This support ticket is created vor 7 Jahre, 1 Monat. There's a good chance that you are reading advice that it now obsolete.
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I am trying to find out if I can build themes with Toolset and propagate them in a multisite.
I want to build a multisite for a client who can add subsites to the network. For the subsites I want to build a theme with Toolset's new theme function. Is it possible to build a theme with the new Toolset Theme Builder function and make this theme available for subsites on a multisite?
I checked with the developer who said there shouldn't be a problem installing the theme on a network's sub-sites, the key being that the theme installation would need to be run individually on each sub-site, it can't be done once at the network level.
"Toolset's new theme function" is something that requires an author account, yes.
It is really designed for distributing individual themes to multiple clients.
If you want to set up a theme using Toolset plugins that you can install on a client network you can do that with your existing licence (with the plugins tied to your account) but you lack the automatic installation with demo content etc. that the new system provides, you will set up the theme, plugins and any content manually, though you can network install the theme and plugins rather than repeating it for each subsite.
Yes, I read that. However, this does not completely clarify the process to me. Let me describe what I intend to do:
When I build a theme, I use for example Layouts for a parent layout containing the header and the footer and one or more child layouts for the post content. Now I can place shortcodes in the header to display site title and site description. I k now how this works on an individual site. Same way I can place dynamic content in other cells, like post title and post content in a child cell.
In a Multisite, I want use a theme using the same elements as in the above example. So I figure I must build the theme on a staging site, and then when it's finished install it in the Network manager on the Multisite. Then if the theme is network activated, on each subsite it is available. If the theme is selected on a subsite, the header elements site title and site description adapt to the settings in the subsite. This also goes for all the other elements in the theme.
questions:
1. Is this how it can be done, and can this be done without an author account?
2. If yes, how do I prepare the theme for installation on the Multisite?
3. Can I install more than one self-made Toolset based theme in the Multisite?
A theme and plugins can be installed at the network level and be available to all of the sub-sites on the network.
But the settings and layouts are a form of content which are uniquely stored for each sub-site.
If you just install the theme and plugins then your layouts won't be defined or assigned, for example.
For that you need to set them up individually on each sub-site.
If you are not using the new theme author capability then the way to do that is to export the various settings from your initial site and then import them into the sub sites.
If you visit Toolset > Export / Import you'll see that you export settings for each of the Toolset components (e.g. Types, Views, Layouts) individually.
I think that covers your questions 1 & 2. Regarding 3, you can install multiple themes and have different sub-sites run different themes, each importing the appropriate settings as required.
Thanks for your reply. I still have one question.
My question (#2) how do I prepare the theme for installation on the Multisite?
On https://toolset.com/2017/03/toolset-based-themes-released/ I read:
"If you only need Toolset-based themes “per-site”, you don’t need to pay anything extra. Toolset-based themes are already active in all accounts (the account needs to be valid and for the complete Toolset package). You can go ahead right now, create your first Toolset-based theme and deliver it to your client."
So how do I prepare the theme for my clients multisite? Multisite requires a theme to be installed at the network level where you cannot edit it. As Toolset is the 'toolbox' with which you build Toolset-based themes, I suppose you must build this Toolset-based theme offline or on a single WP install and then install it on a Multisite.
So, I haven't tested this but our developer did to double-check what is involved.
His steps are as follows:
1. Network Admin installs Theme
2. Site Admins activate theme and setup the site with the installer
3. Network Admin updates Theme
4. For Site Admins the update process will automatically start on next login / if aborted they get an admin notice "Update not completed... [Run Installer]"
Thank you. This answers the question How to install a Toolset based theme on a multisite but not how to prepare the theme for installation on Multisite. I guess this would be the same as preparing a Toolset based theme for any WP site. Since Multisite themes are installed on the network level, you have to prepare the theme offline or on a seperate single WordPress install, right?
I still have a question about this phrase in your blog:
"If you only need Toolset-based themes “per-site”, you don’t need to pay anything extra. Toolset-based themes are already active in all accounts (the account needs to be valid and for the complete Toolset package). You can go ahead right now, create your first Toolset-based theme and deliver it to your client."
What does it mean? Does it refer to the 3 Toolset based themes you can develop for free? Or does it mean that as a Toolset full licence owner you can develop themes for one site anyway without buying a Toolset Themes licence?
Yes, you should prepare the theme on a single install.
Regarding theme distribution, any one theme can be installed at up to 3 URLs, and you can create multiple themes.
The thinking behind 3 URLs is a developer server, a staging server, and a production server, all for the same site.
The author account is intended for when you want to distribute a theme more widely, e.g. to sell the theme.
In your particular case where you want to install a theme on multiple sub-sites of the same network, it depends on whether the sites use the same domain or are set up on different domains.
Different domains will require an Author account, the same domain will not.
This ticket is now closed. If you're a WPML client and need related help, please open a new support ticket.
