Title: Multisite subdirectory url not resolving
Last modified: August 22, 2016

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# Multisite subdirectory url not resolving

 *  [djgreer1977](https://wordpress.org/support/users/djgreer1977/)
 * (@djgreer1977)
 * [11 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-subdirectory-url-not-resolving/)
 * I want to create a forum section for a site that uses a separate theme designed
   specifically for forums so I decide to create a multisite network to manage both
   WP installs more easily. This is my first go around with multisite.
 * Basic details: Running WP 4.1 on godaddy linux hosting.
 * I was able to set up the multisite admin panel on the main site no problem. However,
   when following the it did not give me the option between subdomains and subdirectories
   as described in the tutorial I was following. So when I go to add a new site 
   it creates forums.mainsite.com. Once created, I edited it to mainsite.com/forums.
   Currently I’m getting a 404.
 * Now here’s where it gets tricky. Originally I didn’t understand that multisite
   network actually creates new sites on the same database. I thought they linked
   separate installs. So I had created the /forums subdirectory and installed WP
   on it before setting up the multisite network. The links in the multisite admin
   panel were working but I noticed the correct users for the new forums site were
   not displaying so I knew they were not really synced.
 * From here I went back and deleted forums subdirectory and the WP install and 
   the new /forums site from the multisite admin dashboard so I could start fresh
   so to speak. Afterwards I created a new site with the forums.mainsite.com subdomain
   and edited it to the /forums subdirectory.That’s when i realized that forgot 
   about the place holder page I had created on mainsite.com called /forums. So 
   I deleted that page.
 * That’s pretty mush where I stand. I’m currently getting a 404 from mainsit.com/
   forums. Thought it best to ask for advice before moving forward.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

 *  [geraintp](https://wordpress.org/support/users/geraintp/)
 * (@geraintp)
 * [11 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-subdirectory-url-not-resolving/#post-5664289)
 * whether you choose subdir or subdomain it just gives you slightly different code
   to paste into your wp-config file, it could be it wasn’t giving you the option
   because it checked and their was already a folder their…
 * you need to ensure your config has:
 * `define('SUBDOMAIN_INSTALL', false);`
 * in it. thats the main switch for wordpress on how to deal with multi sites.. 
   you’ll also have to look at the .htaccess file and see what its doing, as thats
   where all the rewriting of the virtual sub directories happens, once you’ve made
   the change to a sub directory in your wp-config go back into the network admin
   section of the site and setup and it should probably prompt you with a load of
   text to add to your .htaccess file.
 *  Thread Starter [djgreer1977](https://wordpress.org/support/users/djgreer1977/)
 * (@djgreer1977)
 * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-subdirectory-url-not-resolving/#post-5664462)
 * Thanks for the help.
 * Changing that line from true to false worked for getting the subdirectories set
   up. Now mainsite.com/forums opens but is clearly broken with no theme displaying.
   When I try to go to /forums/wp-admin I get a I get a redirect error. I was never
   prompted with new htaccess code.
 * Here is what is in there now….
 *     ```
       # BEGIN WordPress
       <IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
       RewriteEngine On
       RewriteBase /
       RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
   
       # add a trailing slash to /wp-admin
       RewriteRule ^wp-admin$ wp-admin/ [R=301,L]
   
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -f [OR]
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -d
       RewriteRule ^ - [L]
       RewriteRule ^(wp-(content|admin|includes).*) $1 [L]
       RewriteRule ^(.*\.php)$ $1 [L]
       RewriteRule . index.php [L]
   
       # END WordPress
       ```
   
 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-subdirectory-url-not-resolving/#post-5664474)
 * > Now mainsite.com/forums opens but is clearly broken with no theme displaying.
 * Can you elaborate?
 * No theme meaning the CSS styling isn’t working?

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

The topic ‘Multisite subdirectory url not resolving’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [godaddy](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/godaddy/)
 * [multisite](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/multisite/)
 * [subdirectories](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/subdirectories/)

 * In: [Networking WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/multisite/)
 * 3 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * Last activity: [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-subdirectory-url-not-resolving/#post-5664474)
 * Status: not resolved

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