to quickly spin-up learning portals.

By default this is not how multisite works. Each site is its own “entity”.

However, this configuration is possible with just a few tools. To accomplish this configuration you will need the following:

After configuring your settings for Broadcast (see their documentation for details) you will be able to have a central repository for your online courses that can be pushed across your network. It really is a neat tool.

Just a Quick Word of Warning…

While multisite does open up a lot of possibilities for you just know that it also comes with a greater degree of complexity. Just by way of example, not all plugins will work on a multisite network and sometimes installing one that does not will mess things up.

You want to be extra careful when adding plugins and themes to your network as troubleshooting is more complex. You may even consider hiring some dedicated WordPress support to manage everything.

But assuming you have the proper support mechanisms in place or you are technically savvy to support the network yourself then a multisite network gives you exciting capabilities.

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter