Sitecore XP fundamentals and day-to-day solutions—admin tasks, forms, Helix practices, and real project troubleshooting.

Sitecore

Sitecore XM Cloud guides—publishing, serialization, GraphQL, Experience Edge, workflows, and cloud-native Sitecore delivery.

Sitecore XM Cloud

Sitecore Search tutorials—API crawlers, feed crawlers, SFTP indexing, pagination strategies, and search configuration.

Sitecore Search

Sitecore Content Serialization (SCS) patterns for XM Cloud and XP— module.json setup, sync workflows, and multi-site serialization.

Content Serialization

Sitecore Forms with webhooks, Sitecore Connect, and practical form integration patterns for modern Sitecore solutions.

Sitecore Forms

Sitecore Content Hub and DAM connector guides—browse, search, and insert digital assets into XM Cloud and Experience Editor.

Content Hub / DAM

Community highlights, Stack Exchange contributions, blogging milestones, and Sitecore ecosystem engagement.

Community

A Solr dashboard with green nodes is not a cluster you can trust. The real test is what happens when one node goes offline, or Sitecore starts a rebuild.

Sitecore leans on search for content management, publishing, delivery, and personalization. SolrCloud is the usual way to give those indexes high availability: several Solr nodes, an external ZooKeeper ensemble for coordination, HTTPS in front, and a private load balancer so Sitecore never talks to a single host.

This walkthrough is a Windows lab you can take into a real environment:

Java 17 on every Solr and ZooKeeper server
Five external ZooKeeper members
Solr 9.8.1 in cloud mode (Sitecore XP 10.4.1 documents this pairing — confirm it for your update)
HTTPS before the first node joins
NSSM Windows services with log redirection
Collections, aliases, and Sitecore switch-on-rebuild

Host names and paths below are placeholders. Use your DNS, certificates, and approved binaries. Do not mix Command Prompt (^ continuation) and PowerShell in one command.

What you are building

Sitecore → private load balancer → a healthy Solr node

Solr nodes talk to each other and to ZooKeeper. The load balancer protects the Sitecore entry point. It does not replace replicas or ZooKeeper quorum.

Sitecore SolrCloud architecture: Sitecore roles through a private load balancer to Solr nodes coordinated by ZooKeeper

| Term | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| Collection | Logical index |
| Shard | One slice of that index |
| Replica | A copy of a shard |
| Alias | Stable name that can point at a collection |
| Chroot / namespace | ZooKeeper path that isolates Solr metadata, typically /solr |

Five ZooKeeper voters need three members for quorum. Put them in separate failure domains. Apache recommends an external ensemble in production rather than Solr’s embedded ZooKeeper.

Example names:

| Component | Example |
| --- | --- |
| ZooKeeper | zk01 … zk05 |
| Solr | solr01.example.internal, solr02.example.internal, solr03.example.internal |
| Load balancer | search.example.internal |
| Paths | C:\zookeeper, C:\solr\solr-9.8.1 |
| Namespace | /solr |

Open only the ports you need on a private network: 2181 (ZooKeeper clients), 2888/3888 (ZooKeeper peers), 8983 (Solr HTTPS), 443 (Sitecore → load balancer). Do not expose ZooKeeper or Solr admin to the public internet.

Inventory every index first (core, master, web, custom, modules). Treat xConnect as a separate rebuild.

Stack used in this walkthrough

| Component | Version |
| --- | --- |
| Windows Server | 2019 / 2022 |
| Java | JDK 17 |
| Apache ZooKeeper | 3.8.x (external ensemble) |
| Apache Solr | 9.8.1 |
| NSSM | 2.24 |

Solr 9.8.1 can ship with a newer bundled ZooKeeper. This article uses an external 3.8.x ensemble so Solr and ZooKeeper can fail independently. Pick one pairing, verify it against Sitecore’s compatibility table, and stay consistent.

1. Java 17

Install the approved 64-bit JDK 17 on every Solr and ZooKeeper server. Set a system JAVA_HOME (for example C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-17.0.20), add %JAVA_HOME%\bin to the system Path, apply the change, and restart the host so Windows services see the same environment as your shell.

Windows Environment Variables dialog with JAVA_HOME set to JDK 17

Verify from an elevated Command Prompt:

java -version

You want a 64-bit HotSpot build, not a leftover Java 8 on PATH.

Command Prompt showing java -version for JDK 17

Confirm DNS as well:

$env:JAVA_HOME
Get-Command java
Resolve-DnsName zk01
Resolve-DnsName solr01.example.internal

Use real DNS that points at the intended hosts. Mapping a cluster name to 127.0.0.1 will break peer communication even if Solr Admin “works” in a browser on that box. Certificates must cover the DNS names you advertise in SOLR_HOST.

Download Solr and ZooKeeper from Apache, verify checksums, and record the exact maintenance releases.

2. ZooKeeper ensemble

Extract apache-zookeeper--bin to C:\zookeeper on each member. Create C:\zookeeper\data. Copy conf\zoo_sample.cfg to conf\zoo.cfg and keep the *same** cluster definition on every node:

tickTime=10000
initLimit=10
syncLimit=5
dataDir=C:/zookeeper/data
clientPort=2181
4lw.commands.whitelist=ruok,mntr,stat,srvr,conf
admin.enableServer=true
admin.serverPort=8080
server.1=zk01:2888:3888
server.2=zk02:2888:3888
server.3=zk03:2888:3888
server.4=zk04:2888:3888
server.5=zk05:2888:3888

tickTime=10000 is more forgiving on Windows than the 2000 ms sample. If you enable the ZooKeeper admin port, keep it on the private network.

Create myid (plain file, not myid.txt). On zk01:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force C:\zookeeper\data
Set-Content C:\zookeeper\data\myid -Value '1' -Encoding Ascii
Get-Content C:\zookeeper\data\myid

Use 2 through 5 on the other members. If Windows saved myid.txt:

Rename-Item C:\zookeeper\data\myid.txt -NewName myid

Do not clone another member’s data directory.

Allow the ensemble ports:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "ZooKeeper 2181" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 2181 -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "ZooKeeper 2888" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 2888 -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "ZooKeeper 3888" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 3888 -Action Allow

Start one member from Command Prompt and confirm it can form a cluster once the others are up:

cd /d C:\zookeeper
bin\zkServer.cmd

Connect:

C:\zookeeper\bin\zkCli.cmd -server zk01:2181

At the prompt: ls / then quit. You should see [zookeeper]. You want one leader and four followers. A TCP connect or ruok alone is not enough.

Create the Solr chroot once:

create /solr ""
ls /
quit

Expected: [solr, zookeeper]. You can also create it later with solr.cmd zk mkroot. A cluster started with .../solr is not the same as one without it — pick the namespace and use it everywhere.

3. NSSM service for ZooKeeper

Stop the manual process. From an elevated prompt in the NSSM win64 folder:

nssm install zookeeper

| Setting | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Path | C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe |
| Startup directory | C:\zookeeper\bin |
| Arguments | /c call C:\zookeeper\bin\zkServer.cmd |

NSSM Application tab for the ZooKeeper Windows service

On the I/O tab, send stdout/stderr to files you can rotate:

NSSM I/O tab redirecting ZooKeeper stdout and stderr to log files

Create C:\zookeeper\logs first. Install the service, then:

nssm start zookeeper

Use a dedicated account with Log on as a service, automatic start, and file rotation. Stopping the wrapper must not leave an orphaned Java process.

Start all five members. Confirm quorum before you start Solr.

4. Solr 9.8.1, HTTPS, and cluster properties

Extract Solr 9.8.1 to C:\solr\solr-9.8.1 on each Solr host.

Declare the chroot and HTTPS before nodes join. From Command Prompt:

cd /d C:\solr\solr-9.8.1
set "ZK_SERVERS=zk01:2181,zk02:2181,zk03:2181,zk04:2181,zk05:2181"
set "ZK_CLUSTER=%ZK_SERVERS%/solr"
bin\solr.cmd zk mkroot /solr -z "%ZK_SERVERS%"
bin\solr.cmd cluster --property urlScheme --value https -z "%ZK_CLUSTER%"

If /solr already exists from ZooKeeper CLI, mkroot may report that — that is fine. Confirm:

C:\zookeeper\bin\zkCli.cmd -server zk01:2181
ls /solr
get /solr/clusterprops.json

You should see "urlScheme":"https".

Certificates

Each Solr node needs a certificate whose SANs match its advertised DNS name. The load balancer needs a cert for search.example.internal if it terminates TLS.

Windows certificate stores and Java truststores are separate. After you import the PFX, open certlm.msc and confirm the server certificate is under Certificates (Local Computer) → Personal → Certificates. That check is useful for Windows and for the load balancer. It still does not configure Solr’s JVM — Solr reads the keystore you set in solr.in.cmd.

$password = ConvertTo-SecureString $env:SOLR_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD -AsPlainText -Force
Import-PfxCertificate `
  -FilePath "C:\solr\solr-9.8.1\server\etc\solr-ssl.p12" `
  -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\LocalMachine\My" `
  -Password $password `
  -Exportable

Windows Certificates MMC showing Personal certificates after importing the Solr TLS certificate

If you have an existing JKS from an older Solr 8 node, convert it to PKCS12 (Command Prompt). Use a secret store for passwords — never commit them:

keytool -importkeystore ^
-srckeystore "C:\solr\solr-9.8.1\server\etc\solr-ssl.jks" ^
-srcstorepass %SOLR_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD% ^
-destkeystore "C:\solr\solr-9.8.1\server\etc\solr-ssl.p12" ^
-deststoretype PKCS12 ^
-deststorepass %SOLR_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD%

List the store and confirm the private key aliases. The keystore password and key password must match. A mismatch shows up as cannot recover key / UnrecoverableKeyException when Jetty starts.

Place the keystore and truststore under server\etc. In bin\solr.in.cmd (example for node 1):

set SOLR_JAVA_MEM=-Xms1024m -Xmx1024m
set "SOLR_HOST=solr01.example.internal"
set "SOLR_JETTY_HOST=0.0.0.0"
set "ZK_HOST=zk01:2181,zk02:2181,zk03:2181,zk04:2181,zk05:2181/solr"
set "SOLR_SSL_ENABLED=true"
set "SOLR_SSL_KEY_STORE=C:\solr\solr-9.8.1\server\etc\solr-ssl.p12"
set "SOLR_SSL_KEY_STORE_PASSWORD=%SOLR_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD%"
set "SOLR_SSL_TRUST_STORE=C:\solr\solr-9.8.1\server\etc\solr-ssl.p12"
set "SOLR_SSL_TRUST_STORE_PASSWORD=%SOLR_TRUSTSTORE_PASSWORD%"
set "SOLR_SSL_NEED_CLIENT_AUTH=false"
set "SOLR_SSL_WANT_CLIENT_AUTH=false"
set "SOLR_SSL_CHECK_PEER_NAME=true"
set "SOLR_OPTS=%SOLR_OPTS% -Dlog4j2.formatMsgNoLookups=true"

Use each node’s own SOLR_HOST. The 1 GB heap is a starting value for a small lab, not production sizing. Do not disable hostname verification to hide a trust error. Do not point ZK_HOST at localhost on a multi-node cluster.

If Solr nodes cannot reach each other on 8983:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Solr 8983" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 8983 -Action Allow

5. Start Solr and install the Windows service

Foreground start (Command Prompt) so you can read the first error:

cd /d C:\solr\solr-9.8.1
bin\solr.cmd start -c -f -p 8983 ^
-z "zk01:2181,zk02:2181,zk03:2181,zk04:2181,zk05:2181/solr"

-c is cloud mode; -f keeps the process in the foreground. Both (or all three) nodes must appear in the same Cloud → Nodes view with reachable HTTPS URLs. Stop the manual process before installing the service so two JVMs do not fight for 8983.

nssm install solr-9.8.1

A practical Application tab:

| Setting | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Path | C:\solr\solr-9.8.1\bin\solr.cmd |
| Startup directory | C:\solr\solr-9.8.1\bin |
| Arguments | start -c -f -p 8983 |

Solr still reads ZK_HOST (including /solr) from solr.in.cmd. You can also set ZK_HOST and SOLR_HOST on NSSM’s Environment tab — they must match the files on disk.

NSSM Application tab for Solr 9.8.1

Redirect logs:

NSSM I/O tab redirecting Solr stdout and stderr

On the Environment tab, set ZK_HOST and SOLR_HOST so the service matches solr.in.cmd after a reboot:

NSSM Environment tab with ZK_HOST and SOLR_HOST for Solr

Create C:\solr\logs first. Start ZooKeeper, confirm quorum, then start Solr. After a reboot, confirm membership, the /solr chroot, and certificate trust again.

Open Solr Admin over HTTPS and check Cloud → Nodes. Every live node should show the same collections once you create them. A dead node in a red row is a replica problem, not “the dashboard is slow.”

Solr Admin Cloud Nodes view with live and dead Solr nodes

6. Sitecore configset, collections, aliases

Use the configset and tooling for your Sitecore release. Do not overlay an old Solr 8.4 install onto 9.8.1, and do not copy raw Solr 8 index folders into 9.

Sitecore’s SolrCloud guidance typically sets _uniqueid as the required unique key and turns off automatic field creation. Keep the managed-schema workflow your release expects. maxShardsPerNode was removed in Solr 9 — do not send it on CREATE.

Upload once:

cd /d C:\solr\solr-9.8.1
bin\solr.cmd zk upconfig ^
-z "zk01:2181,zk02:2181,zk03:2181,zk04:2181,zk05:2181/solr" ^
-n sitecore-content-v1 ^
-d C:\solr\configsets\sitecore-content-v1\conf

Confirm sitecore-content-v1 under /solr/configs. Editing files on disk after upload does not update the cluster.

Create the live and rebuild collections (PowerShell). Add your org’s auth method — do not put credentials in a script you share.

$solrBase = 'https://solr01.example.internal:8983/solr'
$api = "$solrBase/admin/collections"
$collections = @('sitecore_web_index', 'sitecore_web_index_rebuild')
foreach ($name in $collections) {
  Invoke-RestMethod -Method Post -Uri $api -Body @{
    action = 'CREATE'
    name = $name
    numShards = 1
    nrtReplicas = 2
    'collection.configName' = 'sitecore-content-v1'
    wt = 'json'
  }
}

Both replicas for each shard should be active on different hosts. Do not rerun CREATE against an existing collection. Repeat for every Sitecore index that will live on this cluster.

Initialize switch-on-rebuild aliases once:

$aliases = @{
  sitecore_web_indexMainAlias = 'sitecore_web_index'
  sitecore_web_indexRebuildAlias = 'sitecore_web_index_rebuild'
}
foreach ($alias in $aliases.Keys) {
  Invoke-RestMethod -Method Post -Uri $api -Body @{
    action = 'CREATEALIAS'
    name = $alias
    collections = $aliases[$alias]
    wt = 'json'
  }
}
Invoke-RestMethod "${api}?action=LISTALIASES&wt=json"

After a rebuild, alias targets may switch. Do not reset them on every deployment. Repeat only for indexes configured for switch-on-rebuild, using Sitecore’s effective names. Budget disk for both collections and all replicas.

7. Point Sitecore at the cluster

Put Solr nodes behind the private load balancer with backend cert validation and a health probe. Fail one backend through the LB URL before Sitecore uses it.

Connection string on the applicable roles:



Use the key and port your release actually ships. When nodes are private, review ContentSearch.IndexingManager.DisplayShortStatistic so Indexing Manager does not try to hit nodes directly.

On the one instance that owns rebuilds, use the cloud switch type (merge into the existing index definition — keep crawlers and strategies):


  $(id)MainAlias
  $(id)RebuildAlias
  $(id)
  $(id)_rebuild


Other instances use SolrSearchIndex with core set to the main alias. Only one writer should own switching for a given index.

Then: populate managed schema for both collections, rebuild from Indexing Manager, and verify required fields in both destinations. Rebuild xConnect with its own tooling — a Content Search rebuild does not prove xConnect.

8. Prove search and failover

Publish a known test item and confirm the web result: language, security, facets, paging, computed fields.

Invoke-RestMethod "${api}?action=CLUSTERSTATUS&wt=json"
Invoke-RestMethod "${api}?action=LISTALIASES&wt=json"
Invoke-RestMethod "$solrBase/sitecore_web_indexMainAlias/select?q=:&rows=0"

numFound is useful, but Sitecore often writes multiple documents per item (languages/versions). A count gap is a reason to investigate, not automatic proof of data loss.

In non-production, run these one at a time and restore health between them:

| Test | What you should see |
| --- | --- |
| Stop one Solr node | Queries through the LB continue; remaining replicas active |
| Restart that node | Replicas recover to active |
| Stop one of five ZK members | Quorum remains; cluster ops continue |
| Rebuild the web index | Search stays usable; aliases switch to the new collection |
| Reboot a Windows host | Services return with the same /solr namespace and cert trust |

Never stop enough ZooKeeper voters to lose quorum during a routine rolling test. Replicas are not a backup: they also copy deletes.

For a Solr 8.4 → 9.8.1 move, prefer a parallel cluster and rebuild from source. Keep the old environment for a defined rollback window, and restore the matching Sitecore config if you roll back.

Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Look at first |
| --- | --- |
| Nodes form two clusters | ZK_HOST and the /solr suffix — they must match everywhere |
| No ZooKeeper quorum | myid, DNS, 2888/3888, NSSM stderr |
| Connection refused on ZK | Client port 2181 and the host you actually dialed |
| cannot recover key | Keystore type, key password = store password, file ACLs |
| TLS / hostname failure | SANs vs advertised SOLR_HOST, trust chain on the client making the call |
| Sitecore dies when one Solr stops | Sitecore is not on the load balancer, or probes are wrong |
| Unknown fields / failed indexing | Configset on both collections |
| Rebuild “succeeds” but content is stale | Alias targets and which instance owns switching |
| Works interactively, fails as a service | Service account, JAVA_HOME, NSSM environment vs solr.in.cmd |
| Nodes cannot see each other | Firewall on 8983, and SOLR_JETTY_HOST=0.0.0.0 |

Read the earliest error in ZooKeeper, Solr, or Sitecore logs. A Sitecore timeout is often a Solr certificate problem that only shows on the node.

Official references worth keeping next to this lab: the Apache Solr reference guide, SolrCloud cluster types, and the ZooKeeper administrator’s guide.

That is the setup I would take into a lab before any production cutover: identical namespace, HTTPS declared up front, Windows services that survive a reboot, Sitecore on the load balancer, and failover proven with a real publish — not just a green dashboard.


How to Set Up SolrCloud with ZooKeeper for Sitecore on Windows

A few days ago I had the privilege of speaking at SUG Jaipur, and I want to start with a genuine thank you to the organizers for building a space where a room full of Sitecore people can connect, learn, and nerd out together for a few hours.

I opened with a simple question to the room: how many of you have used a Marketplace app inside SitecoreAI — and how many of you have actually built one?

The gap between those two answers is the entire reason this session existed. Plenty of us consume Marketplace apps every week without ever realizing how approachable it is to build one ourselves. So instead of a slide-only talk, we made this hands-on: we opened App Studio, configured an app from scratch, activated it, installed it, and watched it come alive inside SitecoreAI — live, in front of everyone.

Here's the full recap for anyone who couldn't make it, or wants a reference to come back to.

Session link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuEIjvOHqcA

First, let's clear up what "Sitecore Studio" actually means

A lot of people assume Sitecore Studio is one screen they log into. It isn't. It's really an umbrella term for four distinct components, each solving a different problem, each with its own entry point:

1. Agentic Studio

This is your home for AI-driven automation — building custom Agents and Flows directly inside SitecoreAI. Think of a content-review agent that checks every new page against your brand guidelines, or a flow that auto-routes approvals. You won't find a custom UI here — that's not its job. That belongs to App Studio.

2. App Studio

This is where the real engineering happens, and it's where we spent most of our session. App Studio lives inside the Sitecore Cloud Portal, and it's where developers build, configure, and publish custom applications using the Marketplace SDK.

Two roles matter a lot here, and mixing them up is a common source of confusion:

An Org Admin/Owner can build apps, install or upgrade them into environments, control access, and manually activate an app if it didn't auto-activate.
A developer without admin rights can usually still build and configure — but will need an admin to actually install and activate.
An Org User is purely on the consuming end: they use apps that are already installed, from inside the regular SitecoreAI interface.

3. Marketplace

This is the discovery-and-installation layer sitting on top of App Studio — essentially your internal app store. Once an app is built and activated in App Studio, Marketplace is where it gets listed, discovered by others in your org, and installed into a specific SitecoreAI environment.

One detail that trips people up: Marketplace only works with SitecoreAI. If your org is still running classic on-premises XP or XM, this entire framework doesn't apply to those environments.

4. Sitecore Connect

The integration layer — wiring data flows between Sitecore and external systems. Less about a custom UI, more about plumbing. Not typically what you reach for when building a Marketplace app.

Two decisions, and they are NOT the same decision

This is the part I really pushed on during the session, because I've seen even experienced developers conflate them. When you set out to build a Marketplace app, you make two completely independent choices.

Decision 1 — Who can see and use your app?

This is purely about audience.

My honest rule of thumb, and the one I gave the room: start as a Custom App. Go public only once you're genuinely confident it's polished enough for the world. You can always apply to make a Custom App public later — there's no rush to skip that step.

Decision 2 — How is your app built, technically?

This is about architecture — what's actually happening under the hood.

Client-Side App. The entire app runs in the user's browser. No server on your side at all. It calls SitecoreAI APIs directly from the browser and uses the Marketplace SDK's built-in authorization — meaning you don't set up any authentication yourself. Simplest possible starting point.

Full Stack App. Has both a server side and a client side, and can call SitecoreAI APIs from either. It uses custom Auth0 authorization provided by Sitecore, which takes more setup but buys you real flexibility.

When do you actually need Full Stack? The moment your app needs something that categorically cannot live in the browser — a third-party API that requires a secret key, a database, heavier processing, or any server-side logic. I made this point pretty bluntly on stage: if you hardcode a secret into browser-side code, anyone can pop open DevTools and read it in seconds. That's not a hypothetical risk, it's a five-second exercise for anyone curious.

Where does your app actually show up? (Extension Points)

An Extension Point is simply the location inside SitecoreAI where your app appears, chosen when you configure it in App Studio. There are five:

Standalone — surfaces in the Sitecore Cloud Portal, separate from the editing experience. Great for admin and management tools.
Full Screen — gets its own page, accessible from the SitecoreAI navigation header. Ideal for dashboards and workboxes — and the one we used for the live demo.
Page Builder Context Panel — lives in the side panel while someone is actively editing a page. Perfect for real-time feedback or live analytics that react to what the author is doing.
Page Builder Custom Field — opens as a popup when a specific field is clicked. Great for pulling in third-party data, like a product picker or an external media library.
Dashboard Widget — a tile on the site dashboard. Good for quick, at-a-glance summaries and stats.

Choosing the right one isn't just an aesthetic choice — it directly shapes how much context and control your app has access to, and how naturally it fits into an editor's or admin's actual workflow.

The Marketplace SDK: the bridge that makes it all real

Without the Marketplace SDK, your app is just a standalone website sitting somewhere, doing nothing useful — it has no way to talk to SitecoreAI at all. The SDK is what turns a regular web app into a real Marketplace app. It's also fully open-source, so nothing about how it talks to Sitecore is a black box — you can read the code and see exactly what's happening.

It ships as two separate npm packages, and you only install what your app actually needs:

Package 1 — @sitecore-marketplace-sdk/client (required, no exceptions)

npm install @sitecore-marketplace-sdk/client

This is the handshake package. It handles the core conversation between your app and SitecoreAI — who this app is, which environment it's running in, which extension point it loaded from, and who the current user is. Without it, SitecoreAI doesn't even know your app exists.

Package 2 — @sitecore-marketplace-sdk/xmc (optional)

npm install @sitecore-marketplace-sdk/xmc

Only needed if your app has to read or write actual Sitecore data — querying pages, reading content, making changes to a site. It handles the queries and mutations against SitecoreAI's APIs. If your app is purely displaying data from an external system and never touches Sitecore content, you can skip this one entirely.

Building a Custom App, step by step

This is the part we actually did live on stage, not just talked through in slides.

Step 1 — Sign in and open App Studio

Head to portal.sitecorecloud.io and sign in. What you see depends on your role: Org Admins get full create/manage access; regular users typically only see apps that are already installed.

Step 2 — Create the app

Click App Studio → Create app → choose Custom → Create. At this point your app exists in App Studio purely as a record. Nobody can see it, nothing is live — it's a placeholder with a name, nothing more.

Step 3 — Configure the app

This is the step where the details matter most, because nothing works until every field is correct:

Extension Point — for the demo, we chose Full Screen.
API Access — set the permissions your app actually needs.
Deployment URL — for local development, http://localhost:3000.
Logo URL — must be publicly hosted (a CDN, public cloud storage, or public website folder), at least 512 × 512 pixels, in JPG, PNG, or SVG.

Once everything's filled in, click Save.

Step 4 — Activate the app

Click Activate, review the confirmation screen, then Activate again. Here's the detail that confuses almost everyone the first time: activation is not the same as installation. Activating just tells Sitecore the app is fully configured and ready to be installed somewhere — it does not make it appear inside SitecoreAI yet.

Step 5 — Install the app

Go to My Apps, find your newly activated app, click Install, and pick the environment you want it installed into from the list the portal shows you.

Step 6 — Verify the installation

Confirm the app appears where you expect, in the extension point you configured, and behaves correctly for the users who need it.

Thanks again to SUG Jaipur for having me, and to everyone in the room who stuck around for the live build. If you're building — or even just thinking about building — a Marketplace app, I'd genuinely love to hear what you're working on. Drop a comment or reach out.

Session link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuEIjvOHqcA

#SitecoreAI #SUGJaipur #Altudo #DXP #MarketplaceSDK #AppStudio #SitecoreCommunity


Building Custom Apps to Extend SitecoreAI: My Session at SUG Jaipur

BLOGS STACK EXCHANGE SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

I’m thrilled to share my impactful contributions to the vibrant community throughout 2025. This year, I’ve actively engaged with the community, sharing insights, learning alongside others, and building on the invaluable support from fellow members. Being part of this journey has been both rewarding and inspiring.

In this post, I’ll capture the highlights of my 2025 contributions to the community. Engaging with the Sitecore family brings me great joy, and I’m honoured to be part of this dynamic network. Let’s delve into the highlights of my contributions throughout the year 2025.

Highlights: A Snapshot of My 2025 Contributions

Experienced Technical Blogger

Authored more than 12 in-depth blogs on advanced topics such as Sitecore XP, XM Cloud, content hub, Content SDK and Sitecore search, establishing a strong technical footprint.

Expanding Influence on LinkedIn

I now have 1,861 followers, reflecting a 35.9% growth over the previous 365 days. My content generated 20,468 impressions, marking a 457.6% increase, and reached 4,562 unique members across the Sitecore and digital experience community.

Supporting Developers on Sitecore Stack Exchange

Actively contributed to resolving community challenges, earning 300+ reputation points this year and solidifying my role as a trusted technical advisor.

TECHNICAL BLOG POSTS

Throughout the current year, I authored move than 12 technical blogs, delving into diverse topics. These encompass subjects like Sitecore XP, XM Cloud, Sitecore Personalize, Sitecore search, GQL and more. Here is the comprehensive list:

A key highlight was sharing insights on the latest advancements, such as the release of Sitecore AI, Personalization with Sitecore AI, Sitecore Stream, and various Practice Exams. The community response was overwhelmingly positive, underscoring the content’s value and impact. My blog website, dedicated to Sitecore and related technologies, has seen significant engagement this year with 24,602 views as of November 2025. The content has been well-received.

Website Link – https://insightswithpawantyagi.blogspot.com/

Quick access to my blog listings is provided below:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/troubleshooting-guide-sitecore-xm-cloud-local-setup-jss-pawan-tyagi-4ilec/?trackingId=ESIq%2BbvSTxCBgQ0F%2BACLLw%3D%3D

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/deleting-edge-database-purging-cache-using-sitecore-xm-pawan-tyagi-odi6c/?trackingId=bbAi8MCjR2ixr1N68NiMOg%3D%3D

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sitecore-xm-cloud-graphql-mutations-step-by-step-guide-pawan-tyagi-gfwbc/?trackingId=KKKE338DSc%2BtVpkeJK5eDA%3D%3D

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7296913323436949504/?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs\_updateV2%3A%28urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7296913323436949504%2CFEED\_DETAIL%2CEMPTY%2CDEFAULT%2Cfalse%29

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/building-sitecore-forms-webhooks-connect-pawan-tyagi-trekc/?trackingId=hHoyhH7jTmKhVq8UBUeX3Q%3D%3D

SITECORE STACK EXCHANGE

In 2025, I strengthened my presence on Sitecore Stack Exchange as an active contributor focused on solving real implementation challenges across XM Cloud, Next.js JSS, GraphQL, Experience Edge, Sitecore Search, and SPE automation. 

With 349 reputation, 7 answers, 2 questions, and participation over 3 years and 9 months, I have reached more than 4,000 developers and consistently shared practical, hands-on solutions that help teams troubleshoot faster and build more confidently.

This year, I ranked #2 for the quarter, reflecting steady growth and strong engagement. 

My answers span diverse topics—from webhooks timing out in XM Cloud to SPE scripts, 404 handling, pagination, and faceted search with Edge GraphQL. 

I also maintain an active blogging platform and LinkedIn presence, ensuring that the knowledge I share reaches the broader Sitecore community.

Profile: https://stackexchange.com/leagues/664/year/sitecore



  



Blogs, Stack Exchange & Social Engagement — 2025 Highlights

Have you ever wondered where your images or PDFs are used across your Sitecore website? Or maybe you’re planning to clean up your media library but want to make sure the files are not being used somewhere? This blog post is for you.

With just a single PowerShell script, you can generate an Excel report that tells you:

Which media items are being used
Where (which pages or content items) they are used
In which field, language, and version they appear

Let’s dive into how this works!

Why You Might Need This

Here are a few real-life situations where this script can help:

You're doing a media cleanup and want to delete unused files
You're migrating content and need to track all media references
You're auditing your Sitecore media usage

This script will generate a full report of all media items and their usage across your Sitecore site.

What You Need

Before you run the script, make sure:

You have Sitecore PowerShell Extensions (SPE) installed
You have permission to access the Content Editor or PowerShell ISE
You’re working in the master database

The PowerShell Script

Import-Function -Name ConvertTo-Xlsx

Set the root path (adjust as needed)
$rootPath = "master:/sitecore/media library"

Get root item
$rootItem = Get-Item -Path $rootPath

Get all descendant items
$allItems = $rootItem.Axes.GetDescendants() | ForEach-Object { Get-Item $_.Paths.FullPath }

List to hold referenced items
$referencedItems = @()

$bulk = New-Object 'Sitecore.Data.BulkUpdateContext'
try {
    foreach ($item in $allItems) {
        try {
            $templateName = $item.TemplateName

Exclude folders and "Page Data"
            if ($templateName -eq "Page Data" -or $templateName -like "Folder") {
                continue
            }

Get references to this item using LinkDatabase
            $links = [Sitecore.Globals]::LinkDatabase.GetReferrers($item)

            if ($links.Count -gt 0) {
                foreach ($link in $links) {
                    try {
                        $db = [Sitecore.Data.Database]::GetDatabase("master")
                        $sourceItem = $db.GetItem($link.SourceItemID)
                        $fieldName = ""
                        if ($sourceItem -ne $null) {
                            $field = $sourceItem.Fields[$link.SourceFieldID]
                            if ($field -ne $null) {
                                $fieldName = $field.Name
                            }
                        }

                        $referencedItems += [PSCustomObject]@{
                            ItemName           = $item.Name
                            ItemId             = $item.ID.ToString()
                            Path               = $sourceItem.Paths.FullPath
                            SourceItemLanguage = $link.SourceItemLanguage.Name
                            SourceItemVersion  = $link.SourceItemVersion.Number
                            SourceItemID       = $link.SourceItemID.ToString()
                            MediaUrl           = [Sitecore.Resources.Media.MediaManager]::GetMediaUrl($item)
                            FieldName          = $fieldName
                        }
                    } catch {
                        Write-Host "Error resolving link for item: $($item.Name)"
                    }
                }
            }
        } catch {
            Write-Host "Error processing item: $($item.Paths.FullPath)"
            Write-Host $_.Exception.Message
        }
    }
}
finally {
    $bulk.Dispose()
}

Generate timestamp for filename
$datetime = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd-HHmmss"

Export to Excel
[byte[]]$outobject = $referencedItems | Select-Object `
    ItemId, ItemName, Path, SourceItemLanguage, SourceItemVersion, SourceItemID, FieldName, MediaUrl | ConvertTo-Xlsx

Out-Download -Name "Media-Ref-$datetime.xlsx" -InputObject $outobject

Write-Host "Export completed. Total referenced media items: $($referencedItems.Count)"

What You’ll Get in the Report

Each row in the exported Excel file will include:

Media Item Name
Media Item ID
Referenced Path
Source Item ID
Source Item Language
Source Item Version
Field Name containing the media reference
Media URL

Conclusion

Managing your media library doesn't have to be a guessing game. With this PowerShell script, you gain immediate insights into how your media is used across your Sitecore solution.

Happy Coding :😃


How to Export Media Usage Report in Sitecore Using PowerShell

When working with APIs that return a lot of data, it’s not practical (or efficient) to get everything in one giant response. That’s where pagination comes in. Sitecore supports two main ways of handling this: offset-based and cursor-based pagination. Let’s break these down and see how you can use them in Sitecore.

What Is Pagination?

Imagine you’re browsing a huge list of users or products. Instead of loading all 10,000 items at once, the system gives you smaller "pages"—maybe 100 at a time. This is pagination, and it makes things faster and easier to manage.

Offset-Based Pagination

How it works:

Offset-based pagination is like flipping through pages in a book. You ask for page 1, then page 2, then page 3, and so on.

Example API call:

https://example.com/api/users?pageSize=100&currentPage=1

Sample API Response:

{
  "totalItems": 1000,
  "pageSize": 100,
  "currentPage": 1,
  "data": [ ... ]
}

How to set it up in Sitecore:

In Sitecore, you can write a Request Extractor to automatically build the URLs for the next pages:

function extract(request, response) {
    const totalItems = response.body?.totalItems;
    const pageSize = response.body?.pageSize;
    const currentPage = response.body?.currentPage;

    const totalPages = Math.ceil(totalItems / pageSize);
    const urls = [];

    for (let i = currentPage + 1; i <= totalPages; i++) {
        urls.push({
            method: 'GET',
            url: https://example.com/api/users?pageSize=${pageSize}&currentPage=${i},
            headers: request.headers
        });
    }

    return urls;
}

This script figures out how many more pages there are and builds the requests for each one.

Cursor-Based Pagination

How it works:

Instead of counting pages, the server tells you where to go next using a "cursor"—usually a token like nextPageToken or lastItemId.

Example API call:

https://example.com/api/users?cursor=abc123

Sample API Response:

{
  "nextPageToken": "abc123",
  "data": [ ... ]
}

How to set it up in Sitecore:

You can use this simple Request Extractor:

function extract(request, response) {
    const cursor = response.body?.nextPageToken;

    if (cursor) {
        return [{
            method: 'GET',
            url: https://example.com/api/users?cursor=${cursor},
            headers: request.headers
        }];
    }
    return [];
}

If the API provides a cursor, Sitecore queues the next request using that token. When there's no more cursor, you're done.

Extra Tip: Using Request Extractors and URL Matchers

Sometimes, you might need to go beyond just pagination—for example, fetching details for each user in the list. That’s where Request Extractors and URL Matchers come in handy. They help you build additional requests based on the API response and filter out the ones you don’t need.

  

Happy Coding!


Pagination in Sitecore: Understanding Offset vs. Cursor

Table of Contents


Error 1: Access Issue for Files Under the Project Folder
Error 2: Network Not Found
Error 3: Could Not Resolve Host
Error 4: Port 8984 Already in Use
Error 5: Traefik Port Conflict
Error 6: hcsshim::ExpandScratchSize
Error 7 & 8: Unhealthy Containers
Error 9: Invalid Rewrites Found
Error 10: Files are Blocked
Error 11: CM Session Timeout
Error 12: Container Compatibility
Error 13: Errors During Initial Setup
Error 14: Outdated JSS Dev Tools
Error: Virtualization Not Enabled in BIOS
Error: Container Mode Conflict (Linux vs Windows)
Error: Outdated Sitecore JSS Dev Tools in package.json
Docker Startup Issues

\=====Errors and steps to resolve=========

Error 1: Access issue for the files under the project folder


Article content

Solution:

dir -Path . -Recurse | Unblock-File

Then run the up.ps1 script again to proceed with the setup.

Error 2: Error Response from daemon: network xxxxxx not found


Article content

Solution:

cd "C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker"
.\DockerCli.exe -SwitchDaemon
.\DockerCli.exe -SwitchDaemon

Then run the up.ps1 script again.

Error 3: Curl: (6) Could not resolve host: nodejs.org


Article content

Cause: DNS resolution issue inside Docker.

Solution: Add the following to Docker Daemon configuration:

"dns": ["8.8.8.8"]

Then restart Docker and run the up.ps1 script again.

Error 4: Error response from daemon: failed to create endpoint xxxxx-solr-1 on network xxxxxx\_default: failed during hnsCallRawResponse: hnsCall failed in Win32: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process. (0x20)


Article content

Cause: SOLR service conflict.

Solution: Stop the SOLR services using port 8984 and run the up.ps1 script again.

Error 5: Error response from daemon: failed to create endpoint xxxxx—traefil-1 on network xxxxxx\_default: failed during hnsCallRawResponse: hnsCall failed in Win32: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process. (0x20)


Article content

Solution:

Stop IIS, , it might be due the port usage and Run the up script again.
If the issue persists, Run the following commands:

Stop-Service docker
Stop-service hns
Start-service hns
Start-Service docker

Then rerun the up.ps1 script.

Error 6: hcsshim::ExpandScratchSize issue


Solution:

Delete all containers, images, and networks in Docker.
Uninstall Docker Desktop.
Delete all files from:
Reinstall Docker Desktop.
Follow the Sitecore setup guide again.
Run the up.ps1 script.

Error 7: Dependency failed to start: Containers "xxx-cm-1" is unhealthy


Article content

Error 8: Error: for traefik Containers "xxxxxx" is unhealthy


Article content

Solution: for error 7 & 8

docker-compose stop
docker-compose down
iisreset /stop
docker-compose up -d

Then rerun the up.ps1 script.

Error 9: Invalid Rewrites Found


Solution: Create a deploy folder inside the Docker directory:

C:\projects\xxyx\code\docker\deploy\platform

Error 10: Files are Blocked


Article content

Solution: Right-click the file, select "Properties", and check the "Unblock" checkbox at the bottom.

  

Article content

Error 11: CM Session Timeout / Not Loading


Article content

Solution:

Try opening CM in Incognito mode:

https://xxyx.xmcloudcm.localhost/sitecore/shell/sitecore/client/Applications/Launchpad

If that fails, try:

.\down.ps1
docker network prune
.\up.ps1

Or:

docker-compose stop
docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d

Error 12: Container Compatibility


Article content

Solution: Switch the Docker container from Linux to Windows mode.

Error 13: Errors During Initial Setup


Article content

Solution:

Restart your system.
Run the following and delete all contents:

%temp%
temp

Error14: Virtualization Not Enabled in BIOS


Article content

Solution:

Access your system BIOS settings and enable the virtualization feature.

Error15: Container Mode Conflict (Linux vs Windows)


Article content

Solution:

Ensure Docker is set to Windows containers, not Linux.

Article content

Error 16: Outdated Sitecore JSS Dev Tools in package.json


Article content

Solution: Ensure package.json is not modified before running npm commands. Update to the correct versions as per Sitecore’s recommendations.

Error 17: Docker Startup Issues After Reboot


Solution:

Remove the two Docker-related files causing conflict (paths not specified).

Article content

Clear all related background tasks via Task Manager (Run as Admin).

Article content

Restart your system and check Docker again.

Note: Some importable command that need to be helpful:

.\down.ps1 
 docker compose stop
 cd docker 
 ./clean.ps1 
 cd..
 Stop-Service docker 
 Stop-service hns 
 Start-service hns 
 Start-Service docker 
 docker network prune
.\init.ps1 -InitEnv -LicenseXmlPath C:\Project\xxx\\license.xml -AdminPassword b
.\up.ps1 
 npm run build
 dotnet sitecore cloud login
 dotnet sitecore ser push x
 dotnet sitecore itemres cleanup -n "environment" --path "/sitecore/content/xxx" --force --what-if


Troubleshooting Guide: Sitecore XM Cloud Local Setup and JSS Errors

Sitecore XM Cloud GraphQL Mutations: A Step-by-Step Guide

Sitecore XM Cloud uses GraphQL (GQL) to query content effectively. With mutations, you can add, modify, and remove items programmatically. This guide discusses fundamental GraphQL mutations for dynamically managing Sitecore content.

Creating an Item in Sitecore XM Cloud

Create a new item at a given parent path using the createItem mutation.

Example Mutation:

mutation {
  createItem(
    parentPath: "/sitecore/content/Home"
    name: "NewItem"
    templateId: "76036f5e-cbce-46d1-af0a-4143f9b557aa" # Your template ID
  ) {
    item {
      id
      name
      path
    }
  }
}

This will update an existing item at /sitecore/content/Home. The fields of the item will be updated with the values provided in the patch.

Updating an Item's Fields

To change the field values of an existing item, employ the updateItem mutation.

Example Mutation:

mutation {
  updateItem(
    path: "/sitecore/content/Home/NewItem"
    fields: [{ name: "Title", value: "Updated Title" }]
  ) {
    item
    id
    name
    fields {
      name
      value
    }
  }
}

This removes the Title field of the NewItem item.

Deleting an Item

To delete an item from Sitecore, use the deleteItem mutation.

Example Mutation:

mutation {
  deleteItem(path: "/sitecore/content/Home/NewItem") {
    deletedItemId
  }
}

This removes the item at /sitecore/content/Home/NewItem.

Creating a Template Item

If you're creating an item from a certain template, make sure you supply the proper templateId.

Example Mutation:

mutation {
  createItem(
    parentPath: "/sitecore/content/Home"

    name: "BlogPost"

    templateId: "your-template-id-here"
  ) {
    item {
      id

      name

      path
    }
  }
}

This creates a new BlogPost item under /sitecore/content/Home using the specified template.

Uploading a Media Item

Add a media file to the Sitecore Media Library using the createItem mutation under the media path.

Example Mutation:

mutation {
  createItem(
    parentPath: "/sitecore/media library/Images"

    name: "NewImage"

    templateId: "your-media-template-id"
  ) {
    item {
      id

      name

      path
    }
  }
}

This creates a new media item under /sitecore/media library/Images.

Conclusion

Applying GraphQL mutations in Sitecore XM Cloud enables developers to update content dynamically without directly going to the Content Editor. Creating new items, modifying fields, deleting content, or uploading media – GraphQL gives you a straightforward means of dealing with Sitecore's headless CMS.

For more details, check out the official Sitecore documentation:

🔗 Query Examples for Authoring Operations

Let me know if you'd like any other tweaks! 😊


Sitecore XM Cloud GraphQL Mutations: A Step-by-Step Guide

Mastering Sitecore Search API Crawlers

Sitecore Search is an integral part of the Sitecore Experience Platform (XP) that helps businesses deliver highly personalized and relevant search experiences. One of the most powerful features of Sitecore Search is its ability to index external data sources, such as APIs, to provide dynamic content in search results. In this guide, we’ll explore the ins and outs of using Sitecore's API Crawler—a tool that helps index API data—and show you how to implement it for seamless integration.

Whether you're a developer new to Sitecore or someone looking to improve your Sitecore Search implementation, this guide will take you through essential configurations, indexing scenarios, and advanced pagination techniques that will help you build powerful search experiences.

Table of Content

What is Sitecore Search and API Crawling?

Key Concepts You Should Know

Setting Up Sitecore API Crawler for Basic Indexing

Understanding Pagination: Offset vs. Cursor

How to Implement Offset-Based Pagination

How to Implement Cursor-Based Pagination

Using Request Extractors and URL Matchers

Advanced Techniques: Handling MAX DEPTH and Data Indexing

Conclusion

What is Sitecore Search and API Crawling?

Sitecore Search is a powerful search engine built into the Sitecore Experience Platform. It helps manage content and deliver personalized, relevant search results to your users. With Sitecore Search, you can index content from various data sources, including Sitecore-managed content and external APIs.

When you need to index content from an API, API Crawlers come into play. API Crawlers allow Sitecore Search to communicate with external APIs, extract data, and make it searchable on your site. This is particularly useful when your content resides in third-party systems or databases, rather than being directly managed within Sitecore.

Key Concepts You Should Know

Before we dive deeper into the configurations, let’s review some essential concepts that will help you understand how Sitecore’s API Crawling works:

Source: A source in Sitecore defines the connection between the crawler and your data. For instance, you might have an API source configured to pull data from a third-party API.
    
Attributes: These are the data fields within your API response that you want to index. For example: id, name, street, city, state, zipcode, phone\_number, extension , webaddress, sites, type etc.
    
Indexing: This refers to the process of retrieving data from your source (API) and making it available for search. Sitecore will crawl the data, extract the relevant information, and build an index.
    
Request Extractor: A tool that dynamically constructs URLs based on your API response. This is especially useful when you're dealing with paginated data.
    
Pagination: When your API data is spread across multiple pages, you need a way to retrieve each page in sequence. There are two main types of pagination you can use in Sitecore: offset-based and cursor-based pagination.
Setting Up Sitecore API Crawler for Basic Indexing

Let's start by setting up a simple API crawler that doesn’t require pagination. This means we’ll retrieve all the data from an API in a single call.

Example API Response (Without Pagination):

Imagine an API that returns user data in the following structure:

{
  "totalItems": 20,
  "pageSize": 100,
  "currentPage": 1,
  "data": [    {        "Orgid": 1,        "name": "Tech Solutions HQ",        "street": "123 Innovation Drive",        "city": "San Francisco",        "state": "CA",        "zip": "94107",        "phone": "(415) 555-1234",        "extension": "101",        "website": "https://www.techsolutions.com",        "sites": [            "Main Office",            "West Coast Branch"        ],        "type": "Corporate Office"    },    {        "Orgid": 2,        "name": "Digital Labs",        "street": "456 AI Lane",        "city": "New York",        "state": "NY",        "zip": "10001",        "phone": "(212) 555-5678",        "extension": "202",        "website": "https://www.digitallabs.com",        "sites": [            "Research Center",            "Innovation Hub"        ],        "type": "R&D Facility"    },    {        "Orgid": 3,        "name": "Green Energy Solutions",        "street": "789 Solar Road",        "city": "Austin",        "state": "TX",        "zip": "73301",        "phone": "(512) 555-7890",        "extension": "303",        "website": "https://www.greenenergy.com",        "sites": [            "Solar Farm",            "Wind Turbine Field"        ],        "type": "Energy Company"    }
  ]
}



This API returns a list of users, with their ID, name, street, city, state, zipcode, phone_number, extension , webaddress, sites, type. Since this example does not use pagination, we can index all the users at once.Step 1: Create Custom Attributes in Sitecore SearchBefore indexing the data, you need to define custom attributes in Sitecore Search. These attributes represent the data you want to index. For this example, you’ll need attributes like name, street, city, state, zipcode, phone_number, extension , webaddress, sites, type.name(String)street(String)city(String)state(String)zipcode(String)phone_number(String)extension(String)webaddress(String)sites(Strings)type(String)To add these attributes to the system, you must be assigned the TechAdmin role. Navigate to the Administration menu in the sidebar, go to the Attributes tab, and click the Add Attribute button.In the dialog, configure the following fields: Entity, Display Name, Attribute Name (lowercase without spaces), Data Type, and optionally check the Return in API response checkbox to make it visible in search results.In the Use For Features view, you can enable additional features for the attribute, such as faceting and sorting options. When adding the AreaOfInterest attribute, be sure to check the Facets option. Repeat these steps for each field, and don’t forget to publish your changes by clicking the Publish button in the attribute list view.Source Creation in Sitecore SearchTo set up a source in Sitecore Search, you need to review three key documents from the official documentation:SourcesCreate a SourceConfiguring an API CrawlerAdding a SourceNavigate to the Sources view in the sidebar.Click the Add Source button.Configuring the SourceEnter a Source Name and Description.Select API Crawler as the connector.You can customize your source with various settings, such as Authentication and Scan Frequency, to match your needs.Configuring a Trigger in Sitecore SearchA Trigger defines the starting point for the crawler to begin indexing content.Setting Up a TriggerGo to the Trigger section and click Edit.
There are different types of triggers available, allowing you to configure details like the Request Body or Headers.For this example, we’ll keep it simple and use a GET request without additional configuration.Click Save to apply the changes.Configuring the Document ExtractorSince we’re not using a paging mechanism in this setup, we only need to configure a Document Extractor—no need for a Request Extractor.Locate the Document Extractors section and click Edit.Set a Name for the extractor and select JS as the Extractor Type.We don’t need URL Matchers for this case.Why use a JS Extractor instead of JSONPath?JSONPath extractors work well for indexing a single document per request but come with some limitations.A JS Extractor allows for more flexibility, such as transforming string-based dates into timestamps.Once configured, save your changes to complete the setup.Step 2: Configure the API Crawler SourceNext, configure the API Crawler source in Sitecore to start crawling the data. You’ll need to:Define the Source Name: A descriptive name for your API source, like "UserAPI".Set the Trigger: This is the starting point for your crawl. It should be a GET request to the URL of your API, like https://example.com/api/users.Once this is done, Sitecore will start indexing all the data from this API.Step 3: Extract the DataNow, you need to define how Sitecore should extract relevant data from the API response. This is where the Document Extractor comes in. You can use a JavaScript extractor to map the data to the attributes you defined earlier.Here’s an example of a simple JS Extractor:function extract(request, response) {  let requests = [];  const data = response.body;  if (    data  ) {    requests = data?.map((e, i) => {      return {        "id": e.Orgid,        "name": e.name,        "street": e.street,        "city": e.city,        "state": e.state,        "zipcode": e.zip,        "phone_number": e.phone,        "extension": e.extension,        "webaddress": e.website,        "sites": e.sites,        "type": "Level Of Care"      };    });  }  else {    return {      "description": response.body.data,      "id": "ename",      "url": "response.body.data.item.path",      "type": "ERROR",    };  }  return requests;}Saving and Publishing Your SourceAfter configuring the trigger and document extractor, follow these final steps:Click Save to apply your changes.Publish your source to initiate the indexing process.Wait a few minutes for the indexing to complete.If everything is set up correctly, you should see the indexed data in the Source view.To view your indexed documents, navigate to Content Collection in the sidebar. There, you should see all the documents that have been successfully indexed.

I hope this blog post makes it easier for you to set up and use an API Crawler in Sitecore Search!


Mastering Sitecore Search API Crawlers: A Comprehensive Series (Part 1-3)

Enabling the Content Hub DAM Connector in Sitecore XM Cloud

Do you use Sitecore and Content Hub for your business? If so, you might be wondering how to make these two platforms work seamlessly together. The solution is the Sitecore DAM component of the Sitecore Connect for Content Hub connector (SCCH). This component allows you to browse, search, and insert digital assets from Sitecore DAM directly into the Content and Experience Editor.  
  
This guide will walk you through enabling the DAM connector for environments deployed in XM Cloud.

Prerequisites

Access to the XM Cloud Deploy app.

A user account in Sitecore Content Hub with the necessary permissions.

An OAuth client created for the DAM connector.

Steps to Enable the DAM Connector

Configure and Enable the DAM Connector in XM Cloud

Log in to the XM Cloud Deploy app.

In the navigation menu, click Projects.

Select the project containing the environment where you want to enable the DAM connector.

Click on the environment you want to configure.

Go to Variables and click Create variable.

Create the required variables. For each variable, set the target to CM.

  Sitecore DAM Configuration table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 20px 0; } th, td { padding: 12px; text-align: left; border: 1px solid #ddd; } th { background-color: #f4f4f4; } tr:nth-child(even) { background-color: #f9f9f9; } tr:hover { background-color: #f1f1f1; }

Sitecore DAM Configuration Variables

Variable

Value

Description

Sitecore\_ConnectionStrings\_DAM\_dot\_ContentHub

ClientId={client\_id};ClientSecret={client\_secret};UserName={username};Password={password};URI={uri};

The Client ID and Client Secret, which belong to the connector's OAuth client. These credentials are required to establish a connection between the connector and both Sitecore and Content Hub platforms. The username and password of the Content Hub user that you created. This allows you to authenticate the connection and access the Content Hub instance. The correct URI for your Content Hub instance.

Sitecore\_ConnectionStrings\_DAM\_dot\_SearchPage

https://your-content-hub-url/en-us/sitecore-dam-connect/approved-assets

Sitecore Content Hub search page URL. The correct URI for your Content Hub instance.

Sitecore\_ConnectionStrings\_DAM\_dot\_ExternalRedirectKey

Sitecore

The URL of the page that opens the DAM in an IFrame. This ensures that Browse Sitecore DAM opens the right page and displays assets from the SCCH component.

SITECORE\AppSettings\_damEnabled\\_define

yes

By default, when you deploy an environment to XM Cloud, the DAM connector is disabled. To enable the connector, set this value to yes.

  Sitecore Variables table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 20px 0; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; } th, td { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 8px; } th { background-color: #f4f4f4; } .highlight { background-color: #ffff99; /\* Yellow highlight \*/ }

Sitecore Variables

Name

Value

Secret

Target

Sitecore\_ConnectionStrings\_DAM\_dot\_SearchPage

https://.../en-us/sitecore-dam-connect/approved-assets

No

CM

Sitecore\_ConnectionStrings\_DAM\_dot\_ExternalRedirectKey

Sitecore

No

CM

Sitecore\_ConnectionStrings\_DAM\_dot\_ContentHub

ClientId=...;ClientSecret=...;UserName=...;Password=...;URI=https://...

No

CM

SITECORE\AppSettings\_damEnabled\\_define

yes

No

CM

  

Configure the DAM Connection

Clone the source control repository for your XM Cloud environment.

In the repository folder, create this subfolder structure:

        {Project Repo Name}/src/platform/App\_Data/Xdts

In the Xdts folder, create a file named Web.config.xdt. Open it for editing and add the required XML configuration.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  **

  

 

 

 

 

 

Save the file and update the xmcloud.build.json file with the transforms section..

 "transforms": \[

 {

 "xdtPath": "/app\_data/xdts/web.config.xdt",

 "targetPath": "/web.config"

 }

 \]

  

Update the Platform.csproj file to include App\_Data.

 

 

 

Commit and push the changes, then build and deploy to your environment.

Once these steps are done you would be able to see the DAM folder in System/Modules & Templates in the Content Tree.

Configuring CORS for DAM

In the Sitecore DAM main menu, click Manage and then Settings.



  
  

Navigate to PortalConfiguration \> CORSConfiguration.



  

  

Add the following URLs:  
  
\- XM Cloud Pages URL: https://pages.sitecorecloud.io/  
\- Environment Host Name URL: Example: https://my-xmc-environment-host-name.cloud/

Final Outcome

Once the setup is complete, you can:  

\- Browse, search, and insert digital assets from Sitecore DAM into the Content and Experience Editor.

\- Use DAM assets in Image and Link fields effortlessly.

This integration simplifies asset management and enhances the editor experience.

Thanks for reading! If you have questions or need help, feel free to reach out!
