Managing Templates From Within Sitecore XM Cloud Pages

What you can do and what you can’t do

May 17, 2024

By David Austin

Streamlining Template Management in Sitecore XM Cloud Pages

As Sitecore XM Cloud Pages evolves, more and more functionality that used to require you going back and forth between Content Editor will get merged in either to Pages or into Explorer. One such item was that of managing data templates. Now however, you can do that from within Pages itself as of a recent update. Back at the end of April as we a number of improvements were made, one such improvement was that of the Template Overview Table.

Let’s explore the overview table by going into Templates while in XM Cloud Pages.

Screenshot of the content management system’s site tree with options to create or manage pages.

The Template Overview Table in Pages

So, what all can we do here in the Overview Table. I’ve highlighted five areas to dive a bit deeper.

Screenshot showing a list of data templates and options for their configuration in a content management system.

1. Assign Page Design

Clicking the pencil in the Page design assigned (by site) pops up a modal that allows you to select a page design for the template chosen.

Screenshot of a selection interface for page design templates.

2. Assign Insert Options

In the Assign Insert Options column you can see if the insert options are set or not and if you click the pencil icon, you are once again given a modal. Here you have two ways of managing the insert options.

The first option is that as the parent. Thus you can tell Sitecore what templates should you be able to be created under this template.

Interface showing insert options for a page template including selections for parent and child page types.

The second option is that of the child where you can determine under what other templates can you create Page.

Screenshot of template insert options, showing where templates can be used in the site tree.

3. Number of Pages Template is Used

This is more for statistics, but it will quickly allow you to calculate how often a template is used and whether or not there are templates that are no longer used and should be archived or if perhaps a template is being used incorrectly.

4. Additional Options

Under the ... we can see additional options available to use. Things that largely would have required us going back to Content Editor to perform.

Screenshot displaying the interface for modifying data templates with options for set insertions and page usages.

Here we can perform the following:

  • Rename - this will pop open a modal giving you the opportunity to rename it.
  • Duplicate - this will pop open a modal allowing you to duplicate the template selected and rename it.
  • Manage Fields - this will actually open the template in Content Editor so you can make changes.
  • Delete - once again, it will pop open a modal and give you a warning prior to deleting the template.

5. Create a New Template

The fifth and last feature of the Data Template Table is that of the Create template button. Admittedly I was hoping for something fancy here, but it takes you right to the Template folder in Content Editor so that you can quickly create a new template and come right back to managing the rest of the details.



Image of Fishtank employee David Austin

David Austin

Development Team Lead | Sitecore Technology MVP x 3

David is a decorated Development Team Lead with Sitecore Technology MVP and Coveo MVP awards, as well as Sitecore CDP & Personalize Certified. He's worked in IT for 25 years; everything ranging from Developer to Business Analyst to Group Lead helping manage everything from Intranet and Internet sites to facility management and application support. David is a dedicated family man who loves to spend time with his girls. He's also an avid photographer and loves to explore new places.