# Set up WordPress Multisite on Lightsail
**Did you know?**
Lightsail stores seven daily snapshots and automatically replaces the oldest with the newest when you enable automatic snapshots for your instance. For more information, see [ Configure automatic snapshots for Lightsail instances and disks ](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/amazon-lightsail-configuring-automatic-snapshots.html) .
Here are a few steps you should take to get started after your WordPress Multisite instance is up and running on Amazon Lightsail:
------
#### [ Bitnami ]
## Step 1: Read the Bitnami documentation
Read the Bitnami documentation to learn how to configure your WordPress Multisite instance. For more information, see the [WordPress Multisite Packaged By Bitnami For AWS Cloud](https://docs.bitnami.com/aws/apps/wordpress-multisite/).
## Step 2: Get the default application password to access the WordPress administration dashboard
Complete the following procedure to get the default application password required to access the administration dashboard for your WordPress Multisite website. For more information, see [Getting the application user name and password for your Bitnami instance in Amazon Lightsail](log-in-to-your-bitnami-application-running-on-amazon-lightsail.md).
1. On your instance management page, under the **Connect** tab, choose **Connect using SSH**.
![\[Connect using SSH in the Lightsail console\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-connect-to-your-instance.png)
1. After you're connected, enter the following command to get the default application password:
```
cat $HOME/bitnami_application_password
```
You should see a response similar to the following example, which contains the default application password. Use this password to sign in to the administration dashboard of your WordPress Multisite website.
![\[Bitnami default application password.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/amazon-lightsail-bitnami-application-password.png)
## Step 3: Attach a static IP address to your instance
The default dynamic public IP address attached to your instance changes every time you stop and start the instance. You can create a static IP address and attach it to your instance to keep the public IP address from changing. Later, when you use your domain name with your instance, you don’t have to update your domain’s DNS records each time you stop and start the instance. You can attach only one static IP address to each instance.
On the instance management page, under the **Networking** tab, choose **Create a static IP** or **Attach static IP** (if you previously created a static IP that you can attach to your instance), then follow the instructions on the page. For more information, see [Create a static IP and attach it to an instance](lightsail-create-static-ip.md).
![\[Attach static IP address in the Lightsail console\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-static-ip-address.png)
After the new static IP address is attached to your instance, you must complete the following procedure to make WordPress aware of the new static IP address.
1. Make a note of the new static IP address of your instance. It's listed in the header section of your instance management page.
![\[Public or static IP address of a Lightsail instance\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-public-static-ip.png)
1. On the instance management page, under the **Connect** tab, choose **Connect using SSH**.
![\[Connect to your instance using SSH\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-connect-using-ssh.png)
1. After you're connected, enter the following command. Replace ** with the new static IP address of your instance.
```
sudo /opt/bitnami/configure_app_domain --domain
```
**Example:**
```
sudo /opt/bitnami/configure_app_domain --domain 203.0.113.0
```
You should see a response similar to the following example. The WordPress website on your instance should now be aware of the new static IP address.
![\[Result of the domain configuration tool\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-configure-domain-ip.png)
**Note**
If that command fails, you might be using an older version of the WordPress Multisite instance. Try running the following commands instead. Replace ** with the new static IP address of your instance.
```
cd /opt/bitnami/apps/wordpress
sudo ./bnconfig --machine_hostname
```
After running those commands, enter the following command to keep the bnconfig tool from automatically running every time the server restarts.
```
sudo mv bnconfig bnconfig.disabled
```
## Step 4: Sign in to the administration dashboard of your WordPress Multisite website
Now that you have the default application password, complete the following procedure to navigate to your WordPress Multisite website's home page, and sign in to the administration dashboard. After you're signed in, you can start customizing your website and making administrative changes. For more information about what you can do in WordPress, see the [Step 7: Read the WordPress Multisite documentation and continue configuring your website](#amazon-lightsail-read-documentation-wordpress-multisite) section later in this guide.
1. On your instance management page, under the **Connect** tab, make note of the public IP address of your instance. The public IP address is also displayed in the header section of your instance management page.
![\[Public IP address of an instance\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-public-ip.png)
1. Browse to the public IP address of your instance, for example by going to `http://203.0.113.0`.
The home page of your WordPress website should appear.
1. Choose **Manage** in the bottom right corner of your WordPress website home page.
If the **Manage** banner is not shown, you can reach the sign in page by browsing to `http:///wp-login.php`. Replace `` with the public IP address of your instance.
1. Sign in using the default user name (`user`) and the default password retrieved earlier in this guide.
The WordPress administration dashboard appears.
![\[The WordPress administration dashboard.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/amazon-lightsail-wordpress-dashboard.png)
## Step 5: Route traffic for your registered domain name to your WordPress Multisite website
To route traffic for your registered domain name, such as `example.com`, to your WordPress Multisite website, you add a record to the DNS of your domain. DNS records are typically managed and hosted at the registrar where you registered your domain. However, we recommend that you transfer management of your domain's DNS records to Lightsail so that you can administer it using the Lightsail console.
On the Lightsail console home page, under the **Domains & DNS** tab, choose **Create DNS zone**, then follow the instructions on the page. For more information, see [Creating a DNS zone to manage your domain's DNS records in Lightsail](lightsail-how-to-create-dns-entry.md).
After your domain name is routing traffic to your instance, you must complete the following procedure to make WordPress aware of the domain name.
1. On the instance management page, under the **Connect** tab, choose **Connect using SSH**.
![\[Connect to your instance using SSH\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-connect-using-ssh.png)
1. After you're connected, enter the following command. Replace ** with the domain name that is routing traffic to your instance.
```
sudo /opt/bitnami/configure_app_domain --domain
```
**Example:**
```
sudo /opt/bitnami/configure_app_domain --domain www.example.com
```
You should see a response similar to the following example. The WordPress Multisite software should now be aware of the domain name.
![\[Result of the domain configuration tool\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-configure-domain.png)
**Note**
If that command fails, you might be using an older version of the WordPress Multisite instance. Try running the following commands instead. Replace ** with the domain name that is routing traffic to your instance.
```
cd /opt/bitnami/apps/wordpress
sudo ./bnconfig --machine_hostname
```
After running those commands, enter the following command to keep the bnconfig tool from automatically running every time the server restarts.
```
sudo mv bnconfig bnconfig.disabled
```
If you browse to the domain name that you configured for your instance, you should be redirected to the main blog of your WordPress Multisite website. Next you must decide whether you want to add blogs as domains or as subdomains to your WordPress Multisite website. For more information, continue to the next [Step 6: Add blogs as domains or subdomains to your WordPress Multisite website](#amazon-lightsail-add-blogs-as-domains-or-subdomains-wordpress-multisite) section of this guide.
## Step 6: Add blogs as domains or subdomains to your WordPress Multisite website
WordPress Multisite is designed to host multiple blog websites on one instance of WordPress. When you add new blog websites to your WordPress Multisite, you can configure them to use their own domains or a subdomain of your WordPress Multisite's primary domain.
+ To add blog sites as domains, such as `example1.com` and `example2.com`, see [Add blogs as domains to your WordPress Multisite instance in Lightsail](amazon-lightsail-add-blogs-as-domains-to-your-wordpress-multisite.md).
+ To add blog sites as subdomains of your WordPress Multisite's primary domain, such as `one.example.com` and `two.example.com`, see [Add blogs as subdomains to your WordPress Multisite instance in Lightsail](amazon-lightsail-add-blogs-as-subdomains-to-your-wordpress-multisite.md).
## Step 7: Read the WordPress Multisite documentation and continue configuring your website
Read the WordPress Multisite documentation to learn how to administer and customize your website. For more information, see the [WordPress Multisite Network Administration Documentation](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/multisite/).
## Step 8: Create a snapshot of your instance
After you configure your website the way you want it, create periodic snapshots of your instance to back it up. A snapshot is a copy of the system disk and original configuration of an instance. A snapshot contains all of the data that is needed to restore your instance (from the moment when the snapshot was taken).
You can create [snapshots manually](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/understanding-snapshots-in-amazon-lightsail.html#manual-snapshots), or [enable automatic snapshots](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/understanding-snapshots-in-amazon-lightsail.html#automatic-snapshots) to have Lightsail create daily snapshots for you. If something goes wrong with your instance, you can create a new replacement instance using the snapshot.
You can work with snapshots on your instance's management page on the **Snapshots** tab. For more information, see [Snapshots in Amazon Lightsail](understanding-snapshots-in-amazon-lightsail.md).
![\[Create an instance snapshot in the Lightsail console\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-instance-snapshots.png)
------
#### [ Lightsail ]
## Step 1: Get the default application password to access the WordPress administration dashboard
Complete the following procedure to get the default application password required to access the administration dashboard for your WordPress Multisite website.
1. On your instance management page, under the **Connect** tab, choose **Connect using SSH**.
![\[Connect using SSH in the Lightsail console\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-connect-to-your-instance.png)
1. After you're connected, enter the following command to get the default application password:
```
cat ~/application_credentials
```
You should see a response similar to the following example, which contains the default application password. Use this password to sign in to the administration dashboard of your WordPress Multisite website.
![\[Default application password.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/lightsail-password-retrieval.png)
## Step 2: Attach a static IP address to your instance
The default dynamic public IP address attached to your instance changes every time you stop and start the instance. You can create a static IP address and attach it to your instance to keep the public IP address from changing. Later, when you use your domain name with your instance, you don’t have to update your domain’s DNS records each time you stop and start the instance. You can attach only one static IP address to each instance.
On the instance management page, under the **Networking** tab, choose **Create a static IP** or **Attach static IP** (if you previously created a static IP that you can attach to your instance), then follow the instructions on the page. For more information, see [Create a static IP and attach it to an instance](lightsail-create-static-ip.md).
![\[Attach static IP address in the Lightsail console\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-static-ip-address.png)
After the new static IP address is attached to your instance, you must complete the following procedure to make WordPress aware of the new static IP address.
1. Make a note of the new static IP address of your instance. It's listed in the header section of your instance management page.
![\[Public or static IP address of a Lightsail instance\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-public-static-ip.png)
1. On the instance management page, under the **Connect** tab, choose **Connect using SSH**.
![\[Connect to your instance using SSH\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-connect-using-ssh.png)
1. After you're connected, enter the following command. Replace ** with the new static IP address of your instance.
```
sudo /opt/aws/wordpress/update_multisite_domain.sh
```
**Example:**
```
sudo /opt/aws/wordpress/update_multisite_domain.sh 203.0.113.0
```
The WordPress website on your instance should now be aware of the new static IP address.
![\[Result of the domain configuration tool\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/wp-multisite-lightsail-new-domain.png)
## Step 3: Sign in to the administration dashboard of your WordPress Multisite website
Now that you have the default application password, complete the following procedure to navigate to your WordPress Multisite website's home page, and sign in to the administration dashboard. After you're signed in, you can start customizing your website and making administrative changes. For more information about what you can do in WordPress, see the [Step 6: Read the WordPress Multisite documentation and continue configuring your website](#amazon-lightsail-read-documentation-wordpress-multisite-lightsail) section later in this guide.
1. On your instance management page, under the **Connect** tab, make note of the public IP address of your instance. The public IP address is also displayed in the header section of your instance management page.
![\[Public IP address of an instance\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-public-ip.png)
1. Browse to the public IP address of your instance, for example by going to `http://203.0.113.0`.
The home page of your WordPress website should appear.
1. Choose **Manage** in the bottom right corner of your WordPress website home page.
If the **Manage** banner is not shown, you can reach the sign in page by browsing to `http:///wp-login.php`. Replace `` with the public IP address of your instance.
1. Sign in using the default user name (`user`) and the default password retrieved earlier in this guide.
The WordPress administration dashboard appears.
![\[The WordPress administration dashboard.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/amazon-lightsail-wordpress-dashboard.png)
## Step 4: Route traffic for your registered domain name to your WordPress Multisite website
To route traffic for your registered domain name, such as `example.com`, to your WordPress Multisite website, you add a record to the DNS of your domain. DNS records are typically managed and hosted at the registrar where you registered your domain. However, we recommend that you transfer management of your domain's DNS records to Lightsail so that you can administer it using the Lightsail console.
On the Lightsail console home page, under the **Domains & DNS** tab, choose **Create DNS zone**, then follow the instructions on the page. For more information, see [Creating a DNS zone to manage your domain's DNS records in Lightsail](lightsail-how-to-create-dns-entry.md).
After your domain name is routing traffic to your instance, you must complete the following procedure to make WordPress aware of the domain name.
1. On the instance management page, under the **Connect** tab, choose **Connect using SSH**.
![\[Connect to your instance using SSH\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-connect-using-ssh.png)
1. After you're connected, enter the following command. Replace ** with the domain name that is routing traffic to your instance.
```
sudo /opt/aws/wordpress/update_multisite_domain.sh
```
**Example:**
```
sudo /opt/aws/wordpress/update_multisite_domain.sh www.example.com
```
The WordPress Multisite software should now be aware of the domain name.
![\[Result of the domain configuration tool\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/wp-multisite-lightsail-new-domain.png)
If you browse to the domain name that you configured for your instance, you should be redirected to the main blog of your WordPress Multisite website. Next you must decide whether you want to add blogs as domains or as subdomains to your WordPress Multisite website.
## Step 5: Add blogs as domains or subdomains to your WordPress Multisite website
WordPress Multisite is designed to host multiple blog websites on one instance of WordPress. When you add new blog websites to your WordPress Multisite, you can configure them to use their own domains or a subdomain of your WordPress Multisite's primary domain.
+ To add blog sites as domains, such as `example1.com` and `example2.com`, see [Add blogs as domains to your WordPress Multisite instance in Lightsail](amazon-lightsail-add-blogs-as-domains-to-your-wordpress-multisite.md).
+ To add blog sites as subdomains of your WordPress Multisite's primary domain, such as `one.example.com` and `two.example.com`, see [Add blogs as subdomains to your WordPress Multisite instance in Lightsail](amazon-lightsail-add-blogs-as-subdomains-to-your-wordpress-multisite.md).
## Step 6: Read the WordPress Multisite documentation and continue configuring your website
Read the WordPress Multisite documentation to learn how to administer and customize your website. For more information, see the [WordPress Multisite Network Administration Documentation](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/multisite/).
## Step 7: Create a snapshot of your instance
After you configure your website the way you want it, create periodic snapshots of your instance to back it up. A snapshot is a copy of the system disk and original configuration of an instance. A snapshot contains all of the data that is needed to restore your instance (from the moment when the snapshot was taken).
You can create [snapshots manually](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/understanding-snapshots-in-amazon-lightsail.html#manual-snapshots), or [enable automatic snapshots](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/understanding-snapshots-in-amazon-lightsail.html#automatic-snapshots) to have Lightsail create daily snapshots for you. If something goes wrong with your instance, you can create a new replacement instance using the snapshot.
You can work with snapshots on your instance's management page on the **Snapshots** tab. For more information, see [Snapshots in Amazon Lightsail](understanding-snapshots-in-amazon-lightsail.md).
![\[Create an instance snapshot in the Lightsail console\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-instance-snapshots.png)
------