Sitecore Abbreviation Glossary

Sitecore has its fair share of abbreviations. Most software or anything IT related tends to have a lot of abbreviations. Although abbreviations are meant to make things easier, the sheer volume of them can be overwhelming. When I first started working with Sitecore it took me a long time to figure out not only what they stand for but what they actually are.

This is not meant to be fully comprehensive but a list of the more common abbreviations you will likely come across in the community.

Sitecore Abbreviation List

CD

This is referring to the side of Sitecore that is responsible for delivering the content to the web.

CDP

Sitecore offering for unifying customer data, segmenting it and delivering personalized experiences. Learn more about Sitecore CDP here.

CM

This is referring to the side of Sitecore responsible for the authoring and management of content.

DAM

This is a component of Sitecore’s content hub offering. Sitecore DAM™ simplifies storage, management, distribution and control of digital assets. Learn more about Sitecore DAM here.

DLL

DLL’s are similar to an .exe and store groups of variables such as functions, classes, UI’s, media that are used to execute and run the Sitecore application.

EXM

Sitecore offering used to manage and send emails utilizing templates. Emails can be automatically triggered based on data and goals from Sitecore. Read about how Fishtanak transformed NuScale’s digital marketing communications with Sitecore EXM.

FXM

Allows Sitecore users to collect and share visitor data with non-Sitecore websites and apps. Learn more about Sitecore FXM here.

GUID

Sitecore uses GUID’s. GUID’s are a way to apply a unique identifier to items within Sitecore. Every item created within Sitecore receives this unique identifier. GUIDs enable systems to uniquely classify a ridiculously large amount of items in a “language agnostic” way, with an extremely minute chance for any two items to be named the same thing.

IaaS

A way of hosting Sitecore within a series of virtual machines. You are responsible for creation, provisioning, maintenance and upgrades. Read this comparison of Sitecore on-premise, IaaS, and PaaS for Managed Cloud.

PaaS

Utilizes Azure App Services to host Sitecore. All the infrastructure pieces needed can be easily deployed vs creating each piece individually in a IaaS setup. For information on the cost of hosting Sitecore PaaS on Azure click here.

SXA

Provides out of the box features and components that can be configured vs coded. Provides components, themes, configuration settings, multisite configuration, and more.

xDB

Included as part of Sitecore Experience Platform xDB allows you to store customer information including their interactions with your websites. You can then utilize this data for personalization, testing and optimization of content.

XM

Sitecore’s CMS only offering. Gives you all the features needed to create and manage multi sites. Learn about how Sitecore XM compares to Sitecore XP.

XP

Includes Sitecore XM features plus personalization, and marketing automation features. Learn how Sitecore XP compares to Sitecore XM.