Unexpected Subdirectory Structure for Subdomain Groups

For this multisite, I expected only a subdomain structure for each subdomain group, and not any “subdirectory” groups.

It seems to me your expectation is the problem here.

BuddyPress is an independent plugin, and I as far as know, it has never worked as you expect it to. Group URLs have always been example.com/groups/groupname — whether you’re using WordPress single site, or Multisite with sub-domain or sub-directly.

You don’t need Multisite feature activated to run BuddyPress, and you don’t have to install BuddyPress if you use the Multisite feature.

So I’m wondering why do my Subdomain Group Directory pages (e.g. subdomain.domain.org/groups) incorrectly show their group links as subdirectories instead of subdomains. For example, a group called “Test” has link subdomain.domain.org/groups/test/ instead of test.subdomain.domain.org

That’s by design.

Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve never seen it documented anywhere that BuddyPress groups have subdomains as the group URL. Any pointers?

My expectations have been met with Buddypress at each of my WordPress multisite subdomains, except that I’m also getting some strange and unwanted added effects that I would like to eliminate.

Here’s some additional information for what I’m trying to accomplish:

For all of my subdomains, I’m using the Commons-In-A-Box Plugin (commonsinabox.org) that comes complete with its required BuddyPress Plugin (provides the core functionality of Commons In A Box, including groups and user profiles) and many other Buddypress-compatible recommended plugins (installed automatically during initial Commons In A Box setup). I’m also using the Commons-In-A-Box Theme for all of my subdomains. In addition, and perhaps this is incorrect, I’ve enabled bp_enable_multiblog in my wp-config.php file. See https://codex.buddypress.org/getting-started/customizing/bp_enable_multiblog/

When setting up my subsites as subdomains, I activated Buddypress at each subdomain, set up groups at each subdomain, then assumed that each group could have its own blog and wiki. I found that to be true, but with some strange and unwanted added effects, as already mentioned.

Here’s my problem described again, as an example, but with some additional information:

When I create a group called “test” under a subdomain called “subdomain”, it shows up as an independent subdomain at location test.subdomain.domain.org and has a link to it under My Sites (top of my Home Page,and other pages) at https://subdomain.domain.org/wp-admin/my-sites.php. This new subdomain group is very desireable because it looks like a regular subdomain and can have all the features of a regular subdomain.

However, what is really strange is that my subdomain’s “Groups” page at subdomain.domain.org/groups/ has a link to an undesireable “test” group that was created at location subdomain.domain.org/groups/test/ instead of a link to the desireable “test” group at location test.subdomain.domain.org.

What’s more, the undesireable “test” subdomain group at location subdomain.domain.org/groups/test/ has its menu on the right side of the page (in the widget area) and I can’t find a widget anywhere that allows me to create a subdomain group Wiki in that menu. However, the desireable “test” subdomain group at location test.subdomain.domain.org has a widget that allows me the option to create a subdomain group wiki with a link to it on the subdomain group’s menu at the top of the subdomain group’s page (not on the right side of the page in the widget area).

I have two goals. My first and primary goal is to have the link on my subdomain’s “Groups” page at subdomain.domain.org/groups/ point to the desireable “test” group at location test.subdomain.domain.org instead of the undesireable “test” group at location subdomain.domain.org/groups/test/

My second goal is to eliminate the undesireable “test” group at location subdomain.domain.org/groups/test/

So, I would appreciate someone helping me accomplish these goals.

I recently started creating a multisite having subdomains instead of subdirectories, and using the BuddyPress plugin to create several subdomain groups under each subdomain.

The subdomain setting is only WordPress-related. And it handles the URL structure for user sites (or blogs), that’s it.

BuddyPress doesn’t have anything to do with this.

So I’m wondering why do my Subdomain Group Directory pages (e.g. subdomain.domain.org/groups) incorrectly show their group links as subdirectories instead of subdomains. For example, a group called “Test” has link subdomain.domain.org/groups/test/ instead of test.subdomain.domain.org

BuddyPress groups have always used a subdirectory structure based off of the Group Directory page.

View the BuddyPress codex:
https://codex.buddypress.org/getting-started/configure-buddypress-for-multisite/#network-admin-settings-pages

There is no setting for a subdomain group structure because it does not exist.

In addition, and perhaps this is incorrect, I’ve enabled bp_enable_multiblog in my wp-config.php file. See https://codex.buddypress.org/getting-started/customizing/bp_enable_multiblog/When setting up my subsites as subdomains, I activated Buddypress at each subdomain, set up groups at each subdomain, then assumed that each group could have its own blog and wiki. I found that to be true, but with some strange and unwanted added effects, as already mentioned.

If you use the BP Groupblog plugin, then technically you can connect a subdomain site to a group. That’s probably the closest thing you can achieve here.

If you are worried about URL structure, then the other alternative is to just use the Sites functionality with BuddyPress, and disable Groups entirely.

That way, your Sites Directory would have the proper URL structure (subdomain.domain.org). But, you would have to use WordPress multisite plugins to bridge the user management gap between BuddyPress Groups and WordPress Sites.

I forgot to mention that when I created my subdomain group “test”, the software automatically created a main menu at the top of the desired subdomain group’s pages with links in this menu to the following pages:

Log in at subdomain.domain.org/wp-login.php?redirect_to=https://subdomain.domain.org/

Home at subdomain.domain.org/
Activity at subdomain.domain.org/activity/
Members at subdomain.domain.org/members/
Admin’s Blog at subdomain.domain.org/blogs/
Related Sites at subdomain.domain.org/sites/
Subdomain Groups at subdomain.domain.org/groups/

as well as information (created by a subdomain widget) at the bottom of this desired subdomain group’s pages to “Contact Us”, “About” information, as well as “Sitemap” links.

OOps, I screwed up my last post, and I’m not allowed to edit it. It should read:

I forgot to mention that when I created my subdomain “test”, the software automatically created a main menu at the top of the subdomain’s pages with links in this menu to the following pages:

a) Log in at subdomain.domain.org/wp-login.php?redirect_to=https://subdomain.domain.org/
b) Register at subdomain.domain.org/register/
c) Home at subdomain.domain.org/
d) Activity at subdomain.domain.org/activity/
e) Members at subdomain.domain.org/members/
f) Admin’s Blog at subdomain.domain.org/blogs/
g) Related Sites at subdomain.domain.org/sites/
h) Subdomain Groups at subdomain.domain.org/groups/

as well as information (created by a subdomain widget) at the bottom of this subdomain’s pages to “Contact Us”, “About” information, as well as “Sitemap” links.

OK, so far the responses to my posting are telling me that, for Buddypress:

“BuddyPress is an independent plugin, and I as far as know, it has never worked as you expect it to. Group URLs have always been example.com/groups/groupname — whether you’re using WordPress single site, or Multisite with sub-domain or sub-directly.”

and

“There is no setting for a subdomain group structure because it does not exist.”

So, how is it true that when I created a Group called “Test” by clicking the “Create a Group” link ( subdomain.domain.org/groups/create/ ), a subdomain group named “Test” ( test.subdomain.domain.org/wp-admin/ ) appears under my “My Sites” link at the top of my subdomain’s Home Page (and other subdomain “Test” pages too). At this link, I can select from a dropdown menu either, Dashboard, New Post, Manage Comments, or Visit Site.” So, by creating a Group, I created a new subdomain that serves as the Group itself.

Hence, a subdomain group structure does indeed exist, by design, and was either intended but not advertised by the developers (of WordPress or Buddypress), or not intended but resulted from a programming loophole or error.

So, which is it? Can anyone else shed some light on this mystery?
Is anyone willing to try it, to verify that this does indeed work?

More . . . The group ends up being, in effect, a subdomain of a subdomain.

I’m a core developer on the BuddyPress and Commons In A Box projects so I can tell you that the BuddyPress Groups component does not support subdomain URL structures the way you describe.

So, how is it true that when I created a Group called “Test” by clicking the “Create a Group” link ( subdomain.domain.org/groups/create/ ), a subdomain group named “Test” ( test.subdomain.domain.org/wp-admin/ ) appears under my “My Sites” link at the top of my subdomain’s Home Page (and other subdomain “Test” pages too). At this link, I can select from a dropdown menu either, Dashboard, New Post, Manage Comments, or Visit Site.” So, by creating a Group, I created a new subdomain that serves as the Group itself.

This might be a side-effect of the BP Groupblog plugin if you created a groupblog during group creation. Creating a groupblog during group creation would create a WordPress site (in theory). I haven’t gone through this process in awhile, so I’d need to verify.

Thank you for taking some time to investigate this matter further.

Yes, all of my recommended Commons-In-A-Box plugins were activated by default for my subdomain, including the BP Groupblog plugin. I haven’t changed them. I also enabled bp_enable_multiblog in my wp-config.php file. So, I like the result of the subdomain group named “test” appearing as a WordPress site (subdomain of a subdomain) at test.subdomain.domain.org where it can have its own group blog and wiki within the menu at the top of the page, and I can have complete control over its menu items.

However, at the same time that I created the sudomain group called “test”, another subdomain group having the same name was created at subdomain.domain.org/groups/test/ which seems to be the commonly accepted and supported method for creating groups. But I don’t like this group structure for these 3 main reasons:

1) Having two menus on the same page (i.e. the subdomain menu at the top of the page, and the group menu on the right side of the page in the widget area) can be confusing for new group members.
2) I can’t find the page for controlling the particular widget for the group menu on the right side of the page (in the widget area).
3) There are no links on group menu that allow me to create a Group Wiki. There are, however, links to the following pages, some of which I may not need and would like the ability to delete (if I can find the page that shows the control for this widget):
a) Join Group
b) Home
c) Forum
d) Announcements
e) Blog
f) Docs
g) Members
h) Manage