A client with an online store on 1C-Bitrix faces the task: showing different prices in Moscow and Yekaterinburg without creating duplicates for search engines. We solve it through a subdomain architecture and regional price types. Over the years, we've implemented more than 50 projects — from small stores to catalogs with 100,000 items. In one case for a chain with 15 regions, we set up subdomains with individual catalogs — after a quarter, regional traffic grew by 40%. Setting up Bitrix subdomains and regional site versions requires accurate IP-based region determination, and proper implementation of geo-targeting and SEO for a multi-regional site yields a significant boost. Contact us — we'll audit your project in 2 days. Our certified 1C-Bitrix specialists guarantee code quality.
How to choose an architecture for multi-regionality?
Three approaches: subdomains, directories, GET parameters. The first two work, the third is bad for SEO. Let's compare in a table.
| Approach | Example URL | Complexity | SEO effectiveness | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subdomains | msk.example.com | High | Best | For large projects |
| Directories | example.com/msk/ | Medium | Good | For medium and small |
| GET parameter | example.com/?region=msk | Low | Poor | Not recommended |
Subdomains require a separate Bitrix installation for each region or multi-site functionality (b_lang). We prefer subdomains: they give clean URLs and allow setting geo-targeting in Yandex.Webmaster. Subdomains are better than directories: regional traffic growth up to 40% (client data). Directories are easier to administer — one site, identical templates, but more complex in SEO (regional ranking is less pronounced). For a store with 10 regions, we use subdomains; for 2-3, directories. In the 1C-Bitrix documentation multi-site through b_lang is described.
Why are subdomains preferable to directories?
Subdomains form separate sites with independent history and the ability to bind to a region in Yandex.Webmaster. Directories are sections of one site, which limits geo-targeting. Practice shows: for 5+ regions, subdomains pay off in 3-6 months due to traffic growth, and for 2-3 regions, directories save up to 30% on maintenance budget. This reduces maintenance costs by up to 30%.
Regional prices through price types
The key pain is showing different costs in different cities. In Bitrix, this is solved through price types. You create a "Moscow" and "Regions" price type, link them to user groups. When the region changes, the user is moved to the corresponding group.
Example implementation:
// When region changes $USER->Update($userId, ['GROUP_ID' => [$regionGroupId]]); // In the catalog component — specify the desired price type $arParams['PRICE_CODE'] = ['Moscow', 'Regions']; For automatic region detection, we use Sypex Geo. Algorithm: get IP, determine city, match to region, save choice in cookie. If region is not determined — show a popup with selection. All data is cached with region awareness to avoid overloading the database. Thanks to this scheme, clients save up to 40% on SEO costs due to the absence of duplicates and correct ranking.
Which SEO settings are mandatory?
- Canonical: on each subdomain, the canonical URL points to the current regional version.
- Geo-targeting: in Yandex.Webmaster, bind the subdomain to a region.
- sitemap: for each subdomain, a separate map.
- hreflang: not needed for one language.
Additionally, we configure robots.txt for each subdomain and use tagged caching to avoid content mixing.
Example robots.txt configuration for a subdomain
User-agent: * Disallow: /bitrix/ Disallow: /upload/ Sitemap: https://msk.example.com/sitemap.xmlImplementation timeline and stages
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| Audit and design | 3–5 days |
| Subdomain and regional price setup | 5–10 days |
| Region detection (IP+popup) | 2–3 days |
| SEO settings and testing | 3–5 days |
| Deployment and documentation | 2–3 days |
Total timeline — from 2 to 6 weeks depending on the number of regions and catalog complexity. Cost is calculated individually. Contact us — we'll calculate an exact plan for your project.
What's included in the work
- Architectural documentation.
- Configured subdomains/directories.
- Regional prices and user groups.
- Region detection mechanism via Sypex Geo with cookie persistence.
- SEO settings (canonical, sitemap, geo-targeting).
- Testing and bug fixing.
- 1 month support after launch.
Implementation process
- Audit of current site — infoblocks, templates, modules.
- Architecture design — choosing approach, creating multi-site structure.
- Setting up regional prices and user groups.
- Implementing automatic region detection via IP (Sypex Geo) and selection popup.
- Developing content filters (phones, addresses, delivery conditions).
- SEO settings — canonical, sitemap, geo-targeting.
- Testing on production server and deployment.
- Handover of documentation and training.
Example region detection function:
function detectRegionByIp($ip) { $geo = new SxGeo('SxGeo.dat', SXGEO_BATCH); $city = $geo->get($ip); return $city['city']['id'] ?? 0; } Evaluate your project — get a consultation and preliminary work plan. Warranty on code — 12 months. Order an audit today.