WordPress Multisite Rollbacks

WP Rollback fully supports WordPress Multisite installations, providing network administrators with powerful rollback capabilities while maintaining security and consistency across all sites in the network.

Important Multisite Considerations

Network-Wide Impact

When you roll back a plugin or theme on a WordPress Multisite installation, the rollback affects ALL sites in the network. This is because all sites share the same plugin and theme codebase.

Network Activation Required

For multisite installations, WP Rollback must be network activated to function properly:

1. Navigate to Network Admin → Plugins
2. Find WP Rollback (Free or Pro)
3. Click Network Activate

INFO

When network activated, WP Rollback will only appear in the Network Admin panel, not on individual site dashboards. This is by design for security reasons.

Moving from Free to Pro

Network activate WP Rollback Pro. Activating Pro deactivates WP Rollback (Free) for you, network-wide if Free was network active, and your existing backups carry over. If Free is activated again later, Pro pauses and shows a notice with a button to deactivate Free.

Accessing Rollback Features

Network Admin Menu Location

After network activation, access WP Rollback through:

Network Admin → Settings → WP Rollback (or WP Rollback Pro)

This centralized location ensures that only super administrators can perform rollbacks that affect the entire network.

Plugin Rollback Links

Plugins show rollback links in:

• Network Admin → Plugins page
• Only visible to super administrators
• Links appear next to WordPress.org plugins and premium plugins. In WP Rollback (Free), the link for a premium plugin leads to a WP Rollback Pro upgrade screen.

Theme Rollbacks

Theme rollbacks are accessible through:

• Network Admin → Themes page
• Each theme has a Rollback link in its row
• Child themes don't get a Rollback link

Security Considerations

Super Admin Only

Only users with Super Admin privileges can:

• Access the WP Rollback menu in Network Admin
• Perform plugin or theme rollbacks
• View rollback history (Pro feature)

Individual Site Restrictions

For security reasons, individual site administrators cannot:

• Access WP Rollback features from their site dashboard
• Perform rollbacks that would affect other sites
• Override network-wide plugin or theme versions

This prevents accidental or unauthorized changes that could impact the entire network.

How Network Rollbacks Work

Shared Codebase

In WordPress Multisite:

• All sites use the same /wp-content/plugins/ directory
• All sites use the same /wp-content/themes/ directory
• Rolling back affects the shared codebase, impacting all sites

Network-Activated vs Site-Activated Plugins

• Network-Activated Plugins: Can be rolled back from Network Admin
• Site-Activated Plugins: Still affect all sites when rolled back, as they share the same files
• The rollback process is identical regardless of activation type

Maintenance Mode on a Network

While an active plugin or theme is being replaced, WP Rollback shows visitors a short maintenance page. On multisite, the maintenance flag (a .wpr-maintenance file) sits at the root of the network's WordPress install, so visitors to every site in the network see the page, not just the main site.

WP Rollback turns maintenance mode on when:

• The plugin is network active, or active on the main site
• The theme is the main site's theme or its parent

Logged-in Super Admins still see sites normally. Maintenance mode turns off as soon as the files are replaced, right away if a step fails, and on its own after 10 minutes at most.

Best Practices for Multisite Rollbacks

1. Test on Staging First

Always test rollbacks on a staging multisite environment:

• Create a staging copy of your entire network
• Test the rollback impact on various sites
• Verify compatibility across different site configurations

2. Communicate with Site Administrators

Before performing a rollback:

• Notify all site administrators of the planned rollback
• Explain the reason and expected impact
• Schedule rollbacks during low-traffic periods

3. Backup Your Network

Before any rollback:

• Create a complete network backup
• Include database and files for all sites
• Test your backup restoration process

4. Monitor After Rollback

After completing a rollback:

• Check multiple sites in the network for issues
• Monitor error logs across the network
• Be prepared to roll forward if problems arise

Multisite-Specific Features (Pro)

Activity Logging

WP Rollback Pro provides network-wide activity logging:

• Track all rollbacks across the network
• See which super admin performed each action
• Monitor rollback history for compliance

License Management

Pro licenses for multisite:

• Single license covers the entire network
• Activated at the network level
• Managed through the Customer Dashboard

Troubleshooting Multisite Issues

Scripts Not Loading

If the WP Rollback interface doesn't load properly:

1. Ensure the plugin is network activated
2. Clear browser cache and cookies
3. Check for JavaScript conflicts with other network-active plugins

Permission Errors

If you see permission errors:

1. Verify you're logged in as a Super Admin
2. Check that you're accessing from Network Admin, not a site dashboard
3. Ensure file permissions allow plugin modifications

Rollback Failures

If a rollback fails on multisite:

1. Check available disk space
2. Verify WordPress can write to plugin/theme directories
3. Review server error logs for specific issues
4. See our Troubleshooting Guide for more solutions

Technical Details

File Upload Limits

Multisite installations have a low default upload limit (1500 KB). WP Rollback automatically handles this by:

• Raising the limit to at least 100 MB during a rollback
• Only for super administrators
• Only for rollback requests, so your normal upload limit applies everywhere else

Database Considerations

• Plugin/theme options are stored per-site
• Rolling back doesn't affect database content
• Some plugins may require manual database updates after rollback

Related Documentation

• Getting Started - Initial setup and configuration
• How Rollbacks Work - Technical rollback process
• Pro Features - Advanced multisite capabilities
• FAQ - Common multisite questions

Need Help?

If you encounter issues with multisite rollbacks:

• Free Users: Visit our WordPress.org support forum
• Pro Users: Contact priority support through your Customer Dashboard