Accelerating component development in XM Cloud with local Pages integration
When developing for Sitecore XM Cloud, tight collaboration between design, frontend, and product specialists is important. In our approach, we've optimised the entire process — from concept to integration — to shorten feedback loops and deliver high-quality components faster. A critical part of that workflow? Connecting the Pages editor to your local host. Nobody likes to wait 15 minutes for a Sitecore deployment, am I right?!
Our process
- Design first
Every component begins with thoughtful UX and UI design. These are validated early with the team and stakeholders. - Component building
Once approved, our frontend developers build the component, complete with all necessary interactions. This can be published to our shared Storybook environment (hosted on Vercel). This allows our PO or business stakeholders to quickly review and validate the component visually and interactively. - Sitecore rendering
After validation, our Sitecore XM Cloud product specialist defines the rendering in XM Cloud, preparing a backend contract for frontend integration. - Finalising the component
This is where the magic happens. By connecting Pages to a local editing host, frontend developers can test the full integration — including metadata rendering — directly in the Pages editor, without affecting the shared environment. This option saves the developer from waiting for the deployment to XM Cloud, and also makes it easier to debug the component if needed.
Why it works
- No risk of breaking shared environments
- Instant feedback in a true XM Cloud context
- Seamless collaboration between roles
- Reduced deploy cycles and fewer integration surprises
Please note: This feature is supported from JSS version 22.1 and uses the metadata visualization method. Consider upgrading if you're on an earlier version.
Sitecore has full documentation on how to connect and disconnect your local host: Connect your local host to Pages
By empowering frontend developers with the ability to test in context — and still maintain our validation and integration steps — we've drastically improved the quality and speed of component delivery in XM Cloud.