In the dynamic landscape of digital experiences, Sitecore has emerged as a powerful platform, enabling organizations to deliver personalized, engaging content to their audiences. Yet, the journey to Sitecore success begins with a robust implementation, and ensuring that your implementation is not just operational but optimized is crucial. This blog explores the significance of validating a Sitecore implementation before going live. We delve into why this process is essential, how a review council team should approach it, and why viewing the implementation from a second person's perspective can make all the difference. Drawing from my experiences spanning multiple Sitecore implementations, ranging from Version 8 to the latest Version 10, and witnessing the evolution from monolithic architectures to headless setups, I've gained these insights into the ever-evolving Sitecore ecosystem. This journey has reinforced a critical lesson: the importance of meticulously validating every implementation. In this blog, we'll explore the lessons learned and the checklist you should follow to validate your Sitecore implementation, regardless of the version or architecture.

CMS implementation

• Workflow, Roles, and Permissions Setup:

• Are workflows customized to match the organization's approval processes?

• Is there a clear distinction between content authoring, reviewing, and publishing roles?

• Are content authoring permissions granular, ensuring data security?

• Is it easy to reassign or delegate workflow tasks to different users or groups?

• Are notifications and alerts configured for workflow milestones?

• Are Workflows set on the template level instead of the item level? Is workflow also applied to the media items as well

• Sitecore Caching:

• Are caching strategies differentiated for different types of content (e.g., pages, images, APIs)?

• Is output caching utilized to minimize server load for frequently visited pages?

• Are cache options correctly configured to invalidate caches when content changes?

• Is Caching invalidation is done per site-specific as per publish: end event?

• Sitecore Renderings, Placeholders, Templates, Standard Values:

• Are renderings and placeholders documented for easy reference?

• Are custom templates and renderings used when necessary?

• Is a naming convention employed to ensure consistency in templates and standard values like using _ (underscore) ?

• Are personalization rules associated with renderings for dynamic content delivery?

• Is the use of presentation details and variations documented for easy content authoring?

• Do data templates have standard value items?

• Are proper base templates defined that can be inherited?

• Are insert values configured on Standard values and proper tokens are used?

• Are insert options rules configured for component folders that can have subfolders?

• Are Shared and Unversioned defined at the template level to avoid content authors having to duplicate data?

• Are Rendering set in a way to restrict the items created by certain data templates and paths in the Sitecore tree

• Are the names of the placeholder intuitive enough for the CMS user who assembles the page?

• Are rendering Datasource path and Datasource templates set?

• Organizing Content in Sitecore Tree:

• Is there a logical and intuitive structure for content items?

• Are aliases or shortcuts used for improved navigation?

• Is content tagged with metadata for enhanced searchability?

• Are content grouping strategies (folders, buckets, etc.) employed effectively?

• Is the use of content tags and categories standardized for consistency?

• Is content segregated based on the reusability of content across multiple websites in case of a multi-site solution setup?

• Is the Helix folder structure followed?

• Media Library and Asset Optimization:

• Are images and media assets compressed and optimized for web delivery?

• Is responsive image rendering implemented to serve appropriately sized images?

• Are media items tagged and categorized for easy retrieval and reuse?

• Are broken links and unused assets regularly audited and removed?

• Is the use of the detach method to replace a binary advised to authors Folder structure for images should be component-based and common images can be placed in a common folder.

• Sitecore Forms:

• Are Sitecore Forms used for various data capture needs, such as contact forms, surveys, and registrations?

• Are GDPR and data privacy compliance measures implemented for form submissions?

• Are form submissions integrated with CRM or marketing automation systems for future marketing-related activities?

• Are conditional logic and field validation employed for improved user experience?

• Is A/B testing conducted on forms to optimize conversion rates?

• Are exceptions handled appropriately while moving through different Submit actions keeping in mind if 1 action fails what impact does it have on others?

• Custom Implementations in Sitecore:

• Are custom modules or features documented with clear user guides and technical documentation?

• Is custom code tested rigorously to ensure compatibility with Sitecore updates?

• Are customizations easily maintainable and upgradable, following best practices?

• Are error handling and logging mechanisms implemented to facilitate troubleshooting?

• Is there a process for reviewing, approving, and deploying custom code to production?

• Is there a toggle switch to disable the custom implementation in case of any issues?

• Sitecore Bucketing:

• Are content buckets used strategically to manage large datasets or media libraries?

• Is content discoverable within buckets, and are search capabilities optimized?

• Is bucketing configured to balance performance and manageability for large-scale websites?

• Is the content in buckets subject to the same workflow and permissions as non-bucketed content?

• Are automatic content sorting and grouping options employed effectively within buckets?

• From an SEO standpoint we can implement custom routing for bucketed items In case media assets are stored in buckets please ensure URLs of media do not affect the SEO

• Sitecore Search Setup:

• Does each index have a specific content load to ensure performance

• Is the interval asynchronous update strategy being used to optimize resource consumption?

• Is the Solr Index batch-sized optimized (ContentSearch.IndexUpdate.BatchSize)?

• Is the Solr max search result number optimized as per the need (ContentSearch.SearchMaxResults)?

• Is the search functionality tested extensively for accuracy and relevance of results?

• Is search ranking and boosting configured to prioritize relevant content?

• Are we making sure that search is only used for specific search requirements and where the datasets are large in number for all others we still use Sitecore item Api, fast query?

• Content Serialization and Synchronization :

• Is content serialized to ensure version control and portability across environments?

• Is content synchronization automated to streamline deployment processes using separate content sync tasks in the pipeline?

• Is Unicorn or a similar serialization tool configured to track changes in real time?

• Is synchronization failure alerting and monitoring in place to identify issues promptly?

• Is the content synchronization process handled based on environments using rule-based configurations?

• Is the sequence of the content synchronization well-defined on the configurations?

• Ensure content paths defined on the configuration are not overlapping.

• Ensure proper strategies to serialize/de-serialize content in the production environment so there is no content loss.

• Experience Editor:

• Are content authors trained on using the Experience Editor effectively i.e. adding components and changing their data sources, changing the position of components, and updating meta details?

• Is the Experience Editor customized to match the design and layout of the site?

• Are personalization and A/B testing features accessible and user-friendly in the Experience Editor?

• Is content locking employed to prevent conflicting edits when multiple authors are involved? -Content Authors should have complete flexibility to edit content using Experience editor, proper use of Custom Experience Buttons and Edit Frames should be used.

• CRON Jobs in CMS:

• Are scheduled tasks and CRON jobs well-documented, with clear objectives and execution schedules?

• Is there a logging and alerting mechanism to track the status and results of CRON jobs?

• Are CRON job scripts reviewed periodically to ensure efficiency and relevance?

• Is there a process for handling failed CRON jobs, including retries and notifications?

• Is resource consumption monitored to prevent performance degradation due to heavy CRON job loads?

• Personalization Use Cases:

• Are personalization rules defined based on user personas, behaviors, and segments?

• Is personalization content tested for relevance and effectiveness through A/B testing?

• Are conversion goals and engagement metrics tracked and analyzed for personalization campaigns?

• Is personalization targeted across various channels, including web, email, and mobile?

• Is personalization performance regularly reviewed, and adjustments made to optimize user experiences?

• Is the caching strategy well thought of for personalized content?

• Redirections Setup:

• Are URL redirects configured for page and content relocations or changes?

• Is there a mechanism to monitor and track 404 errors for missing or relocated content?

• Are permanent (301) and temporary (302) redirects employed appropriately for SEO and user experience?

• Are redirects tested for accuracy and responsiveness, especially for mobile and tablet devices?

• Is there a plan for handling legacy URLs and redirects when rebranding or restructuring the site?

• SEO Setup:

• Are SEO best practices incorporated, including metadata optimization, alt tags, and schema markup?

• Is a robots.txt file configured to control search engine crawling and indexing?

• Is XML sitemap generation and submission to search engines automated and regularly updated?

• Are canonical URLs correctly set to avoid duplicate content issues?

• Is keyword research and optimization conducted to improve organic search rankings?

• Config Management:

• Is configuration management versioned and documented using source control repositories?

• Are role/rule-based configurations used to manage environment-specific and server role-specific settings?

• Is there a rollback plan and process in case of configuration errors or issues?

• Is configuration history tracked to understand changes and their impacts over time?

• Are backups of configuration settings maintained for disaster recovery purposes?

• Is configuration-only deployment in a place where code and content can be excluded as part of the deployment?

• Multi-Site Setup:

• Is multi-site configuration modular, allowing for the addition of new sites without extensive redevelopment?

• Are shared resources, such as templates and renderings, effectively reused across sites?

• Is content segregation and isolation maintained between different sites within Sitecore?

• Are separate site configurations, hostnames, and language settings defined for each site?

• Is multi-site testing conducted to ensure cross-site functionality and data isolation?

• Is 404 configured for each site separately?

• Is a separate patch config created for Site definition?

• Use of PowerShell Scripts:

• Are PowerShell scripts used to automate routine tasks, such as content imports, user management, and cleanup?

• Are PowerShell scripts regularly reviewed for security, performance, and efficiency?

• Are PowerShell scripts documented with clear usage instructions and examples?

• Is version control applied to PowerShell scripts to track changes and facilitate collaboration?

• Multilingual Support:

• Is multilingual content well-organized, with clear language versions and language fallback rules?

• Are translation workflows defined and utilized to ensure accurate content localization?

• Is content tested for multilingual compatibility, considering character encoding and special characters?

• Are href lang tags and language-specific metadata implemented for international SEO?

• Is there a content translation memory or glossary to ensure consistent terminology and translations?

• Evaluating Sitecore Building Blocks:

• Are Sitecore's building blocks, including templates, renderings, layouts, and placeholders, used effectively to build pages and components?

• Is the Helix architecture or a similar modular architecture followed to ensure maintainability and scalability?

• Are component libraries and design patterns employed for consistency in design and development?

• Is there a clear separation between content and presentation, promoting content reusability?

• Customizations in Sitecore CM:

• Are customizations to the Sitecore Content Management (CM) environment documented, including their purpose and impact?

• Are custom pipelines, processors, and events used to extend and modify default Sitecore functionality?

• Is custom code or modules integrated into the CM environment, and do they adhere to best practices?

• Is there a process for testing and validating customizations to avoid conflicts or issues in the CM environment?

• Are customizations designed with scalability and future upgrades in mind?

CD implementation

• Caching Configuration (Patch Configs, etc.):

• Are cache strategies documented, including cache duration, cache dependencies, and cache size?

• Are personalized content caching and personalization rules effectively managed?

• Is cache warming configured to preload frequently accessed content?

• Is there a strategy for handling cache clearing during deployments or content updates?

• Is client-side caching (browser cache) optimized to reduce server load?

• Are default Sitecore cache sizes tuned as per the NFRs of application?

• Config Management:

• Are configuration transforms used to apply environment-specific settings?

• Is there a process for testing configuration changes in isolation before applying them to the CD environment?

• Are sensitive configuration settings, such as API keys and secrets, encrypted or stored securely?

• Is configuration versioning and rollback planning in place in case of configuration errors?

• Are configurations reviewed for potential performance bottlenecks or optimization opportunities?

• Connection Strings:

• Are connection strings encrypted or securely managed within configuration files?

• Is database connection pooling configured and optimized for efficient database access?

• Is connection string security reviewed regularly to ensure compliance with security standards?

• Are there too many custom DB connection strings that can cause performance degradation because of health check probes?

• Custom Databases:

• Are custom databases designed with performance optimization in mind, including proper indexing?

• Is data access to custom databases asynchronous or parallelized for reduced latency?

• Are custom database schemas documented and versioned for reference?

• Is there a backup and recovery plan specific to custom databases?

• Is data replication or mirroring implemented for high availability and data redundancy?

• Custom Indexes:

• Are custom search indexes documented, including field mappings and search configurations?

• Is the index strategy optimized for specific search requirements, such as faceted search or content relevance?

• Is there a process for monitoring index health and rebuilding indexes when necessary?

• Is indexing and retrieval load distributed effectively using the concept of sharding?

• Is index optimization considered for multilingual content or content with diverse metadata?

• Logging:

• Are log levels and verbosity settings configured appropriately to capture necessary information?

• Is logging centralized and aggregated for effective monitoring and analysis?

• Are log data retention and archival policies defined to manage log file sizes?

• Are critical log events automatically alerted for immediate attention?

• Is logging extended to capture custom application-specific events or telemetry data?

• Media Cache Setup:

• Is the media cache size adjusted based on the volume and type of media content?

• Is media content served via a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to improve delivery speed?

• Is cache eviction policy implemented to prioritize frequently accessed media items?

• Is media cache purging scheduled to remove outdated or unused media assets?

• Is media cache health monitored to ensure efficient content delivery?

• Media Optimization :

• Are media optimization tools like Dianoga or similar solutions configured for various image formats?

• Are optimization settings adjusted to balance image quality and file size?

• Is batch optimization applied to existing media assets to improve performance retroactively?

• Is the impact of media optimization on browser compatibility and responsiveness considered?

• Is optimization applied consistently across responsive or adaptive designs?

• Hotfixes for Sitecore:

• Are hotfixes tested in a CD environment representative of the production environment?

• Is there a rollback plan in case a hotfix introduces unexpected issues?

• Are hotfixes documented to track their application and impact?

• Is testing performed to verify that hotfixes do not negatively affect CD performance?

• Is there a schedule for regular hotfix assessment and application?

• Server Hardening:

• Is the CD server environment periodically audited for security vulnerabilities?

• Are unnecessary services, ports, and protocols disabled or restricted to minimize attack surfaces?

• Is security hardening applied to the server operating system and web server software?

• Is the environment protected with intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS)?

• Are security patches and updates applied promptly to address known vulnerabilities?

• Session Management:

• Is session data encrypted to protect sensitive user information?

• Is session timeout configured to balance security and user experience?

• Are session tokens protected against session fixation attacks?

• Is session data replication or clustering implemented for high availability?

• Is there a mechanism for invalidating sessions upon user logout or inactivity?

Thanks to Lakshay for proofreading and validating this list.This list still has some more room to accommodate more items, I will keep updating this list. Happy Sitecoring !!!