From a582a87d7270849d77ea4c3122e21cb3fef4fbd6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: David Stone Date: Thu, 7 May 2026 15:52:50 -0600 Subject: [PATCH] docs(cloudways): warn against using network wildcard in WU_CLOUDWAYS_EXTRA_DOMAINS Following the previous wizard guidance, users were including their own network's subdomain wildcard (e.g. *.your-network.com) in WU_CLOUDWAYS_EXTRA_DOMAINS. Combined with a manually-installed Cloudways wildcard SSL certificate, this prevented Cloudways from issuing Let's Encrypt certificates for per-tenant custom domains, leaving them without SSL. - Replace the misleading wildcard example with a non-wildcard one. - Reframe WU_CLOUDWAYS_EXTRA_DOMAINS as for external domains only. - Add a prominent 'Wildcard SSL Pitfall' section explaining the recommended Cloudways SSL setup (standard Let's Encrypt for the network domain, DNS-only wildcard for tenant subdomains). - Note that the integration always requests standard (non-wildcard) Let's Encrypt certificates and strips '*.' from any wildcard supplied in WU_CLOUDWAYS_EXTRA_DOMAINS before the SSL request. Refs Ultimate-Multisite/ultimate-multisite#1141 --- .../host-integrations/cloudways-instructions.php | 16 ++++++++++++++-- 1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/views/wizards/host-integrations/cloudways-instructions.php b/views/wizards/host-integrations/cloudways-instructions.php index 92f9ffce7..9ce7860d7 100644 --- a/views/wizards/host-integrations/cloudways-instructions.php +++ b/views/wizards/host-integrations/cloudways-instructions.php @@ -20,10 +20,22 @@

Additional Step – Extra Domains

The Cloudways API is a bit strange in that it doesn’t offer a way to add or remove just one domain, only a way to update the whole domain list. That means that Ultimate Multisite will replace all domains you might have there with the list of mapped domains of the network every time a new domain is added.

-

If there are domains you want to keep on the list, use the WU_CLOUDWAYS_EXTRA_DOMAINS as demonstrated below, with a comma-separated list of the domains you wanna keep (this is useful if you need a wildcard setting, for example, that needs to be on that list at all times).

- 
define('WU_CLOUDWAYS_EXTRA_DOMAINS', '*.yourdomain.com,extradomain1.com,extradomain2.com');
+

If there are external domains you want kept on the Cloudways aliases list (domains outside your multisite network — for example, a separate marketing site or a parked domain), use the WU_CLOUDWAYS_EXTRA_DOMAINS constant with a comma-separated list:

+ 
define('WU_CLOUDWAYS_EXTRA_DOMAINS', 'extradomain1.com,extradomain2.com');

Here’s how it should look on your wp-config.php (fake values used below):

+

+

+

+

+
    +
    2. +
    3. +
    4. +
+

+

+

You’re all set!

Now, every time a new domain is mapped in the network (via the Aliases tab by the network admin or via the custom domain meta-box on the user’s Account page) will be added to the Cloudways platform automatically.

The same is true for domain removals. Every time a domain is deleted from the network, that change will be communicated to your Cloudways account instantly!