Oshyn - Best Practices For Sitecore CMS

Best Practices for
Sitecore CMS
May, 2009

Author: Gaurav Bhatt, Technical Project Manager

Best Practices for
Sitecore CMS
Table of Contents

Executive Summary 3
1.0 Sitecore CMS Structure 4
1.1 Templates 4
1.1.1 Template Inheritance 5
1.1.2 Template Types 5
1.2 Backups 6
1.3 Media Elements 6
1.4 Content Trees 7
1.5 CMS from a Content Editor’s (Author’s) Perspective 8
1.5.1 Insert Options 8
1.6 Managing Workflows 9
1.7 Content Sharing 9
1.8 Content Archiving 11
2.0 Use of Sitecore Modules 11
2.1 SharePoint Connector Module 11
2.2 SEO Module 12
2.3 Forum Module 13
2.4 Newsletter Module 14
3.0 QA for Content Authors 14
4.0 Security 15
5.0 Content Approval and Publishing 16
About Oshyn 17
About Author 17

Executive Summary
This document requires Adobe Reader version
Sitecore CMS is an extensive Web Content Management (WCM) platform

6.0.1 or later. To view this document, please
for the mid-market. It offers reduced IT expenditures, a streamlined content
lifecycle, and a return of content control to the subject matter experts. The
newest incarnation of Sitecore CMS version 6.0 is a mature product that
download Adobe Reader from:incorporates standard social media components such as wikis, blogs, RSS
syndication and “e-mail a friend” features.
http://www.adobe.com/
Based on standard .NET technologies, Sitecore offers customers a
seemingly clear path to implementation. Though, like any other project
implementation, there is careful planning required. And only by planning
carefully, you’re able to execute to perfection. Every Sitecore
implementation requires you to outline the basic features and then create
templates and components based on these features. Oshyn has deep
experience with implementing many content management systems for
various clients. This experience allows us to understand the overall business
goals and consequently create meaningful, user-centric features that will
help organizations achieve those goals. We understand the key decisions
that must be made prior to implementation and have some valuable tips that
Please complete the form below to continuebusiness and technical users continued to have a positive
will ensure your reading. Upon submitting your information a
communication dialog box will and productive experience with the Sitecore content management system.
appear, please select allow.
This whitepaper demonstrates some of the best practices when
implementing a Sitecore content management system compiled from years
1. First name* of successful client implementations. These best practices will help
decrease the complexity of maintenance and increase the ease of use, as
2. Last name* your site grows and your business requirements change

3. Job title*
4. Organization*

5. Industry*

6. Phone*

7. Email*
8. City*

Submit Skip

This document requires AdobeSitecore CMS version
1.0 Reader Structure
All content in Sitecore is organized in the Content Tree, and all content
items are derived from a defined template structure. This ensures that the

download Adobe Reader from:
tree and templates are well organized; provide flexibility for growth and
promoting usability for a successful implementation.

As a general guideline, you should follow the following steps:
Template inheritance should be carefully used but fully taken advantage
of. You should be able to distinguish between page and non-page
content.
Media elements must be stored on the file system or in an external
database.
Avoid storing large amounts of data in Sitecore databases. An external
database should be used for storing large amounts of information.
Perform periodic backups of data on an external drive.
Developers should create well-defined Content trees and limit the
Please complete the form below to continue reading. Upon submitting your information a
number of items in Content trees.
communication dialog box will appear, please select allow.
Field orders and filed names should be appropriately defined. This
makes the CMS more user-friendly.
1. First name*

2. Last name*
1.1 Templates
3. Job title* The template structures defined in your Sitecore project can greatly impact
the usability and long-term flexibility of your Sitecore implementation. The
4. Organization*
total number of templates can easily get out of control unless time is taken
to design the system correctly. This results in a cluttered system with
5. Industry*
unmanageable components. Oshyn suggests keeping the number of
6. Phone* templates as low as possible, between five and ten, and template structures
as simple as possible. Here is a screenshot of the template structure,
7. Email* created for one of our complex websites. Notice the naming convention and
the total number of templates.
8. City*

Submit Skip

1.1.1 Template Inheritance
Template Inheritance provides a very easy way to keep the number of

templates in check. Inheritance works the same way as it does for any
object-oriented programming language. You can easily inherit functions,

fields and settings from parent templates. Care should be taken not to
overuse template inheritance as it provides the same detrimental effect as
an increased number of templates would. Oshyn suggests keeping template
inheritance to five or fewer parent templates for any given child. Anything
beyond would create a maintenance nightmare as the templates become
really intertwined. A strong template inheritance model will be outlined in the
following sections.

1.1.2 Template Types
There are two kinds of templates, Page and Non-page templates. A content
item in a Sitecore corresponds to an actual web page. Each of these content
items is built using a Sitecore template that has an associated Sitecore
layout. These are the Page templates.
There are also some content items that don’t have a corresponding web
communication dialog box will page. These content itemsallow. have any layout or presentation layer
appear, please select don’t
objects assigned to them. An example would be a content item that is an
advertisement box that shows up in the right column of any page on the site.
1. First name*
When working with such non-page templates, which are used in many
2. Last name* locations and are edited by many content authors, it is best to put them in
special areas of content hierarchy where they are easy to locate. Notice the
3. Job title* highlight on the page below as an example of a non-page template.

4. Organization*

5. Industry*

6. Phone*

7. Email*
8. City*

Submit Skip

There could be issues if a restriction is imposed on a branch in the Content
hierarchy and this restriction causes the template to disappear from the site.

1.2 Backups
It is imperative that regular backups are done every week (or every day,
depending upon your organization policies) to make sure no data is lost due
to unfortunate occurrences. Sometimes, there could be more activity on the
website from the authors and if backups are not performed regularly, there is
a possibility of system crash and loss of data. The backup storage box

should be a separate server outside of the actual environments and, if
possible, should be replicated across different boxes. It’s becoming cheaper
to get more storage space, and it only makes sense to use it as much as
possible. Backups must be made for both development and production
environments, due to obvious reasons.
In Sitecore you have an option to choose between full backups and partial
backups with the help of the export/import utilities. A full backup will be a
simple database backup using the utilities provided by the database
management system and includes the elements that are not inside the
database like media files and configuration files. For a partial backup you
can use the export/import utilities to backup the items that you explicitly
Please complete the form below toto save.
want continue reading. Upon submitting your information a

1. First name* 1.3 Media Elements
Storage of media elements can be done either in the database or in the file
2. Last name*
system. As a general rule, it is advisable not to store media items inside the
database due to the penalizations of retrieving the information from the
3. Job title*
database over the network.
4. Organization* And when working with images, always take into consideration the built-in
image manipulator for basic transformation of images like thumbnails.
5. Industry* We have noticed various implementations that store large amounts of data
into the Sitecore databases. We strongly recommend using an external data
6. Phone*
store if your website deals with large amounts of data. A CMS is not
designed to be a data-store for large databases. It is best to understand that
7. Email*
size of the database may continue to grow very quickly because of the way
8. City* Sitecore stores data in an XML format. This format is designed to work very
well for web content management but is not the best format for a structured
customer database. In such a situation it is best to treat the implementation
from an architectural view and design it accordingly.
Large amounts of data go hand in hand with Search functionality. Depending
Submit
upon the requirements, a custom search solution built in .NET would
Skip
probably be a good choice. But integrating an external search solution like
Lucene would probably make more sense if there is a large amount of
complex data with many relationships, associated with the site.

An example of a bad design is shown. In the following example,
“Franchisees” content section has over 10000 items and should be stored in
an external database as the list will continue to expand and will seriously
cause performance issues in the future.



1. First name*

2. Last name* 1.4 Content Trees
The number of items in Content Trees should be limited. It is very important
3. Job title*
to keep the content tree clean and balanced. Some branches of the tree can
get really complex and overloaded with content over time. This, in turn,
4. Organization*
would reduce performance of the site and also make it difficult for content
editors to locate specific pieces of content in the tree.
5. Industry*
Content trees should be designed considering a variety of factors:
6. Phone* Are there multiple sites that will be supported by the Sitecore
installation?
7. Email*
How much content will be there in any branch of the tree and what rate
8. City* of growth is anticipated?
What kind of permissions will be enforced for the CMS users and the
visitors?
Are there any publication dependencies?
What is the navigation style and IA of the site?
Submit Skip
A maximum number of items in any branch should not exceed more
than 75 items. If this case arises, it might make more sense to break it
into different branches.
Heavily shared content should have its own separate set of folders
A separate branch of the content tree should be created for all
configuration settings and non-content items.

1.5 CMS from a Content Editor’s (Author’s) Perspective
Content editors are the ones using the CMS, and developers must make
sure that the CMS is set up in the best possible way to allow the editors to
be able to work their way around the CMS effectively. Field order and field
names must be appropriately defined, so content authors are able to use
them effectively. We will explore other possibilities that will ensure proper

use of the CMS, both from a user and an editor’s perspective.

1.5.1 Insert Options
Insert options allows content editors to create items using templates. In
earlier versions of Sitecore, Masters were used and only administrators
were able to create items this way.
Templates must be named in the most meaningful and intuitive ways as
content editors can now use templates. Only those templates must be
available to content authors that are absolutely necessary for them to use.

communication dialog box will appear, please select allow. Template fields order
The ordering of fields in the template directly controls the order in which
they are seen by content editors. For smooth results in your deployment,
1. First name* group like fields into sections, and ensure that the ordering of sections and
field makes sense to content editors. While this may seem obvious, it is
2. Last name*
surprising how often this simple task is overlooked.
3. Job title*
Template access
4. Organization*
As an example, templates can be broken down into different sections: Main,
5. Industry* Metadata, Navigation and Administration. Content is stored in the “Main”
section and other sections contain specific information pertaining to those
6. Phone* sections of the site. Each of these sections can have access rights defined
for different groups. Thus, if certain groups do not require access to certain
7. Email* sections, you can
remove read access
8. City* to these sections, so
content editors do not
see those sections.
For example, the
Administration group Submit Skip
has full access to the
Administration
section, and the
marketing group
controls only the
Metadata section of
the site.

This document requires AdobeSet Validation rules and errors
Reader version
Most organizations have strict branding policies and require that their

content is consistent. A CMS can be used very effectively to enforce this
consistency in content. Rules can be enforced by using certain features of

download Adobe Reader from:the CMS such as field validation for filling out mandatory content (e.g., email
address). Field validation will ensure that it is formatted correctly and valid.

http://www.adobe.com/ Common sense must be used for those exceptions where such rules are not
applicable. A best example would be entering different format for phone
numbers and/or zip codes for different countries. In case of any error,
appropriate and well-defined error messages must be used to help resolve
the issue.

1.6 Managing Workflows
Workflows in Sitecore are tougher to implement as they’re assigned to
templates. This implies that workflows are assigned to types of content,
which is counterintuitive. Each translation of a content item is treated as a
Please complete the form below to continue reading. UponWhether it’s your information a a
separate item in the workflow.
submitting a single workflow or
department-wide workflow setup, careful consideration should be given
communication dialog box will when setting this up. Developers have the ability to create a customized
workflow by setting up a new Workflow manager, though it requires some
development effort and maintenance while performing system upgrades.
1. First name*
The other option is to use template inheritance features to create several
2. Last name* instances of the same templates. Thus, you can create a generic template
that serves as a parent template for other templates used in individual
3. Job title* sections of the site, such as Contact Us, Press Releases, Our Work and
Support. This would require creating additional templates, but this set up is
4. Organization* still less effort than implementing a custom workflow.
Email notifications should be setup as a part of workflow process to make
5. Industry*
sure it is working as configured. Workflow email notifications are included as
standard functionality in Sitecore 6.0, whereas in older versions this would
6. Phone*
require an installation of a free add-on module.
7. Email*
8. City*
1.7 Content Sharing
Content sharing is a very important part of any CMS as editors don’t want to
manage duplicate content in different parts of the site. Moreover, it assists in
maintenance and also removal of erroneous references due to user Skip
Submit error.
Content sharing in Sitecore can be accomplished using a number of
approaches, and Oshyn proposes a few techniques that can be used
successfully to share content in varying circumstances.
The first method is to use Sitecore Proxy. The proxy is a type of a content
item that acts as a reference to another item. That referenced item would
live in some other area of the content hierarchy. For example, you can share
content about Product updates from an intranet site and have a reference to
this content item from the Press Releases page on your public facing site.


Thus, any time there is a product update there is an automatic update for
the Press Release section of the site. This functionality is included out of the
Please complete the form below to but some reading. Upon submitting your information a the
box, continue consideration should be given when designing
presentation logic for shared content.
In Sitecore, when proxy items are enabled, a proxy item instructs Sitecore to
generate a virtual item, which acts as though it is the source item, but is
1. First name* displayed in a different location. Virtual items are displayed in the Content
Editor- content tree with grey text, as shown in the image to the right.
2. Last name*
Overuse of proxies can have a negative impact on memory usage. Proxy-
based sharing is quite complex and requires a developer or an administrator
3. Job title*
to perform the setup. It also requires full access to the Content Editor
Interface and cannot be done from the Web Edit interface.
4. Organization*
The other method is Presentation-based sharing by using a Meta tag
5. Industry* strategy and embedding custom logic into the presentation logic of various
other sites. The presentation logic makes use of the “tags” to query and
6. Phone* retrieve related content. This method also reduces the maintenance of
sharing content and gives editors the ability to use this feature in the most
7. Email* effective way. Some custom coding is required in the presentation layer to
make this process work, though handling of the URLs can become complex.
8. City* This method is easier for the editors as they can share content by simply
selecting options from the list. Thus, no work from the Administrators is
required.
Here is some sample code that uses Presentation-based Meta tag strategy:
<title><%= Sitecore.Context.Item["Page Title"] %></title> Submit Skip
<meta id=”MetaDescription” name=”<%= Sitecore.Context.Item["MetaDescription"]
%>” />
<meta id=”MetaKeywords” name=”KEYWORDS” content=”<%=
Sitecore.Context.Item["MetaKeywords"] %>” />
<meta name=”title” content=”<%= Sitecore.Context.Item["metatitle"] %>” />
<meta name=”page-topic” content=”<%= Sitecore.Context.Item["page-topic"] %>” />
<meta name=”index” content=”<%= Sitecore.Context.Item["index"] %>” />

1.8 Content Archiving
Sitecore has separate tables for Archiving content. These tables are
integrated into the three remaining databases: core, master, and web. The
older versions of sitecore had a separate Archive database that stored
archived content. Content items can be archived manually by content
authors or automatically based on a future date. Email notifications can be

setup as the archival date approaches to prompt users to take action.
Items can be restored very easily from the Archive by using the new Archive
application in Sitecore 6.0. The Archive application allows a user to select
an archived item from a list and restore that item. Only individual items can
be archived using this application. In previous versions of Sitecore, this
automated feature was not present and restoration of content required
access to the Archive database, and it was somewhat complex.
Archiving should be handled very responsibly. As content grows on the site,
site performance gets seriously impacted especially if more than 7-8
versions of the same content exist on the site. Administrators can schedule
the archival of outdated versions using a custom web service, thus
Please complete the form below to continue reading. Uponsite.
automating the maintenance of the submitting your information a
2.0 Use of Sitecore Modules
1. First name* There are a large number of Sitecore add-on modules available to use,
which extend the core functionality of Sitecore. Some of them are free, and
2. Last name*
some have licensing associated with them. Always identify the modules you
need and their functionality and interactions with other modules before
3. Job title*
implementation. Oshyn recommends using some modules that are
necessary for a successful implementation of a Sitecore CMS: Staging,
4. Organization*
Proxy Wizard, RSS, External Link Checker, and Extranet. Some of these
5. Industry* modules may not function well with an Oracle implementation. It’s always
best to identify the modules that would work with your specific configurations
6. Phone* before implementing them in your CMS environment.
Most websites nowadays come with Web 2.0 features, and Sitecore comes
7. Email* with other supported modules that layer on top of standard Sitecore CMS
technology. It is best to use these rather than integrating external modules,
8. City* as it reduces time to market. But each site will have different requirements,
and, thus, would depend upon individual implementation strategy. Below is a
list of some of Sitecore’s popular modules. You should always check with
Sitecore for new modules or updated modules.
Submit Skip

2.1 SharePoint Connector Module
If you own or are considering implementing Microsoft’s SharePoint/MOSS
2007 for document management, you can now team up with Sitecore CMS
and publish these SharePoint document and assets to public-facing
websites and extranets with ease. The Sitecore SharePoint Connector
Module makes it easy, with transparent bi-directional content access and

extranet web security of all SharePoint/MOSS 2007 assets.
This is the ideal solution for client requirements that include both a strong

web content management and a document management and collaboration


platform. This allows sharing features across platforms and the ability to
communication dialog box will maintain and publish contentallow. place.
appear, please select from one
Since Sitecore is built upon the latest Microsoft technologies (e.g., .Net 2.0
and 3.0, SQL Server 2005, the Windows Vista Ribbon User Interface, and
1. First name* more) users and technical staff alike can easily move between the different
parts of the solution. For more information about this module go to
2. Last name*
http://sdn5.sitecore.net/Products/SharePoint%20Connector.aspx
3. Job title*
4. Organization*
2.2 SEO Module
5. Industry*

6. Phone*

7. Email*
8. City*

Submit Skip
Sitecore’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) module allows you to view and
deliver “content optimized” versions of your website to the search engine
devices. By being integrated with the CMS, it is quick and easy to examine
content as it is created or reviewed prior to publishing. With the power of
Sitecore’s template inheritance, keywords and content are quickly adjusted
over time to keep pace with ever changing search pattern algorithms.
The SEO module lets you see how the search engines will see you, who are

linking to you, and helps you optimize for keyword pairs, their density and
placement. You can also use it to analyze competitors’ pages and see how
you compare. For more information about this module goto
http://sdn5.sitecore.net/Resources/Sitecore%206/SEO%20Module.aspx

http://www.adobe.com/ Forum Module
2.3

Sitecore’s Forum Module quickly installs to provide message-board
functionality and the ability to create a dialogue between your company,
customers, partners, and suppliers. Discussion forums can help you build
Please complete the form below to continueservice, and Upon submitting your information a
loyalty, improve reading. uncover new information from your customers.
communication dialog box will The speed please select allow. increased by giving customers access
appear, of the sales cycle can be
to answers in minutes that may normally take days, and reduces costs in the
process. A discussion forum allows your customers to share their knowledge
1. First name*

2. Last name*

3. Job title*
4. Organization*

5. Industry*

6. Phone*

7. Email* with others, thus reducing the man-hours for your support team. Instead of
relying only on your product managers to gather product feedback, you can
8. City* gain many insights from customer discussions on forums. This feedback and
harvested information helps inform and influence your business decisions
and fine tune your website.
The forum module includes User Personalization, Administrative Ease, and
full integration within Sitecore CMS for Security, Style Sheets and other
Submit Skip
technical consistency and aesthetic consistency.
For more information about this module go to:
http://sdn5.sitecore.net/SDN5/Resources/Sitecore%206/Forum%20Module.a
spx

2.4 Newsletter Module

Sitecore’s Newsletter Module keeps your visitors coming back for more,
building loyalty, thought leadership, and an ongoing service value with your
prospects and customers.
Each newsletter is essentially a web page, so the content for each naturally
comes out of the Sitecore environment, where multiple editors can
1. First name* contribute, according to their assigned rights. Linking content on the website
to the newsletter is simple, images can be used in the same way as other
2. Last name* media on the website, and subscription sign-up can be managed directly
from the website.
3. Job title* The newsletter is structured using the Sitecore layout editor, so elements
used in the website, such as top-bar, banners, and logos can be easily re-
4. Organization* used, as well as driven from the same style sheet. This provides a
consistent look and feel between the website and the newsletter.
5. Industry*
Detailed Results tracking is available to evaluate newsletter success,
6. Phone* including open rates, click-through rates, subscriber growth and change, etc.
For more information about this module goto
7. Email* http://www.sitecore.net/en/Products/Focused-Solution-Modules/Sitecore-
Modules.aspx
8. City*

3.0 QA for Content Authors
The Quality Assurance Submit Skip
experience for Content Authors is a very important
part of any CMS implementation. Eventually, it is these Content Authors who
will be entering and maintaining content for your site. Most of the time, this
is overlooked and can result in a maintenance nightmare for both the
technical team and the authors.
Sometimes there could be issues with the CMS such as missing Green Dots
in Web Edit (v5.3), missing Insert Options (v6.0) or incorrect role
assignments. Most issues are related to browser compatibility and creation

of site’s navigation aids. Some high level issues are listed below. Make sure
to check them for each site that you deploy with Sitecore.

Templates might be missing some required elements. This should always be
verified with your style guide and design comps.

download Adobe Reader from: Don’t forget to configure the Rich Text editor settings. Settings should be
configured as per your style guide and brand identity and should be
consistent across different sections of the site.
http://www.adobe.com/ Some Insert Options may be missing functionality and may not create the
content as required. Make sure you test this completely by creating relevant
content for the site.

4.0 Security
It is sometimes easy to overlook the security aspects of a CMS, and your
data may be exposed to the whole world. Anyone with limited technical
knowledge can access your content, change user accounts, and create
Please complete the form below to continueeffort. You should be pro-active your information a
havoc with little reading. Upon submitting about setting up required
communication dialog box will precautions to protect your data. It is important to follow the checklist below:
Consult with your IT to perform security checks and set up strict policies
for access to the web and CMS server.
1. First name*
Remove the Sitecore client from any staging environment. This could be
2. Last name* a potential access point for your production servers.
Protect key directories using IIS security by removing anonymous
3. Job title* access.

4. Organization* Separate the database server from the CMS server, and secure each
server independently.
5. Industry* Scan all media files for viruses, especially those that get uploaded from
the Content authors’ computers to the media library.
6. Phone*
Only open the ports that are absolutely required for the CMS and the
published website.
7. Email*
Lastly, always change all default passwords that come out of Sitecore.
8. City*

Submit Skip

6.0.1 or later. To view5.0 Content Approval and please
this document, Publishing
Each organization has different policies for managing Workflows. Some may
require an instant content approval/publish scenario, and others may have
to go through days and weeks and different channels of content approvals
before going live. You can either setup individual notifications for each item
in the workflow or a daily/weekly email digest that contains all the approval
requests in one email. Depending upon your organization policies, you may
choose to go with one or the other.
Publishing takes up a lot of server resources and can really slow down
system performance. It is advisable for users to be out of the CMS when
publishing is in process. It is best to set appropriate times for publishing
content. You can have an automatic publishing option set to go weekly,
maybe on Friday nights, when everyone is off the system. Some items will
need to be published daily or sometimes immediately, and care should be
taken to publish only a small set of items.

1. First name*

2. Last name*

3. Job title*
4. Organization*

5. Industry*

6. Phone*

7. Email*
8. City*

Submit Skip

About Oshyn
Oshyn, Inc. is an Enterprise Technology Agency that has earned a
reputation for delivering innovative business solutions for the web, mobile
devices and enterprise technology platforms. Headquartered in Los Angeles,
and with offices in Baltimore and Quito, Ecuador, Oshyn’s growing client list
includes Best Buy/Geek Squad, Coca-Cola, Electronic Arts, Epson, JDS
Uniphase, Lexus, Miramax, National Education Association, Scripps and
Volkswagen. Oshyn, Inc. is partnered with the some of the most respected
agencies and technology providers such Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Microsoft,
Ogilvy & Mather, OpenText, Oracle, and Saatchi & Saatchi. For more
information please visit us at www.oshyn.com.

About Author
Please complete the form below to continue reading. Upon submitting your worked for clients in
During his 6 years in enterprise technology, Gaurav has information a
communication dialog box will the Enterprise Content Management (ECM), Entertainment, Digital Media,
Retail, Shipping and Customs Brokerage, and Higher Education industries.
His expertise ranges from mainframe migrations to cutting edge web
1. First name* technologies with particular expertise in ECM and EIP (Enterprise
Information Portals). He has managed large, multi-disciplinary teams of
2. Last name* technology and business professionals to deliver complex, large-scale
solutions for today’s demanding clients.
3. Job title*
4. Organization*

5. Industry*

6. Phone*

7. Email*
8. City*

Submit Skip

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