Proper Network Activation
When running WordPress MultiSite, you have a very handy feature called network activation. It allows you to activate a plugin for the entire network of sites. The trouble is that it only does half the job.
Consider an alternative
Proper Network Activation shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 20+ sites, is rated 4.3/5 and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 33/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- No update in 13 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.5 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Proper Network Activation stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| activation | >100 |
| admin | >100 |
| multisite | >100 |
| plugins | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4.3 from 7 reviews
About Proper Network Activation
From the official readme · v1.0.5Description
When running WordPress MultiSite, you have a very handy feature called network activation. It allows you to activate a plugin for the entire network of sites. The trouble is that it only does half the job.
Some plugins have an install procedure that is meant to be run only on activation. However, when you do a network activation, that install procedure is only run for the current site. So, you end up with plugins not working properly on all the other sites.
What this plugin does:
- when doing a network de/activation, it triggers the de/activation hook on all sites in the network
- when creating a new site, it triggers the activation hook for all active network plugins on that site
Links: Plugin News | Author’s Site
Development
- Contribute Code at https://github.com/scribu/wp-proper-network-activation
- Contribute Translations at https://translate.foe-services.de/projects/proper-network-activation
Installation
- Download and unzip
- Put the proper-network-activation.php file in /wp-content/mu-plugins/
OR:
- Install automatically from the WordPress admin
- Activate it network wide
Changelog
1.0.5
- full internationalization support + German translation. props cfoellmann
1.0.4
- more obvious user messages
- fixed notice
1.0.3
- prevent double activation for current blog
- WP 3.1 compatibility
1.0.2
- fix fatal error due to undefined html() function
1.0.1
- activate 5 sites a time, via AJAX requests
1.0
- initial release
- more info
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Proper Network Activation alternatives
All activation plugins →
FAQ
Proper Network Activation: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 28, 2026
Is Proper Network Activation free?
Yes. Proper Network Activation is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Proper Network Activation safe to use in 2026?
Proper Network Activation shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 20+ sites, is rated 4.3/5 and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 33/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Proper Network Activation?
Proper Network Activation is active on 20+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 33,028 times since it launched in July 2010. It was downloaded 97 times in the last 30 days.
Does Proper Network Activation work with WordPress 7.1?
Proper Network Activation is officially tested up to WordPress 3.5.2, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Proper Network Activation last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.5, was released on March 14, 2013 (14 years ago).
Who makes Proper Network Activation?
Proper Network Activation is developed and maintained by scribu.
What are the best alternatives to Proper Network Activation?
The most popular alternatives to Proper Network Activation are Unconfirmed (1K+ installs), BP Disable Activation Reloa… (800+ installs) and User Activation Keys (100+ installs).
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