Onartline Multisite Domain Mapping Feature Overview

Onartline Multisite Domain Mapping Feature Overview in Detail & Technical Specifications

Onartline Multisite Domain Mapping lets you assign individual, custom domains to specific websites within a WordPress Multisite network. Each website is set up as usual through the Multisite management, regardless of whether your network is based on subdomains or subdirectories. Using the site ID automatically assigned by WordPress, the plugin then connects each website to its own, freely chosen domain.

Whether it’s automatic HTTPS, clean redirects, or managing multiple domains: the plugin was built specifically for the needs of professional Multisite environments.

On this page, you’ll find a detailed overview of the technical requirements, the core features in detail, as well as advanced features and compatibility information – so you know exactly what to expect before installing.

System Requirements

For Onartline Multisite Domain Mapping to work reliably, the following requirements must be met:

WordPress Multisite Network

The plugin requires an activated WordPress Multisite installation. On a single WordPress installation (single site) without an active network, the plugin cannot function, since domain assignment is based directly on the site ID assigned by WordPress within the network.

• WordPress version:  Mindestens WordPress 7.0 or higher is required.
• PHP version:  PHP 8.3 or higher is required. For details on supported PHP versions, see the official PHP supported versions page.

Write permissions in the wp-content directory

For the automatic installation of the sunrise.php file, the plugin needs write permissions in the /wp-content directory. If these aren’t available, the plugin will notify you during activation and let you continue the installation once permissions have been temporarily adjusted.

Core Features in Detail

Domain Assignment (Domain Mapping)

Every website within your Multisite network can be assigned its own, custom domain. Assignment is based on the site ID provided by WordPress and can be conveniently set up, changed, or removed through the network admin – with no need to touch the database or write code.

Automatic HTTPS

Once a domain is assigned, the plugin ensures all requests go through a secure HTTPS connection. This requires a valid SSL certificate to already be in place server-side for that domain – the plugin itself doesn’t issue a certificate, but ensures HTTPS is correctly recognized and enforced within WordPress.

301 Redirects

For cases where an old address should permanently redirect to the new, assigned domain, the plugin supports permanent 301 redirects. This is especially helpful for preserving existing search engine rankings when a website moves to a new domain.

Site Administrator Management

Optionally, the Super Admin can grant individual site administrators permission to manage their own website’s domain assignment themselves, without requiring network admin intervention every time.

Advanced Technical Features

Cron Job Support

Onartline Multisite Domain Mapping runs an automated check every hour in the background: expired login tokens are cleaned up, and all domain assignments stored in the network are checked for reachability. This check runs network-wide and isn’t tied to a single website – so it works whether you use WordPress’s built-in WP-Cron or set up an external server cron instead. For higher-traffic websites, we recommend replacing the built-in WordPress cron with a real server cron job, since it’s more reliable and resource-efficient, regardless of whether visitors are currently active on the website.

Object Cache Compatibility

The plugin is compatible with common object cache solutions (such as Redis or Memcached). This caches frequently requested domain assignment data, further improving load times – especially in Multisite networks with many assigned domains.

Compatibility and Deployment Recommendations

Tested Hosting Environments

Onartline Multisite Domain Mapping has been successfully tested with common hosting panels such as Plesk and cPanel. When using such panels, keep in mind that they may have their own redirect features active (e.g., “Preferred Domain” in Plesk) that can overlap with the plugin’s redirect functions. In this case, we recommend disabling either the hosting-level redirect or the corresponding plugin feature to avoid redirect loops.

Object Cache Systems

The plugin is compatible with the common object cache solutions Redis and Memcached and benefits from their caching when processing domain assignments.

New Multisite Installations

Onartline Multisite Domain Mapping is designed for use in newly set up Multisite networks. Deploying it in an already active, production Multisite network is not recommended. For more details, see our setup guide for WordPress Multisite.