Sitecore

xConnect Sitecore xDB

xDB.Tracker Identifier Missing

A persistent bug in Sitecore xConnect involves contact identifier management during merge operations. When two contacts merge, the system must select which identifiers to retain, but it frequently discards the...

Sitecore xDB xConnect

Are you losing your xDB data?

If you are on Sitecore 9.0 to 9.1.1 without patches, data loss may occur. Users should watch for specific error messages in their logs.

xConnect xDB Sitecore

Bonfire releases xDB Peek (Part 1)

Bonfire has unveiled xDB Peek, an evolved version of their analytics data transfer object project. This tool provides an accessible, styled interface for viewing comprehensive information about Sitecore website visitors....

xDB Sitecore

Bonfire releases xDB Peek (Part 2)

This installment continues from Part 1, diving into the breakdown of xDB Peek’s information categories and upcoming features.

xDB xConnect Sitecore

Add your xConnect facet to Experience Profile, the Lazy Way

The challenge of displaying xConnect facets in Sitecore’s Experience Profile traditionally involves complex, time-consuming processes. I discovered a faster solution using the EP Express Tab, an open-source Sitecore project that...

Sitecore xConnect SQL

Working with the xConnect hex identifiers

This article explains how to work with hexadecimal identifiers in Sitecore 9.x xConnect shard databases. Identifiers for contacts, contact facets, interactions, and interaction facets are now stored in separate tables...

Sitecore CI

What if I were to tell you the Sitecore.Kernel dll from NuGet isn't the latest?

Sitecore maintains an extensive knowledge base containing patches and updates necessary for various environments. The manner in which sites are patched carries significant importance, requiring consistency across all instances.

xConnect Sitecore

9.1 Release of the Bonfire Analytics DTO

I needed to monitor what Sitecore observes about users and sessions, encompassing goals, events, profiles, patterns, pages, geographic data, marketing automation, and xConnect facets—both current and historical versions.

xDB xConnect Sitecore Facets

Reset a facet on an xConnect contact

This article addresses a technical challenge in Sitecore 9.x regarding facet management on xConnect contacts. In the earlier 8.2 version, developers could use a .Reset() extension method to clear facets,...

Sitecore Identity-Server

Using Identity Server and Bearer Tokens to Authenticate Sitecore

In Sitecore 9.1, the platform transitioned its authentication infrastructure from ASP.NET Membership to Identity Server 4 paired with ASP.NET Identity. This modernization shift enabled Sitecore to replace proprietary bearer token...

Sitecore Development

NuGet packages.config is so yesterday

NuGet’s packages.config approach is outdated. PackageReference is the modern alternative. I discovered that Sitecore’s HabitatHome.Commerce project no longer uses packages.config files, instead embedding NuGet references directly in project files.

Sitecore Debugging

OH NO! Sitecore hanging after iisreset

I encountered a critical issue where my Sitecore site became completely unresponsive for approximately 20 minutes following any IIS reset, deployment, or configuration change. During these outages, HTML and text...

Sitecore xDB Digital Marketing

See your xDB marketing data in session

At Sugcon EU I inquired about how developers and marketers access their xDB data during active sessions. This involves viewing facets, patterns, profile calculations, marketing automation activities, and other metrics...

Sitecore Personalization Rules

Assign profile keys to your content via RULES!

At Bonfire we developed a solution to automate profile key assignment in Sitecore. The core challenge addressed was that editors lacked time to manually assign profile cards to each content...

Sitecore SQL

How to stop editors from uploading media directly to the server file system

The core issue addressed is that Sitecore permits users to upload media files directly to server storage rather than the database. While this approach appeals to SQL administrators seeking to...

Sitecore CI

Install Sitecore like a CI nerd. In minutes.

I leverage community tools to expedite Sitecore 9 installation on development machines. While the SIF tool provides comprehensive configuration options, it lacks developer-friendly simplicity.

Sitecore ALM Logging

Shipping Sitecore Errors to Sentry.io

Effective Sitecore application lifecycle management requires awareness of application errors and whether new deployments introduce issues. Simple up/down monitors or other online tracking may miss sporadic problems, making error log...

Sitecore xDB

Tracking anonymous users in xDB post 8.2 update 3

Sitecore implemented a significant configuration change affecting xDB tracking behavior. The system now restricts tracking to identified users by default—those who have logged in, clicked ExM links, or had Sitecore.Analytics.Tracker.Current.Session.Identify(identifier)...

Sitecore Azure

Sitecore Azure Toolkit 1.1 Release

Sitecore announced the availability of Azure Toolkit 1.1, introducing several enhancements. A particularly significant update addresses Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) requirements by adding compatibility with Web Forms for Marketers 8.2 update 3....

Sitecore SOLR Indexing

Using Luke with SOLR indexes

Examining search indexes is essential for Sitecore development and custom index field creation. I encountered a problem: my standard Luke tool couldn’t access SOLR indexes on my projects.

Sitecore MVP

Sitecore MVP 2017

I’m honored to share my experience becoming a Sitecore MVP in 2017. My journey began in 2009, when I discovered Sitecore’s flexible architecture that freed me from technological constraints. The...

Sitecore PowerShell

Changing templates on items with search and powershell

I encountered a production issue where a deployment change had released several items to production where newly created content folders were of the wrong template type.

xDB Sitecore

Single node Facets in the xDB database

The xDB Mongo database collects essential data about each visitor to your Sitecore site. While it automatically tracks page clicks, time spent on pages, and user identity, its real strength...

Sitecore

Bonfire Profile Information API

The Bonfire team focuses on digital marketing, Sitecore Experience Platform, and customer journey tracking. I frequently need to monitor how current test users or real users progress through their experience,...

Sitecore

Helix: Your Best Practice Guide to Sitecore Development

Sitecore is a dynamic and configurable content management system. However, its openness creates challenges, as developers can approach Sitecore implementation in numerous ways, leading to ongoing debates about best practices....

Sitecore

Moving controllers routes into Sitecore

I traditionally registered custom API controllers in Sitecore by modifying the Global.ascx.cs file, similar to standard ASP.NET MVC practices. However, when deploying packages to customer applications, overwriting the Global.ascx file...

Sitecore SQL

Getting multilist from SQL

A client requested to export site structure via SQL, and I encountered a challenge with multilist controls that reference other items. Since selected items for a multilist is the item...

Sitecore xDB

Order of Pipelines for the Analytics Tracker

I encountered challenges while developing a Tracker modification for Sitecore’s marketplace. The core issue involved determining which pipeline stage to use for custom code that calls an external API to...

Sitecore

Parsing the __Tracker object for indexing

This article addresses performance challenges when indexing Sitecore profile data. Martin Davies discussed in a presentation how the TrackingField object in Sitecore performs excessive processing beyond indexing needs.

Sitecore AWS Azure

AWS vs Azure for Sitecore

This article examines infrastructure options for Sitecore deployments, focusing on virtual machine configurations rather than PaaS solutions.

Sitecore

Intellisense Issue When Using Sitecore Local NuGet Files

The Sitecore Instance Manager (SIM) tool introduced local NuGet support, eliminating the need to manually manage library folders and track DLL versions. However, users implementing this feature encountered a problem:...

Sitecore SQL

Reseting the admin password to b

To reset the admin password to ‘b’ via SQL, run the following SQL on the core database:

Sitecore SQL

Getting Sitecore out of SQL

Accessing Sitecore data directly through SQL queries has limitations compared to using Sitecore’s native API. Direct database queries bypass the caching mechanisms built into the platform.