WordPress is powered by PHP/MySQL and thus it needs a MySQL database. There are many web hosts who restrict you from creating unlimited database and thus puts you in a trouble of managing the web sites accordingly. Of course, I’ll always suggest you to do a thorough research on choosing the web host, however, if you are stuck with any web host which restricts you then also you are not out of luck. Fortunately, multiple WordPress can be run using a single database instance.
How to have two or more WordPress installation in single database ?
By default, WordPress prefixes WP_ to it’s mysql tables (this may sound really technical, but don’t worry about it much) and it allows you to even change that and that’s where we can make use of this setting to ensure that we can run multiple copies of WordPress on a single database.
If you have done a manual installation of WordPress, then you’ll know about wp-config.php file. This file allows you to change the table prefix and thus allows you to run multiple copies. In order to achieve the same you have to follow the normal installation procedure and in addition to that you just have to do the following steps as well (this needs to be done before running the installer) -
1. Open wp-config.php
2. Look for a line which says – table_prefix = ‘wp_’;
3. Replace wp_ with anything you want. for e.g. it may look like this as well – table_prefix = ‘blog2_’;
4. Save the file
5. Run the installer
CAUTION – You have to do the above steps before running the installer!
I hope this little nifty tip will help you in ensuring that you don’t change your web host just because they don’t allow extra database to run.
Well you could also use wordpress mu to do a multibog installation.
as i see multiple installation means multiple blogs. so this solve the problem of database size ?
@scorpfromhell – Yes you can use WP MU for multiblog installation. however, not everyone is that comfortable with WP MU. And guess what, our upcoming blog post talks about how you can have multiple blogs with WordPress.
@Ajay – Well, I don’t think it should be a problem. I will only suggest this in case your webhost doesn’t allow you to create more database or if you have already achieved the limit.
what if you have already install wordpress and have decided that you want to add multiple blogs in your single database? could i just go back in and change the config.php again? or is it too late now? please email me back at your earliest. thank you.
HI,
Im wordpress user. Im really bad in development process. But i run a wordpress blog. What i need to know is, how can i run 2 different blogs with the same database? I want to have single post which i post on first blog should be posted on my 2nd wordpress blog..
kindly tell me in detail..
Note: See, for my 2nd blog, only i need to change ‘wp’ in table_prefix = ‘wp_’;
in wp-config file..?? and remaining database name’ user ‘ and password’ will be same? Is that Okay?
Guide me as soon as possible..
Thanks