What is it?
“Federated Sites” is Newspack’s term for grouping multiple publications belonging to a single organization. There are currently two federated site options — multibranded or network.
- Multibranded: Allows for a single site to represent many brands, with unique colors and logo for each. Content is assigned a parent brand to determine the appropriate styles, but placement of the content can be shared across many or all brand landing pages and archives.
- Newspack Network: Each publication is a standalone site with a unique URL, but are all connected in a single network with an aggregated database.
Site Solution Comparison Guide
Here’s the key differences between standalone sites, multibranded sites, and Network site setups in Newspack.
General Site Structure
| Feature | Standalone sites | Multibranded sites | Network sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of WordPress/Newspack instances | One or more | One instance with sections displaying multiple brands | One or more |
| Domains | One domain per site | One primary domain | One domain per site |
| Branding, Layout & Design | Independently branded; no layout/design limitations. | Sections have separate branding (name, logo, colors, menus) but share a uniform layout. | Independently branded; no layout limitations. |
Editorial Workflow and Story Management
| Feature | Standalone sites | Multibranded sites | Network sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editorial workflow | Managed independently per site. | Managed centrally in a single dashboard. Content is assigned a primary brand but can appear across multiple brand landing/story pages. | Stories can be managed centrally or per site. Editors can switch between publications. |
| Story sharing/syncing | Not a native feature. | Stories can appear in multiple section fronts but are assigned to a single brand. Full story displays under the assigned brand. | Stories can be universally or selectively synced across the network of sites. Updates apply universally unless a story is “unlinked.” |
Advertising and Revenue
| Feature | Standalone sites | Multibranded sites | Network sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising | Can use a single or unique Google Ad Manager (GAM) account per site. | Single GAM account, centrally managed. Ads can appear across all sections or target specific brands. | Can use a single or unique GAM account per site. |
| Campaigns / Calls-to-action | Managed independently per site. | Can be configured to display on specific brands. | Managed independently per site. User data is synced, allowing donor targeting across sites. |
User Accounts and Audience Development
| Feature | Standalone sites | Multibranded sites | Network sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| User accounts | Separate user accounts for each site. | Single user account across all brands. | When a reader registers on any site, the account is propagated to all network sites, allowing recognition across sites. |
| Audience management | Managed independently per site. | Managed centrally. | Each site has an independent user database, but transactions (registrations, donations, signups) are aggregated in a central dashboard. |
| Audience segmentation and targeting | Managed independently per site. | Managed centrally; individual brands can be targeted. | Managed independently per site. Users are recognized across the network (if logged in). Donors on one site can be targeted when visiting another. |
| Content access and gating | Managed independently per site. | Managed centrally with shared access rules across all brands. | Access is tied to the site where the user registered but can be extended across the network. |
Reporting and Data Syncing
| Feature | Standalone sites | Multibranded sites | Network sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting and analytics | Independent Google Analytics (GA) and Parse.ly accounts. | Single GA and Parse.ly account. | Independent GA and Parse.ly accounts per site. |
| Email system data syncing | Single ESP with multiple lists or separate ESP accounts. | Single ESP with multiple lists by brand; user data is consolidated in one account. | Sites can use the same or separate ESP accounts. If connected to the same, site-specific metadata can be tagged with a prefix. |
Miscellaneous Features
| Feature | Standalone sites | Multibranded sites | Network sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSS feeds | Each site has its own RSS feed. | Each brand has a custom RSS feed. | Each site has its own RSS feed. |
| Widgets | Managed independently per site. | Visibility of widgets can be controlled per brand. | Managed independently per site. |
| Social sharing | Each site requires its own social media accounts (one per service, per site) for auto-sharing. | A single set of social media accounts is shared across all brands for auto-sharing. | Each site requires its own social media accounts (one per service, per site) for auto-sharing. |