Are you running into this error or warning – An Existing WordPress Network was Detected when creating WordPress multisite.
If you do, the following is a quick and easy solution to fix this warning with a detailed explanation of why you are not able to see the multisite after completing installation.
WordPress Multisite Installation
When you are installing a WordPress multisite you need to enable the multisite feature by adding the following code snippet to wp-config.php
:
/** Allow Multisite */ define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );
You can add this site to the bottom of the wp-config file and it will immediately prompt the Network Set up menu on the main WordPress dashboard menu.
When you generate the .htaccess and wp-config
configuration codes as shown in the image below, you may run
into a new problem that shows the warning – An existing WordPress network was detected.
Notice the instructions underlined in the image above in red color. This is the most overlooked instruction when you are installing WordPress multisite and it ends up causing the warning – An Existing WordPress Network was Detected
Fix An Existing WordPress Network was Detected Warning WordPress Multisite Installation
To fix this problem you need to place the wp-config code in the right place before the WordPress config file
loads the wp-settings.php file.
So a safe bet is to place the network code slightly above and it is recommended you place it above the comment :
/* That's all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */
As shown in the image below:
This will fix this error – An existing WordPress network was detected, and you can also see the network site on the dashboard if you could not see the newly activated WordPress multisite.
From my experience creating several multi sites every time you place the wp-config code below the loading
of the wp-settings files, two problems are bound to occur :
- You will not see the network sites on the dashboard after you complete the setup and log in to view the multisite.
- When you visit the setup menu from the main dashboard menu Tools > Network Setup you will see a notice at the top with the message An existing WordPress network was detected.
As mentioned above the solution is to move the wp-config.php
code that you added when you generated the multisite to be above the comment
/* That's all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */
Joe is an experienced full-stack web developer with a decade of industry experience in the LAMP & MERN stacks, WordPress, WooCommerce, and JavaScript – (diverse portfolio). He has a passion for creating elegant and user-friendly solutions and thrives in collaborative environments. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring new tech trends, tinkering with new tools, and contributing to open-source projects. You can hire me here for your next project.