Raman Gupta

Fixing Illegal Characters in Path & YSOD Errors in Sitecore SXA Due to RedirectMapResolver

In a recent Sitecore SXA-enabled implementation, we encountered a critical stability issue across our Content Delivery (CD) environment. The root of the issue: URLs containing special characters like : * < > & % triggered unhandled exceptions, crashing the site and showing the dreaded Yellow Screen of Death (YSOD) to end users. In this post, we’ll walk through:

The problem and its impact Root cause and Sitecore’s acknowledgement A robust workaround using a custom RedirectMapResolver Step-b...

XM Cloud Developer Exam Question Review

Luke Ali arragned workshop to review XM Cloud Developer Exam Question. Participated in the workshop, where we focused on reviewing and refining exam questions to ensure they align with best practices discussed during the Item Writing Workshop Best Practices session. Evaluated existing ones for clarity and accuracy.

Sitecore Stackexchange Answer : Approach for upgrading the XM cloud and JSS

Provided a detailed answer for a StackExhchange question related to how to upgrade the JSS version in the XM Cloud Application.

Configuring Single Sign-on (SSO) Connection in Sitecore Cloud Portal using Azure AD

Single sign-on (SSO) simplifies login management, allowing teams to access the Sitecore Cloud Portal (and Sitecore Cloud Applications like XM Cloud, CDP etc.) and its applications using their existing identity providers (IdPs). The Sitecore Cloud Portal (https://portal.sitecorecloud.io) supports both default Sitecore authentication and SSO with popular IdPs like Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), Okta, and Auth0. These providers utilize either the OpenID Connect (OIDC) or Security Assertion...

My Sitecore Contributions 2024

Like previous years, This year as well, I wrote this blog post to consolidate and highlight all my contributions to the Sitecore community in 2024. The blog captures the various ways I engaged with the community, including my blogs, speaking at global events, organizing and mentoring initiatives, completing certifications, and participating in collaborative programs like the User Research Initiative.

Is It Time to Migrate to a Headless CMS? Here's How to Decide

In the fast-evolving world of content management, organizations are consistently on the lookout for more flexible, scalable, and efficient solutions. One of the major trends emerging is the adoption of Headless CMS. But how do you know if it's the right time for your business to migrate to a Headless CMS? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll help you understand the benefits of headless CMS, explore different platforms like Sitecore, Contentful, Drupal, and Umbraco, and provide actionable insights ...

Comparing Frontend Hosting Providers for Sitecore: Vercel, Netlify, and AWS Amplify

Next.js, like a shooting star, burst into the web development world and became quite an influential framework for fast, scalable, and user-friendly applications. Therefore, the choice of hosting provider with Next.js applications becomes critical to ensure seamless performance and scalability when organizations are increasingly adopting Sitecore for its robust content management capabilities. Vercel, Netlify, AWS Amplify, and Azure Static Sites are some of the top picks on most lists because of ...

CS0459330 - Bug report for Sitecore XM Managed Cloud Azure PaaS SXA Search Filter components

I have reported a bug in the Sitecore 10.3 XM website developed on SXA and hosted on Sitecore-managed cloud Azure PaaS. There were lots of errors in the Prod CD log file related to SXA Search Filter components. I debugged the “Sitecore.XA.Foundation.SitecoreExtensions.Extensions.StringExtensions.TranslateText” method while requesting the SXA page with the Filter (Dropdown) component and saw that the language is taken from the “shell#lang” cookie.

The mentioned requests should not affect the S...

Sitecore XDB to CDP Migration Youtube Video Session - SUGCON India 2024

With Sitecore's journey into the composable world, Sitecore has not lost sight of the existing XP customer base. For Sitecore users who are intrigued by the composable stack but not sure if a move is possible or feasible, this talk is your step into the migration journey. This session will focus on the xDB to CDP migration tool, its capabilities and a case study based on the pilot with Espire.

Comparing Sitecore's DXP solutions: Sitecore Managed Cloud vs XM Cloud

In this blog post, I compared Sitecore's Digital Experience Platform (DXP) offerings: Sitecore Managed Cloud and Sitecore XM Cloud. Whether you're navigating the complexities of cloud-based solutions or exploring the optimal choice for your organization's digital strategy, this analysis aims to provide clarity on the distinguishing features, benefits, and considerations of each option.

Completed Sitecore CDP Certification

In line with my commitment to staying updated with the latest advancements in Sitecore technology, I successfully completed the Sitecore Customer Data Platform (CDP) Certification this year.

Sitecore User Group Conference (SUGCON) India 2024 Organizer

Proud to be part of the Sitecore User Group Conference (SUGCON) India 2024 Organizing Committee!

After the successful organization of SUGCON 2023 in New Delhi, where the bar was already set high, we were excited for another successful event this year.

This year, we organized this event in Bengaluru, and here's what we achieved:

• Over 100 submissions for call for papers/speakers from multiple Sitecore partner organizations, individuals, and customers across the globe.
• 25 sessions are s...

Troubleshooting Embedded Personalization and Analytics in XM Cloud

XM Cloud offers embedded personalization and analytics features for tailored page experiences. Troubleshooting techniques include verifying visitor tracking, checking tracking requests and environment variables, and ensuring accurate context IDs. Additionally, troubleshooting personalization involves enabling middleware and tracking, enabling static generation, addressing timeouts, and analyzing logs for insights. Other methods include checking Sitecore Personalize App and refraining from custom...

Sitecore XP vs Sitecore XM Cloud: Choosing the Perfect Fit for Your Digital Journey

In today's hyper-connected digital landscape, choosing the right platform to power your online presence is crucial for staying competitive and driving business growth. According to recent report by Gartner, offering seamless digital experience to the customer lead to a 58% growth in business revenue. Amidst a myriad of options, two contenders stand out: Sitecore XP and Sitecore XM Cloud. With each boasting a suite of powerful features and benefits, the decision between them can significantly imp...

Part of Pilot Testing for Sitecore XDB to CDP Migration Tool

I participated in the pilot testing of the Sitecore XDB to CDP migration tool (https://developers.sitecore.com/downloads/xDB_to_CDP_Migration). Vignesh, the Product Manager from Sitecore, managed the pilot from their side, while I led it from Espire's side.

The pilot was successfully completed in March 2024, and the tool was publicly released in April 2024.

During the pilot, several key issues were identified:

• Issues with the migration package.
• Problems in establishing connections ...

HTML injection vulnerability via the hdl parameter Bug report

Found two security issues in the Sitecore XP/XM 10.3 platform and reported them to Sitecore Support. Sitecore Team has acknowledged them as bugs and below is their response:

The behavior you reported was registered as a bug in our bug tracking system. Thank you for reporting the flaw.

To track the future status of this bug report, please use reference number 606641. More information about public reference numbers can be found here: https://support.sitecore.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&syspar...

Sitecore.com redesign & rebuild Feedback

Got this message from Alison on the MVP channel on Slack: Hi MVP folks! You may have heard a rumour about a redesign & rebuild of Sitecore.com... it's true! As part of this project, we are looking at the IA to see what's the best way to organise all of our lovely content to help our customers, prospects, partners and everyone else find what they are looking for. Which is all by way of intro to say that we have a card sorting exercise! It should take you around 30 minutes to complete and we wou...

Sitecore hackathon 2024 Submission

Like the previous years, this year also I had the opportunity to participate in the Sitecore hackathon 2024 event alongside my talented colleague Manoj Chopkar at Team Inspire! 🎉 For 24 exhilarating hours, we collaborated, brainstormed, and coded our way through the challenge, aiming to create something truly innovative. And guess what? We did it! 🌟 Our project focused on leveraging the power of AI within the Sitecore xm cloud environment. Leveraged OpenAI in Sitecore XM Cloud, no authoring ...

Resolving CSS and JS Loading Issues in Sitecore XM Cloud Deployed on Vercel

In recent work on a Sitecore XM Cloud project, an intriguing issue surfaced. While changes were visible within the XM Cloud Pages app or in preview mode, after deploying the Next JS application (the rendering host) on Vercel, the front-end website appeared distorted. Surprisingly, images loaded without issue, but static resources like CSS and JS failed to load. Upon inspecting the page source, it became evident that the website attempted to utilize the Vercel deployment URL for static resources...

Member of User research initiative 2023-2024 Sitecore collaborative Program

This year, I actively participated as a member of the User Research Initiative 2023–2024, a collaborative program by Sitecore. As part of this program, I contributed feedback, shared my experiences, and participated in discussions to help align Sitecore’s offerings with the needs of developers, marketers, and business users.

All About Sitecore XM Cloud Developer Certification Exam

I recently took the XM Cloud Developer Certificate exam and am excited to share my experience with you. Before diving into the world of Sitecore XM Cloud, I had already passed the Sitecore 10, Sitecore 9.x, and Sitecore 8.x developer certification exams in previous years. Now, having successfully navigated through the clouds, I understand the curiosity and uncertainties that many Sitecore developers face when considering this exam. Questions about study materials, the exam’s difficulty level, an...

My Sitecore Contributions 2023

Through this blog post, I would like to write down my contributions in 2023 to the Sitecore Community. I’m really enjoying my community work and I’m happy to be a member of this great Sitecore family. These are my contributions for the year 2023.

Sitecore Stack Exchange and Slack

• Active throughout the year on Sitecore stack exchange with 2300+ Reputations. https://sitecore.stackexchange.com/users/4817/raman-gupta
• Among the Top 5% contributors of the year 2021 (At the time of writing this blog)
• Answered more than 120 answers with around 50 accepted answers.
• Rewarded 2 gold, 10 silver, and 32 Bronze badges for my contribution to SSE.
• Active on the Slack Sitecore channel throughout the year to help other community members.

Twitter - Social Media Activities

Throughout this year, I have been highly active on X (formerly Twitter), utilizing this platform to actively promote Sitecore products, disseminate information about upcoming Sitecore events, and share insights from my Sitecore blogs and webinars. My engagement on X has been a strategic effort to amplify the reach of Sitecore-related content and contribute to the broader awareness of the platform within the digital community. By leveraging this social media channel, I aim to foster a vibrant and...

Security Checklist for Your Sitecore-Based Website

In today's digital world, web security is a non-negotiable priority. Whether you're a Sitecore website developer, user, or client, understanding the critical aspects of web security is essential. To help you ensure the robust security of your Sitecore-based website, I've created an extensive security checklist based on globally accepted standards, including the OWASP Top 10, SANS, WASC, CWE, and more. The goal is to provide you with a solid starting point for securing your Sitecore site while pr...

Icon of the Year Award for Sitecore contribution

I am thrilled to share a moment of personal pride and gratitude as I recently received the "Icon of the Year" award from my esteemed organization, Espire Infolabs. This recognition holds special significance for me, as it signifies not just personal achievement but also the incredible journey we've embarked on together as a team.

The Icon of the Year award is a testament to the relentless dedication, exceptional talent, and unwavering commitment to our company's success that I have had the pr...

Elevate Your Sitecore Solution - Migrating from MVC to Headless for Unparalleled Agility

SUGCON India's return to the Indian tech scene after a four-year hiatus was an event to remember, and I was fortunate to play a dual role as both a member of the Organizing Committee and a featured speaker.

My session, titled "Elevate Your Sitecore Solution - Migrating from MVC to Headless for Unparalleled Agility," aimed to shed light on the exciting world of Sitecore composability and how organizations can seamlessly transition from traditional MVC-based solutions to the cutting-edge Sitec...

Overriding Precompiled SXA Razor Views in Sitecore

Did you know that Sitecore has introduced precompilation for SXA Razor views starting from version 10.3? Have you ever faced challenges while updating Out-of-the-Box cshtml files in SXA projects? This blog post dives deep into this topic and provides practical solutions. Learn how to effectively override precompiled SXA Razor views in Sitecore 10.3 and beyond.

CS0394412 - Rich text editor for the Sitecore Forms send email

Reported a Feature request. Got this response from Sitecore Support Portal:

Hi Raman,

The described functionality is not available out of the box in Rich Text Editor of the Sitecore Forms Send Email submit action.

We registered a feature request with the product team to add it, so it can be considered for future versions of the product.

To track the future status of this feature request, please use the reference number 593910. More information about public reference numbers can be ...

CS0383359 - Penetration testing Remote Code Execution via Unrestricted File Upload

Bug registered in Sitecore XP/XM related to security issue, got below response from Sitecore Support team: Hello Raman, Thank you for contacting Sitecore support. The described behavior was registered as a bug in our bug-tracking system. To track the future status of this bug report, please use reference number 483800. More information about public reference numbers can be found here: https://support.sitecore.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0853187.

As an option to mitigate th...

CS0389213 - SXA search not working after removing Unsafe-eval from script-src CSP

Registered the feature request to Sitecore Support for security issues in Product. Got this below response from Team:

Hello Raman,

We have submitted a feature request with the product department to make SXA fully compatible with CSP and it can be considered for future versions of the product. To track the future status of this request, please use the reference number 360200. More information about public reference numbers can be found here:

https://support.sitecore.com/kb?id=kb_articl...

CS0352130 - Issue with Setup for Headless Next JS SXA projects

Registered Feature request for Sitecore Headless Next JS implementation, Got this response from Sitecore Support:

Hi Raman

Thank you for joining the meeting. I have registered a feature request to add support of deploying items to Sitecore for the nextjs-sxa JSS app template for the product so that it can be considered for future implementation. Thank you for providing us your feedback! 😊

To track the future status of this request, please use the reference number 571793. More informat...

Remediation of Sitecore MVC Device Simulator Vulnerability

This blog post is about the critical vulnerability in Sitecore related to the MVC Device Simulator. This vulnerability affects all Sitecore versions above 9 and can potentially allow for an IIS Authorization Rules Bypass, leading to sensitive data exposure. In this blog post, I discuss the possible scenario and recommend a solution to mitigate this vulnerability for those using Sitecore in docker container deployments.

Participation in Sitecore Search User Testing

• Collaborated with Rui Ewald for Sitecore Search user testing.
• Engaged in a discussion over the Teams call to assess Sitecore Search product features and functionality.
• Provided valuable feedback and insights to help improve the Sitecore Search product.
• Demonstrated a commitment to enhancing the quality and user experience of Sitecore's offerings.
• Contributed to the iterative development and refinement of Sitecore Search through user testing and feedback.

Sitecore Hackathon 2023 - Team InspirePro

I Participated 2023 Sitecore hackathon as part of Team InspirePro. Our team decided to work on the best enhancement to Sitecore XM Cloud, and I'm proud to say that we submitted a module that utilizes XM Cloud webhooks and Azure functions to send real-time notifications to MS Teams. You can see a short video of our demo here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqDcUFAUeAw https://sitecorehackathon.org/sitecore-hackathon-2023/

Setup local XM Cloud development environment using Docker containers

In this blog, I have explained how to set up a local XM Cloud development environment (Next JS application + Sitecore XM) using Docker containers. This is one of the earliest posts published on the XM cloud Setup in the Sitecore community. This is one of my top-result blogs on search engines and has good traffic statistics.

Run the Sitecore XM Cloud Play Summit Demo on your development machine

In this blog, I explained how to connect the Next.js application directly to the XM cloud application through the Experience Edge endpoint. Sitecore Demo XmCloud PlaySummit GitHub repository contains a JSS Next.js front-end application. You can set up the full project on your development machine but it requires Docker with Windows Containers enabled. As a front-end developer, you might be using a different operating system and, therefore, can not run the full XM Cloud solution locally. In this b...

Install Sitecore 10.3 with Docker Containers

In this blog, I will show you how to set up the recently released Sitecore 10.3 XP0 vanilla instance on your local development machine using dockers containers. Although I am using the Sitecore Experience Platform – Single (XP0) configuration for simplicity, you can use the same approach to start any configuration like XP1, XM0 or XM1.

Reviewer for Sitecore MVP Applications 2022

Reviewer for Sitecore MVP Applications 2022.

LinkedIn Post

Finally received my 2022 Sitecore MVP Award along with some cool Sitecore swag. It's a real honour to be part of this awesome community. Big thanks to Tamas Varga and Nicole Montero for managing the #sitecoremvp program. If you also wish to be part of this elite group of MVPs then make sure to submit all the contributions you did this year, #SitecoreMVP applications are now open! This year, you do not need to be recommended to apply. 🗓️ Application deadline is November 30th at 8 pm PST

Icon of the year award

Got this award for my contribution to Sitecore DXP practice at the organisational level. As a Sitecore Technical architect, I have been involved in a variety of projects such as Sitecore upgrade to 10.2, Sitecore managed cloud and #docker implementations, Sitecore #commerce and #headless deliveries.

Not only for supporting at the organization level but also my efforts in organizing Sitecore user groups conferences, and spreading knowledge via Webinars or Sitecore virtual developer days have b...

Speaker at SUG India – Sitecore Managed Cloud with Containers Part 2

In continuation of the last session, where we provided the Sitecore Managed Cloud introduction and an overview of the MCC architecture. In this session, we will talk about our experience working with Sitecore Managed Cloud Containers (MCC) from the development point of view and will talk about the general setup steps. Though all the process is very well documented, there are some non-documented configurations that developers need to do before pushing changes to MCC, we would like to share this k...

Sitecore Managed Cloud- Part 1- Getting started

LinkedIn Post

In succession to the Containers in Sitecore Development blog post series, my new blog provides an overview of basic containerization concepts for Sitecore Managed Cloud. I have described how to deploy Sitecore on #Microsoft #Azure with #Docker #Containers with #Kubernetes.

Feedback provided for XM Cloud for Technical Users

I have Subscribed to the Sitecore user feedback community. on behalf of which I have reviewed Sitecore Beta eLearning courses and provided my feedback for the e-learning course: XM Cloud for Technical Users

Containers In Sitecore Development - Develop and Debug in a Local Environment

Containers in Sitecore Development – Part 5 – Build the Custom Sitecore Images in Docker

Containers in Sitecore Development -Part 4 – Understand the docker file structure

Feedback provided for Introduction to Digital Commerce with Sitecore *BETA*

I have Subscribed to the Sitecore user feedback community. on behalf of which I have reviewed Sitecore Beta eLearning courses and provided my feedback for the e-learning course - Introduction to Digital Commerce with Sitecore BETA

Containers in Sitecore Development -Part 3 – Set up Docker environment

Containers in Sitecore Development – Docker VM set up

Running a Sitecore environment directly from the Sitecore-provided images is a great way to learn about how Sitecore runs in containers. However, real-world Sitecore solutions will require you to create custom images that layer on elements of your implementation. This could include custom code, configuration, Sitecore modules, and item data. Through this Sitecore Docker blog post series, I am explaining how to containerize any existing or new Sitecore 10.2 solution (Helix or non-Helix). You will...

Appreciation post for community help

Thank you post from Sitecore community member for guiding them

Feature 538827 to Repeat last order in Sitecore commerce (XC)

Support case: CS0301094: Feature 538827 to Repeat last order in Sitecore commerce (XC)

Sitecore 10 .NET Developer Certification

Completed the Sitecore 10 .Net developer certification exam and passed the exam with a 94% overall score

Twitter Post

Knowledge booster sessions at @Sitecore user group meet-up today. Thanks everyone for joining us and making this event a successful one.Thanks, @vikaskumarg and @EspireInfolabs for organizing this wonderful #Sitecore event.

Twitter Post

Check out the agenda for @Sitecore user group in-person meeting, which is going to happen this Saturday (14th May). If you are around Delhi-NCR, don't miss this chance to connect with #Sitecore developers and #sitecoremvp Register now:https://espire.com/events/sitecore-user-group-meetup-sponsored-by-espire

Twitter Post

Do you have something interesting to share about @Sitecore? Do you want to meet with the #Sitecore Developers Community? Come and join us for a physical Sitecore User Community Meetup on May 14th in Gurugram. Register now: https://bit.ly/3Occ1zD

Sitecore Virtual developer day 2022 on the topic of Multilayered Personalization

Sitecore VDD is a complimentary 24-hour virtual annual event organized by Sitecore showcasing pre-recorded presentations designed to drive and foster engagement with existing and potential Sitecore developers around the world. Through my session, I demonstrated the power of personalization in Sitecore, where you can target customers based on their personas and provide your customers with relevant, targeted content. In this session, I explained in detail, what multi-layered personalization in Sit...

Multi-layered personalization in Sitecore experience platform

This year, I developed an open-source Sitecore module for creating personalization components in Sitecore XP. You can fork/clone the repo to play around with the solution. I have used this repo to develop a module during my VDD’22 presentation.

Sitecore Hackathon

Participated in the Sitecore Hackathon 2022 under Team Inspire - https://www.sitecorehackathon.org/sitecore-hackathon-2022/ Developed and submitted enhancements for the Sitecore MVP website. YouTube Video Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMwRzpKUR2M

Sitecore Commerce Engine Set up Development environment

In this post, I've described how to set up a development environment to start Sitecore commerce development.

LinkedIn Post

The last few hours left to submit a session for Sitecore Virtual Developer Day 2022 and I've already submitted a session! Hurry up and submit your talk now: https://lnkd.in/dUKpuVBy

Twitter Post

In my latest blog post, I've explained how to use @Sitecore Marketing Automation Reporting API and develop a custom reporting dashboard https://sitecorewithraman.wordpress.com/2022/01/15/marketing-automation-custom-reporting-using-marketing-operations-api

Twitter post

Team Inspire is all set for Sitecore Hackathon'22. You can register your team here http://sitecorehackathon.org/sitecore-hackathon-2022/

Customization of EXM preference center and decrypt contacts

LinkedIn Post

Let's start the new year with a new Sitecore blog post. In this blog, I've explained how to decrypt Sitecore contacts using Cipher and then customize the EXM preference center using those contacts. Wish you all a very happy new year'22. https://lnkd.in/eVVgp_ss

Feature#269106 Disable stock level check in Sitecore Commerce

Sitecore Support Case#CS0281591: Feature 269106 Disable stock level check in Sitecore Commerce