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Meet the Sitecore Content SDK for XM Cloud
As developer, I’m thrilled to share the Content SDK for XM Cloud. If you’ve ever wrestled with legacy dependencies, slow feedback loops, or complex front-end integrations, you’re going to love this. Let me walk you through why the Content SDK is a game-changer.
Why do we need this?
The current SDK carries years of legacy code designed to support both Sitecore XM and XP—functionality you simply don’t need when targeting XM Cloud. That extra baggage inflates your bundle size, slows down development, and complicates maintenance. Sitecore’s new Content SDK strips out all unnecessary dependencies, delivering a streamlined, purpose-built toolkit that’s faster to install, easier to work with, and optimised exclusively for XM Cloud implementations.
How do you start?
- Generate a new app
npx create-sitecore-content-sdk-app my-site
cd my-site
npm install - Configure Your Connection
Point your .env at your XM Cloud tenant and API credentials. - Develop Locally
npm run dev brings up your Next.js app, fetching real XM all the way through to the visual editor. - Visual Edit & Test
Toggle over to the XM Cloud Pages UI, preview changes, or author new content against your local components. - Deploy & Empower Marketers
Push to XM Cloud, and your team can assemble pages with your latest components in the Experience Editor.
Content SDK is Open-source
The Content SDK is fully open-source under Apache 2.0. Contributions, feature requests, and bug fixes are welcome via the public GitHub repo. Check out the Changelog to see what’s new in each release, and join the community. This might be a good step into becoming a Sitecore MVP in the process ;).
Why migrate to the Content SDK today
- Blazing-fast performance
By shedding legacy dependencies and heavy client libraries, the Content SDK dramatically reduces your bundle size. Smaller bundles mean faster initial loads and snappier page transitions. - Streamlined developer experience
With the new Content SDK, you get a single, JavaScript-first API tailored exclusively for XM Cloud. All legacy XM/XP connectors and unused GraphQL boilerplate have been stripped away, leaving a lean, purpose-built toolkit. This helps the developer to focus on the stuff that matters, rather then finding legacy code that doesn't work on XM Cloud. - Future-proof architecture
The Content SDK is designed exclusively for XM Cloud. Moving now ensures you’re aligned with Sitecore’s roadmap, avoids rework down the line, and unlocks upcoming Cloud-only features the moment they’re released.
When to Make the Switch
- Existing sites live before September 2025
The SDK is currently in beta and is planned for general availability around September 2025. If your site goes live before or around that date, I recommend holding off on a full migration until the SDK reaches GA. This avoids instability from beta-to-stable breaking changes. - New projects with a post-GA launch
If you’re kicking off a brand-new build now and your planned go-live is after September 2025, adopt the beta immediately. You’ll gain early access to performance and productivity wins—just be sure to: - Communicate “Beta” Status to your team and stakeholders.
- Track changelog updates from time to time; embrace breaking changes until GA
- Be sure to allocate time for SDK upgrades with each sprint. The smaller the change, the quicker it goes. Waiting until the last moment to update can have a huge impact.
- Active roadmap alignment
Sitecore is committed in the transition to this new SDK. If you want to follow the line of Sitecore, this will give you a head start.
Happy codin'!