Creating A Package In Sitecore

April 12, 2021

By Ashwinder Kaur

Introduction

If you want to share something you built with your team, I recommend creating a package for everyone to install on their own Sitecore instances.

You can use the Package Designer to create packages with Sitecore so that items can be easily transferred.

For example, this can be done when moving items from one Sitecore website to another.

You can use Package Designer to create or modify packages that could contain dynamically or statically created item, or files. The packages you create with the Package Designer can also contain security accounts.

After you create a package, you may want to test it. This will allow you to find out if the package was created correctly and contains all the items that you specified.

You can use the Installation Wizard to install a package in your Sitecore instance.

Creating A Package In Sitecore

Step 1

Login to your Sitecore account, click on Desktop, and start up Package Designer from the Development Tools.

Sitecore > Login > Desktop > Development Tools > Package Designer

Select Package Designer from the menu when creating a new package in Sitecore

Step 2

On the ‘Package Designer’ window, fill out the Metadata fields. The Package Name is the only required field.

Enter a name for the package that you are about to create. The package name can contain letters, numbers, underscores, hyphens, figures, spaces and periods. If you enter an invalid symbol, an error message will appear.

Metadata window when creating a package in Sitecore

After everything is filled out, click on the ‘Items Statistically’ option at the top for a dialogue box to open up. Make sure the database selected is ‘master’.

Select Items Statistically from the Sitecore menu

Step 3

Select the item that you want to export and then click on either ‘Add with Subitems’ (if item has child items) or ‘Add Item’ (if item has no child items).

Continue the same for each item as you will not be able to add all the items at once.

If you would like to move entire website, then select the root item ‘Sitecore’ and select ‘Add with Subitems’.

Select items from the Content Tree Menu when creating a package in Sitecore

Step 4

Click Next, provide a source name, and then click Next once more.

You'll see that the source was added successfully. Click Close to close the dialog window.

The static item source has been successfully added window when creating a package in Sitecore

Step 5

On the left, under the Sources, you will see the new source you created.

New Source with a package child item under it when creating a package in Sitecore

Select the new source and select one of the following Installation Options for the package:

Overwrite:

Installation Option Overwrite when creating a package in Sitecore

Merge - Clear:

Merge and Clear from the Installation Options menu when creating a package in Sitecore

Merge - Append:

Merge and Append from the Installation Options menu when creating a package in Sitecore

Merge - Merge:

Merge and Merge from the Installation Options menu when creating a package in Sitecore.e

Skip:

Skip option in Installations Options when creating a package in Sitecore

Ask User:

Installation option Ask User when creating a package in Sitecore

Step 6

Once an installation option is selected, select Metadata on the left.

Click on ‘Generate Zip’, provide a name, and click on Next.

Generate a zip file step when creating a package in Sitecore

Step 7

You will see the window that will have a download button.

Click the world button with a green arrow to downloaded the file to your machine. This is the file that you can now share with others or install to a different Sitecore website.

Download package after it's been built in Sitecore

Installing A Package In Sitecore

Step 1

Login to your Sitecore account. Click on Desktop and start up Installation Wizard from the Development Tools.

Sitecore > Login > Desktop > Development Tools > Installation Wizard.

Select Installation Wizard from the menu in Sitecore

Step 2

Upload the package that you want to install.

Uploading files window when creating a package in Sitecore

Step 3

Once the upload is completed, click Next and provide the package name, version, author, publisher etc.

All these fields are optional, so you an continue without filling these in.

Installing step when creating a package in Sitecore

Step 4

Once the installation is complete, you will be asked to Restart the Sitecore Client or Restart the Sitecore Server. Select accordingly and click Finish.

Restart the Sitecore client after the package has been installed in Sitecore

Step 5

In Content Editor, publish the changes (either the root or the new items which you imported) to reflect. Your Sitecore package is now imported.


Thanks for taking the time to read this post!

If you would like to know more about migrating content or sharing content with others, send us a message to [email protected].

Ash Headshot

Ashwinder Kaur

Quality Assurance Lead

Ashwinder, aka "Ash" is a Quality Assurance Lead dedicated to ensuring high-quality products. She has a Bachelor's of Computer Science & Engineering ad more than 7 years of QA experience under her belt. Ash loves to spend time with her family, sightseeing (especially the Rocky Mountains), and enjoys solving math problems with her son.