Multiple WordPress sites on IONOS: keep domains, files and databases separate

Check multi-site capacity before connecting another domain

The current US Web Hosting page lists Linux hosting, WordPress installation tools and multi-site capability. That makes this product family relevant for someone launching several ordinary content websites. Confirm the selected contract’s site allowance, available databases, storage and server resources instead of treating the product name or an unlimited label as unlimited computing capacity.

Also check certificate coverage for each separate domain, mailbox needs and future renewal. A wildcard for one domain is not evidence that unrelated domains are covered. Adding another site may fit the existing hosting entitlement while still requiring another domain registration or a different certificate arrangement. Our hosting inclusions guide separates those purchases.

Click & Build needs a Linux contract with PHP and an available database, as the application FAQ explains. If the relevant capacity is exhausted, resolve that specific limit before launching another installation. A domain-only contract or a one-project managed product is not automatically equivalent to this setup.

Choose separate installations deliberately

WordPress documents several architectures: a Multisite network, separate installations sharing a database, or separate installations using separate databases. For unrelated small publications, our editorial preference here is the last arrangement because it gives each site’s backup and configuration a clearer boundary. The WordPress multiple-instances handbook describes configuring each installation with its own database details.

This choice gives each publication its own WordPress dashboard, plugin decisions and content lifecycle. It can simplify handing one site to another owner later. It also means updates and checks must be performed for each installation; there is no claim of a single dashboard managing every task.

Separate folders and databases are organizational boundaries, not proof of separate operating-system accounts or complete security isolation. If one site holds substantially more sensitive data, belongs to a client with different access needs or must have a different recovery commitment, ask the host about stronger separation or use a separate hosting environment.

Create the new project without reusing the existing one

Use the documented Click & Build workflow to create another project from Web Projects, select WordPress and choose Manage WordPress yourself. Give the new project a distinct label and select the new site’s domain. Let the assistant create its files and database, then record the resulting identifiers.

The checkpoint before installation is simple: does the selected domain belong to the new publication? If it is the established site’s domain, stop and correct the selection. Do not repurpose the existing site’s project tile merely because it is the first one visible in the account.

After creation, compare the new Technical data record against the old one. For this separate-database design, they should identify the intended distinct resources. If the relationship is unclear, resolve it before importing content or running cleanup. Never delete a folder or database based only on a guess about its name.

Connect each domain to the intended website

IONOS’s webspace directory connection guide requires a contract with webspace, a suitable domain destination and the appropriate IP routing. A domain already assigned to an IONOS managed application cannot simultaneously be used this way without disconnecting that assignment first. Do not disconnect an existing managed site as an experiment.

For a self-managed directory connection, check the domain’s summary after the operation. IONOS describes the finished state as Active, with Target showing the assigned directory. Compare that target to the inventory for this specific site. Two domains deliberately pointing to one directory serve that directory; they do not become two independently installed websites.

DNS and website selection are separate layers. Two domains can correctly reach the same hosting infrastructure while the account sends them to different directories. Conversely, correct DNS alone does not prove the directory assignment is right. Check both layers before blaming propagation for the wrong content.

Keep WordPress addresses consistent with the mapping

When changing an established installation’s domain, IONOS says to make the new destination available before updating the WordPress address fields. Follow the domain-change instructions for the correct installation and preserve any deliberate subdirectory arrangement. Changing the old site’s address fields is not how to create a new site.

A fresh site should consistently identify its chosen public address. If recipes.example opens the Studio homepage, inspect the domain target first. If it opens the Recipe site and then redirects to studio.example, inspect the Recipe installation’s address settings and its own redirect configuration. This separates a directory-selection problem from an application redirect problem.

A migrated database may still contain old links, and a configuration file can explicitly override saved address settings. If a setting will not stay changed, inspect the specific configuration with a developer rather than replacing values across every database in the account.

Provision HTTPS and preserve mail per domain

Review certificates separately for both the preferred and alternate hostnames of each publication. The IONOS SSL Starter instructions explain domain assignment and prerequisites. Check the certificate’s actual scope rather than assuming the first site’s working HTTPS secures the second domain.

For self-managed WordPress, use the WordPress HTTPS procedure once the certificate works. Keep redirects in the correct installation and avoid a shared rule that sends every domain to the first publication.

Keep each domain’s mail arrangements in the inventory. Before changing nameservers or allowing a setup assistant to adjust DNS, preserve the records needed by the existing mail service. Check receiving and replying afterward. A new WordPress installation does not require moving every domain’s email to the same provider.

Back up and maintain each installation independently

A recovery record should identify one site’s files and its matching database, the backup date and the destination for a restore. IONOS’s phpMyAdmin backup guide describes exporting the selected database. That database export alone does not contain the site’s uploaded files, themes or configuration.

Label backup pairs by project and date and keep a copy outside the webspace. Test restoration into a safe destination before relying on the procedure. During a recovery, explicitly name the affected site’s directory and database; an account-wide restore can affect publications that were working correctly.

Schedule updates per site, monitor combined resource use and keep access appropriate to each publication. Read our WordPress update testing guide and recoverable backup checklist for those routines.

IONOS Linux Web Hosting can be a useful home for a growing portfolio when the verified plan accommodates the combined workload and one owner can maintain the installations. The benefit is shared account administration with clearly mapped websites. Choose a separate environment when access, security, performance or recovery needs require a stronger boundary than folders and databases within one contract.