Frappe Sites in Frappe Framework (v15): Complete Documentation

Introduction — What Are Sites in Frappe?

A Site in the Frappe Framework is a self-contained environment that stores:

• Its own database
• Its own files and private files
• Its own site configuration (site_config.json)
• References to installed apps
• Authentication, users, permissions
• Cache, logs, and runtime settings

In simple terms:

• An App contains features
• A Site stores data and configuration

One app can be installed on multiple sites, and each site can have multiple apps installed—making Frappe a powerful multi-tenant platform.

How Sites Work in Frappe Framework v15

A site acts as a tenant. It defines:

• Which apps are installed
• The database to use
• Redis and caching settings
• Email configurations
• System language
• Installed modules
• System-wide settings

Under frappe-bench/sites/, each folder is a site.

Example:

frappe-bench/
└── sites/
├── site1.local/
├── site2.com/
├── common_site_config.json
└── apps.txt

What Does a Frappe Site Contain?

Inside each site folder:

site-name/
│
├── site_config.json
├── apps.txt
├── private/
├── public/
│ └── files/
├── logs/
├── database.sqlite (if SQLite)
└── .DS_Store (ignored)

Key components

Frappe automatically reads these directories to determine how the site operates.

Understanding site_config.json (Frappe v15)

This is the most important file in a site:

Example:

{
"db_name": "site1_local",
"db_password": "iB5Hnx39cJfLz8Zr",
"enabled": 1,
"developer_mode": 1,
"encryption_key": "WvCq9r4Gk...=="
}

Common keys

Creating a New Site (Frappe v15)

Use Bench:

bench new-site mysite.local

It will ask you for:

• MariaDB root password
• Administrator password

After creation:

• A new site folder appears under /sites
• Database is created
• site_config.json is generated

Installing Apps on a Site

Example:

bench --site mysite.local install-app erpnext

The site now contains all DocTypes and features from ERPNext.

Multi-Site Architecture in Frappe v15

Frappe supports multi-tenancy out of the box.

There are two modes:

1. Port-based multi-site

Each site runs on different ports.
Best for development environments.

2. Host-based multi-site

Each site is mapped to a domain using Nginx.
Best for production deployments.

Mapping domains:

Edit:

sites/site1.com/site_config.json

Add:

"host_name": "https://site1.com"

Then rebuild config:

bench setup nginx
bench restart

Site-Level File Storage

Public Files

Located in:

sites/site-name/public/files/

Accessible via:

/files/<filename>

Private Files

sites/site-name/private/files/

Not accessible publicly.

Generated through:

frappe.utils.file_manager.save_file(...)

Frappe enforces access control before serving private files.

Common Bench Commands for Sites

List sites

bench list-sites

Switch to a site

bench --site mysite.local

Backup a site

bench --site mysite.local backup

Drop a site

bench drop-site mysite.local

Site Lifecycle — How a Site Loads in Frappe

When a request arrives:

1. Hostname is matched to a site folder
2. Frappe loads site_config.json
3. Database connection is created
4. Installed apps (apps.txt) are loaded
5. Caches & hooks are initialized
6. Controllers handle API or UI rendering

This modular loading sequence is what enables complete isolation between tenants.

Cross-References (Recommended Next Steps)

To build full understanding, continue with:

• Apps in Frappe v15
• Directory Structure of Frappe
• How to Create a Site in Frappe
• DocTypes Overview (v15)
• Controller Methods
• Hooks in Frappe v15

Conclusion

Sites are the core of Frappe’s multi-tenant architecture.
They store all business data, configurations, user settings, and runtime state.
By keeping code in apps and data in sites, Frappe ensures:

• Modular deployments
• Clean upgrades
• Multi-company hosting
• Easy scaling

Understanding how sites work is essential for developing, deploying, and managing ERPNext and custom applications in Frappe Framework Version 15.