SDL Web 8: Understanding Site Types

SDL Web Introduced a new feature called Site Types allowing Content Editors to create Web Applications by marking an existing Publication as a Template.

The Site Types feature uses a new tool called Site Builder available in the new SDL Web 8 user interface

The SDL Web User Interface will show all the available Sites. The Content Editor will be able to use the "Create a new Site" button in order to start the configuring a new Site

The following list will show the steps to create a new Website: 

• Provide the new Website Name

• Select the a Site Type. You have to mark the Template Publication as a Site Type first by setting the Publication Type available in the Publication Properties dialog

• Select the Content Publication, you can inherit all the Content from the Site Type or you can create your own Component Publication

• Select the URL segment (Relative Path) for the new Website

• Finish and create the new Site
• In order to test you can use the Built in functionality (View in Context)

• Enjoy your new site

Use Cases

1. Multilingual Website where the Web Master Structure publication is marked as a Site Type. Content Editors will be able to create Country (Language) specific publications that will use the Web Master Structure as a Template
2. Microsites. Content Editors will be able to create a Microsite which is relative to an existing Web Application

The Content Editor may say, why do I need to use the Site Builder if I just can use the Blueprint. Site Builder will configure all the Business Processes including Publishing and Topology Manager configuration, as a result the Content Editor will receive a Publication that is ready to publish content without IT involvement