Managing a WordPress Multisite network can be challenging when you have multiple sites with diverse purposes. Whether you’re managing a network of blogs, client websites, or an eCommerce platform, keeping everything organized is key to efficient site management. One of the most effective tools for this task is the WPMU DEV Site Categories Plugin. This powerful plugin enables you to categorize and organize your sites effortlessly, making it easier to navigate and manage them.
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through how to use WPMU DEV’s Site Categories Plugin to organize your WordPress sites efficiently and enhance your workflow.
What is the WPMU DEV Site Categories Plugin?
The Site Categories Plugin by WPMU DEV is designed to help you categorize and organize your WordPress sites within a Multisite Network. If you’re working with numerous sites, the plugin allows you to group them under custom categories for better organization and easier management. This organization streamlines tasks like site filtering, bulk management, and finding specific sites quickly.
With the Site Categories Plugin, you can:
- Create custom categories for different site types (e.g., blogs, eCommerce, portfolios).
- Filter sites based on categories for easy access.
- Assign multiple categories to a single site.
- Make site management more intuitive, saving you time.
Why You Need the Site Categories Plugin
As your WordPress Multisite network grows, managing and navigating multiple sites can quickly become overwhelming. Without proper organization, you may find it difficult to:
- Locate specific sites within a large network.
- Apply bulk actions (like updates or backups) across similar sites.
- Monitor site performance or status for different types of sites.
The Site Categories Plugin solves these issues by allowing you to group and filter sites, making it simpler to manage your network, prioritize tasks, and enhance productivity. Let’s take a closer look at how to set it up.
How to Set Up WPMU DEV’s Site Categories Plugin
Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin
- Download and Install the Plugin:
- First, you need to install the Site Categories Plugin from the WPMU DEV Dashboard. If you don’t have the WPMU DEV plugin suite, you’ll need to sign up for a subscription and install the Dashboard plugin.
- Once installed, search for “Site Categories” in your plugins section, and click Activate.
Step 2: Create Categories for Your Sites
Once the plugin is activated, you can start organizing your sites by creating custom categories.
- Access the Site Categories Settings:
- From the Network Admin Dashboard, go to the Sites section.
- You’ll see a new Categories tab that allows you to manage site categories.
- Add Categories:
- Click on Add New Category.
- Name your category (e.g., “eCommerce,” “Blog,” “Portfolio,” “Client Site”) and assign a color if desired.
- Save the category.
You can create as many categories as you need, and you can use these categories to group sites with similar purposes or attributes.
Step 3: Assign Categories to Your Sites
Now that you’ve set up categories, it’s time to assign them to your sites.
- Navigate to Sites:
- Go to Sites > All Sites in your Network Admin area.
- Edit Site Settings:
- For each site, click Edit.
- Assign Categories:
- Scroll down to the Categories section on the site’s edit page.
- Select one or more categories that fit the site’s purpose.
- Click Save Changes.
You can assign multiple categories to a single site, which is especially helpful for sites that serve more than one function.
Step 4: Filter Sites by Categories
Now that your sites are categorized, filtering them is easy.
- Go to the Sites List:
- Head to Sites > All Sites in your Network Admin area.
- Use the Filter Option:
- You’ll see a dropdown menu with your available categories at the top of the site list.
- Select a category to filter sites, and the list will update to show only sites that belong to that category.
This filtering system makes it incredibly easy to find the exact sites you’re looking for—whether you’re managing a few or hundreds.
Step 5: Bulk Actions by Category
One of the biggest advantages of categorizing your sites is the ability to perform bulk actions on specific categories of sites.
- Bulk Select Sites:
- Filter sites by category.
- Select the sites you want to perform bulk actions on.
- Apply Actions:
- You can update, delete, or perform other actions across all selected sites with just a few clicks, saving you a ton of time when managing large networks.
Advanced Tips for Site Categories Plugin
To maximize the efficiency of the Site Categories Plugin, here are a few advanced tips:
- Use Multiple Categories for Complex Sites: If a site serves multiple purposes (e.g., an eCommerce blog), assign it to more than one category. This will give you greater flexibility when filtering.
- Leverage Color-Coding: The ability to assign colors to categories makes it easier to visually differentiate between different types of sites in your network.
- Monitor Site Performance by Category: Combine this plugin with WPMU DEV’s other tools like the Smush Plugin or Hummingbird for performance monitoring. You can filter sites by category and then perform actions like performance optimization on a specific group.