How to Host Multiple WordPress Domains with Apache on a VPS

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You can host many independent WordPress domains on one VPS and one IP address by combining DNS records with Apache name-based virtual hosting. Each domain gets its own <VirtualHost> block, document root, logs and (for independent sites) database. Apache reads the request’s Host header and serves the matching site. After HTTP routing works, issue certificates for every hostname and redirect traffic to HTTPS.

The reliable order is: decide between separate installations and Multisite, meet WordPress’s current software requirements, point every domain to the VPS, create the files and databases, configure one Apache virtual host per domain, test with apachectl -S, then enable HTTPS and verify each site separately.

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How Apache serves several domains from one VPS

Name-based virtual hosting lets multiple hostnames share one public IP. DNS maps each hostname to the VPS address; Apache then compares the incoming Host header with ServerName and ServerAlias directives. The matching virtual host supplies the document root, rewrite behavior and log files for that request.

DNS and Apache perform different jobs. A virtual-host file cannot create a DNS record, and DNS alone cannot tell Apache which directory belongs to a hostname. Every domain must resolve to the VPS, and every name that users may enter (such as both the apex and www form) must appear in the appropriate virtual host.

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The request path

1. A visitor requests https://example.com.
2. The visitor’s resolver obtains the domain’s A or AAAA record and connects to the VPS.
3. Apache receives the connection and reads the hostname sent by the client.
4. Apache selects the virtual host whose ServerName or ServerAlias matches.
5. The request is served from that host’s DocumentRoot, where WordPress handles the URL through its rewrite rules.

Why a deliberate default host matters

Apache uses the first virtual host for a listener when no hostname matches, or when a request has no usable Host header. Keep a deliberate default site rather than allowing an arbitrary WordPress installation to answer unknown hostnames. This prevents confusing “wrong site” results and gives you a controlled response for misdirected traffic.

Choose separate installations or WordPress Multisite

Make this decision before creating directories and databases. Both models are supported, but they optimize for different operating boundaries.

Use separate installations when boundaries matter

Choose separate directories, databases and wp-config.php credentials when clients, teams or update schedules must remain independent. This is usually easier to reason about operationally and makes a single-site restore straightforward. If you share one database for convenience, assign a unique table prefix to every installation and document the mapping.

Use Multisite for a genuinely shared network

Multisite is appropriate when the sites should share one WordPress codebase, network administration, themes or plugins. A domain-based network can map different hostnames to sites in that installation, but it still needs working DNS and server-level hostname mapping. On Apache, Multisite requires mod_rewrite, functioning .htaccess support and suitable AllowOverride or Directory permissions. Do not choose it merely to avoid creating a second database if the sites require strict administrative or update isolation.

Prerequisites on the VPS

WordPress currently recommends PHP 8.3 or newer, MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.11 or newer, HTTPS, and Apache or Nginx with rewrite support. Older versions may still run a particular release, but they are end of life and can leave the server exposed to known security problems. Install Apache, PHP plus the extensions required by your WordPress version and plugins, and one supported MySQL-compatible database server.

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Plan a directory and log layout

Use a predictable path for every site. For example:

/var/www/example.com/public
/var/www/example.net/public

Place each WordPress codebase in its matching public directory. Keep Apache’s access and error logs separate, such as /var/log/apache2/example.com-access.log and /var/log/apache2/example.com-error.log, so a wrong-vhost or rewrite problem can be identified without filtering a combined log.

Create one database and user per independent site

Use unique, long credentials and grant each user access only to its own database. The exact SQL syntax is the same on supported MySQL and MariaDB releases:

CREATE DATABASE example_com CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'example_com_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'use-a-long-random-password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON example_com.* TO 'example_com_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Repeat with different database names, usernames and passwords for every installation. Record the values in a password manager; they will be entered in that site’s wp-config.php during installation.

Point every domain at the VPS first

Create an A record for each hostname that should resolve over IPv4 and an AAAA record when the VPS has a correctly configured IPv6 address. At minimum, configure the apex name and any www alias you plan to serve:

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DNS propagation time depends on existing TTLs and resolver caches. Before requesting certificates, verify that each name returns the VPS address from more than one resolver and that no stale record points to an old server. Do not assume Apache configuration has changed DNS.

Install the WordPress files

1. Create the document-root directories planned for each domain.
2. Download and unpack a current WordPress release into each site’s public directory, or copy an existing installation there.
3. Set ownership and permissions so Apache can read the files and WordPress can write only the directories that genuinely need it, such as wp-content/uploads. The exact user and group names vary by Linux distribution.
4. Open the site over HTTP after the virtual host is enabled and complete the browser installer, supplying the database name, user, password and host.
5. Confirm that each installation has its own wp-config.php. If a database is shared, set a unique $table_prefix for every site.

The installer needs a database, WordPress files in the intended web location and a wp-config.php containing the database information. Keep the file outside public downloads through normal Apache protections and back it up securely.

Create one Apache virtual host per domain

The following pattern serves one site on HTTP. Duplicate it for every domain, changing the names, document root and log paths:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/public

    <Directory /var/www/example.com/public>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

What each directive does

• <VirtualHost *:80> listens for HTTP on all configured interfaces. Use a separate TLS virtual host on port 443 after certificates exist.
• ServerName is the canonical hostname Apache should match.
• ServerAlias adds other names, commonly the www form. Every alias must resolve in DNS.
• DocumentRoot points to the WordPress files for this domain and must not be shared accidentally with another site.
• AllowOverride All permits WordPress’s .htaccess rewrite rules. If your security policy disallows broad overrides, translate the required rules into the virtual-host configuration instead and adjust Multisite requirements accordingly.
• Require all granted allows the public site to be served.
• ErrorLog and CustomLog make domain-specific diagnosis possible.

Save each block in the distribution’s Apache sites-available directory, enable the corresponding site, ensure rewrite support is enabled, and test the configuration before reloading. On systems that provide them, the common commands are:

sudo a2ensite example.com.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo apachectl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2

Distribution naming differs; use the equivalent site-enable and service commands when your operating system does not provide a2ensite. Never reload after an unsuccessful configuration test.

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Inspect Apache’s parsed vhost map

Run:

sudo apachectl -S

This prints the listeners, default virtual host and the ServerName/ServerAlias values Apache actually parsed. Check that every name appears under the intended listener and points to the expected configuration file. If a domain lands on the wrong site, common causes are a typo in ServerName, a missing alias, a disabled file, duplicate names, or a vhost listed earlier than the intended default.

Complete the WordPress URL configuration

During the installer, use the final hostname for each site. In the WordPress dashboard, check Settings → General and set both WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) to the intended canonical HTTPS URL after TLS is active. Do not leave one site pointing at another domain or at an old temporary IP address.

If you move an existing site, update serialized URLs with a WordPress-aware migration method rather than a blind text replacement in the database. Clear caches after changing the URL and check image, stylesheet, script and REST API links for the same hostname.

Add HTTPS for every hostname

Wait until DNS resolves correctly and each HTTP virtual host serves the expected site. Then use Certbot’s Apache integration to request certificates for every name, including both apex and www when both are configured. Certbot can install the certificate and create the TLS virtual-host settings or provide files for a manual configuration, depending on how it is invoked.

Safe certificate sequence

1. Confirm A/AAAA records for all requested names point to this VPS.
2. Open each name over HTTP and verify the correct WordPress site before introducing redirects.
3. Run Certbot with the Apache plugin and include every hostname that should be covered by the certificate.
4. Test the HTTPS URL for each domain, including its aliases, and resolve any mixed-content or wrong-site issue.
5. Only after HTTPS works, redirect HTTP to the canonical HTTPS hostname. Keep the redirect in the correct domain’s virtual host so one site cannot redirect visitors to another.
6. Set both WordPress URL fields to the HTTPS address and test login, media uploads, forms and REST requests.

Certificates cover the names requested, not every possible spelling. If www.example.com is an alias in Apache but is absent from the certificate, visitors to that alias will receive a certificate-name error before WordPress loads.

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Check renewal before expiry

Certbot’s renew action checks installed certificates for impending expiry and attempts renewal using the original plugin options. Run a renewal simulation or inspect the generated renewal configuration well before the first certificate expires, then verify that the web server reloads successfully after a real renewal. A firewall, changed DNS record, stopped listener or modified Apache file can make an otherwise valid renewal fail.

Verify every site independently

Use this checklist after initial setup, migrations and major upgrades:

1. Confirm A and AAAA answers for every domain and alias point to the VPS.
2. Run apachectl -S; verify each name is attached to the intended virtual host and listener.
3. Request every domain separately over HTTP and HTTPS. Check the page title, branding, links and asset URLs, not just the HTTP status code.
4. Inspect the site-specific access and error logs while making a request. The entry should appear in the expected files and be served from the intended document root.
5. Open each WordPress dashboard and confirm its database connection, site URL, uploads path and active plugins.
6. For shared databases, verify that every independent installation has a unique table prefix and that its wp-config.php names the intended database.
7. Run a Certbot renewal simulation or inspect renewal metadata before the first expiry window.
8. Restore a sample database and wp-content backup in a non-production location to prove that your backup procedure is usable.

Troubleshoot the failures that look alike

The wrong WordPress site appears

• Check the browser’s actual hostname and whether it redirected from an alias.
• Run apachectl -S and look for duplicate or misspelled names.
• Confirm the request reaches this VPS by checking DNS and the target site’s access log.
• Verify that each DocumentRoot is unique and that the intended site file is enabled.

Apache returns the default page or a 403

A default page usually means no matching hostname or a still-enabled default virtual host. A 403 commonly indicates incorrect filesystem permissions, a missing Require all granted, or a parent directory that does not allow traversal. Correct the path and permissions, then rerun the configuration test before reloading.

Permalinks return 404

WordPress relies on rewrite rules. Confirm that rewrite support is enabled, AllowOverride All (or an equivalent explicit rewrite configuration) applies to the actual document root, and that .htaccess exists and is readable. In the dashboard, visit Settings → Permalinks and save once to regenerate rules, then inspect the site error log for a more specific denial.

One site shows another site’s database content

Stop and verify that site’s wp-config.php database name, username, password and table prefix. Independent installations should normally have independent databases and users. If a database is intentionally shared, a duplicate prefix can make installations read or overwrite the same tables.

HTTPS fails or loops

• Check that the certificate includes the exact hostname in the address bar.
• Ensure the port-443 virtual host uses the correct certificate and document root.
• Remove conflicting HTTP-to-HTTPS rules while testing, then add one canonical redirect after TLS works.
• Compare WordPress’s two URL fields and proxy or load-balancer headers if the site repeatedly redirects.

Backups and ongoing operations

Back up each database, every site’s wp-content, each wp-config.php, Apache virtual-host files and certificate-renewal metadata. Keep copies outside the VPS and test restoration. A database-only backup cannot restore uploaded media, while a file backup without the database cannot restore posts, settings or users.

Apply operating-system, Apache, PHP, database and WordPress security updates on a schedule. Separate installations let you stage and roll back one site at a time; Multisite centralizes updates but increases the blast radius of a faulty plugin, theme or core change. Before upgrades, record the current PHP and database versions, take fresh backups and confirm that you can access the VPS console if Apache fails to reload.

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A practical decision rule

• Choose separate installations when sites have different owners, administrators, plugins, maintenance windows or recovery requirements.
• Choose Multisite when one team intentionally manages a network with shared code, themes, plugins and governance.
• Regardless of the model, use one explicit Apache mapping per public hostname, verify DNS independently, issue certificates for every alias and test each domain’s logs and WordPress URLs.

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