Title: Switching subdomains
Last modified: March 3, 2017

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# Switching subdomains

 *  [bluemi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bluemi/)
 * (@bluemi)
 * [9 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/switching-subdomains/)
 * I’m not yet familiar with Multisite but considering to use it for a redesign 
   of a live website (non-WP) that uses a couple of subdomains. What would be the
   best way to develop the sites and then move them to live? Let’s say abc.mydomain.
   com is a live website. Can I develop the new version with Multisite in xyz.mydomain.
   com first and then switch to abc.mydomain.com ? Is switching subdomains reasonably
   easy with Multisite?
    Also, do I need to install WP in the root folder? Would
   be grateful for all hints. Thanks!

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  [Fairy-Rider](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fairy-rider/)
 * (@fairy-rider)
 * [9 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/switching-subdomains/#post-8868915)
 * Its strongly recommended to install WordPress in the root folder,–rather than
   a directory. If you wanted a multisite for your website, you must have a wildcard
   subdomain for your subdomain-based sites to work correctly. You can get help 
   via WordPress Codex to get help with [setting up a network](https://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network).
   
   If for some reason… your host doesn’t support wildcard subdomains,–or your hosting
   plans doesn’t have this feature… you may need to create path-based multisites,–
   its kind of like your personal version of Google Sites. If you have 2 dedicated
   installs of WordPress… you have to memorize each password per each install of
   WordPress… this can be tough when you try to develop on one install, and publish
   on the another. But you can discourage search engines from indexing your multisite
   as you develop. Once you’re done developing; you can make your site available
   on the web by unchecking the checkbox at your control panel. Most importantly…
   WordPress sites needs to be unique and informative,–just like most websites.
 *  Thread Starter [bluemi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bluemi/)
 * (@bluemi)
 * [9 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/switching-subdomains/#post-8871654)
 * Thank you very much for this.
    So let’s assume my webhost allows a wildcard subdomain,
   how would I move this forward? Remember that abc.mydomain.com already is a live,
   non-WP website. Do I develop on let’s say xyz.mydomain.com first and then make
   the switch to abc.mydomain.com? Is this switch easy to do?

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

The topic ‘Switching subdomains’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

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

 * In: [Networking WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/multisite/)
 * 2 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [bluemi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bluemi/)
 * Last activity: [9 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/switching-subdomains/#post-8871654)
 * Status: not resolved

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