The key to an effective Sitecore website is the ability to update and edit in real-time and a concentrated effort to make it an accessible, shared project between the marketing and IT departments. We are big fans of using Sitecore because it covers off both of those requirements, while offering impressive visuals and unique personalization abilities with their DMS system.
The ease of being a content author in Sitecore
Editing content in Sitecore is made easy using the Page Editor mode and its inline editing capabilities. A content author simply needs to navigate the site, find the content to be updated and input the changes directly in the page. While Sitecore has made great inroads to ensuring this process is as simple and intuitive as possible, there are still challenges that simple planning and a little extra code can address.
Two common challenges with editing content from Page Editor mode:
- Content authors may find themselves in a situation where they wish to edit a particular piece of content that is in a field that doesn’t exist on the page in the Page Editor mode. They may come across a field that contains content they want to update, but are unable to access the field due to it not be exposed on the page.
- The incorporation of dynamic elements are a great way to add visual interest to your site, but can lead to some problems for your content authors. For example, an element like a slider, which automatically transitions and hides all but the current slide, are problematic to update in Page Editor mode because of these features.
Bringing a developer into the mix
Addressing the first issue is quite straightforward and is supported by Sitecore’s native functionality. Sitecore allows developers to add custom buttons to the Page Editor interface to support fields that aren’t exposed by the presentation. These custom buttons are stored in the core database at: /sitecore/content/Applications/WebEdit/Custom Experience Buttons. From here, there a couple of different types of buttons. In our case, creation of a new button based on the Field Editor Button template gives us the ability to expose fields that are not otherwise available. Once a button has been created, it can be added to the sublayout (and subsequently your page) via the Page Editor Buttons field on the sublayout.
Alleviating the dynamic element issue is a little more complicated and involves using a two-step process that requires code/CSS updates:
- The first thing to consider is the automatic transition of slides; it will need to be disabled in Page Editor mode. In the code, a simple check of Sitecore.Context.PageMode.IsPageEditor will help you identify which mode you are in, and from there it’s just a matter of writing the code to disable the transition.
- The second problem occurs after your slider transition has been disabled. How can the content author edit the second, third, fourth, etc. slide if they are not displayed on the page? Again you will need to enlist your developers to solve this issue using code and CSS: when in Page Editor mode, stack the slides vertically so each one is visible and available to be edited.
Looking for more customized Sitecore posts? Check out these blogs on how to customize your security access to the Sitecore ribbon buttons, conduct an A/B test in Sitecore, or use the DMS to drive personalized web experiences.
While Sitecore continues to improve the content author experience, in house developers will have a role to play in creating a seamless experience for the active maintenance of a company website. If you have been facing these or similar issues, check back in the next few weeks for detailed how-tos on addressing specific Sitecore challenges.