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I've setup multi domains with a single Craft 2 core folder using the Path Constants methods in the docs. It's seems like a nice setup as I only have to update the core Craft files once when there's an update for all the domains. But under this setup all the domains have their own separate control panel and plugins but share the core Craft app folder.

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The reason I've done this is that my client wants to be able to add micro sites in the same install as their main company site for specific marketing.

However, the licensing of Craft says that: You’re allowed to run a single Craft license on multiple domains (e.g. example.com and example.fr), so long as they’re all a part of the same website. In order to enforce that, Craft does have one technical limitation: you may only access Craft’s control panel from one public domain per Craft license.

So am I right in assuming that my setup will be ok for example.com, example.co.uk, subdomain1.example.com, subdomain2.example.com, example.fr etc, but if the client wants to use a completely different domain name for the micro site like brilliantmarketingurl.com then the license won't be valid? As each site has it's own control panel and database with this setup.

Is this the case and is this still applicable with Craft 3 introducing multi-sites support?

Would appreciate some advice on this, as I need to discuss the potential implications with my client. Thanks.

mention79
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  • Correct me if I'm wrong but It shouldn't be a problem aslong as the site is run under the same Control Panel. – Justin Dekkers Jun 19 '17 at 08:27
  • Each site in this setup has separate control panel – mention79 Jun 19 '17 at 08:30
  • Well in that case I don't think its considered as multi-environment but as multiple different sites. You should check that with someone else because I'm not sure how that would work. Multi-environment is when they are all managed under the same CP as in you could log in on example.com/admin and manage anotherexample.com/ aswell – Justin Dekkers Jun 19 '17 at 08:39
  • yes, multiple domains with separate control panels and databases, but shared Craft app folder is what I'm asking about, not muti-environment. Have edited question to clarify. – mention79 Jun 19 '17 at 08:50

2 Answers2

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Using this technique to share the Craft app folder across different sites, results in each site having their own config folder. Since the license.key file that determines the licensing status of Craft lives in the config folder, setting up your sites like this will require a separate license for each site, as the domain2 site won't have access to the license.key file in domain1/config.

Steve Rowling
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  • I understand that but if the site is a subdomain of example.com then would duplicating the license key into the second domain that was a subdomain i.e. subdomain.example.com still work on one license? So using a duplicate of the license key for both. As they will both have the same public domain. Just one is a subdomain – mention79 Jun 19 '17 at 15:20
  • I'm not sure, you would need to test that to find out, but my guess is that it would report that the license was in use on another domain. I think the only 'supported' way of using one Craft license across multiple sub-sites is to use the method of creating custom locales for the sub-sites: https://craftcms.com/support/adding-additional-locales#creating-custom-locales. these can can have any URL you want, but they will all share the same control panel, database, plugins, etc. – Steve Rowling Jun 19 '17 at 15:30
  • Thanks. I was trying to do it so that they don't end up with one huge shared database ideally. But might not be possible by the sounds of it. Have asked their support yesterday but haven't heard back yet. – mention79 Jun 19 '17 at 15:34
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As long as the control panel is only accessible from one domain, I'd say you're within the license requirements.

example.com and example.fr are different domains, and really no less different than example.com and myawesomesite.com.

You should probably get confirmation from the Craft guys to be 100% sure though, you can contact them on support@craftcms.com if I'm not completely mistaken.

megatrond
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