What will be impact areas if we don't set targethostname in Sitecore SXA cms in Sitedefinition?

Question

In Sitecore .Net 10.3.1 (rev. 009452) SXA based Site with docker setup, we configured site definition for CM/CD/Preview, and updated hostname in SXA CMS.

Now in our environment targethostname is dynamically generated by proxy. so we don't want to save this in CMS. I just want to know, what is the whole purpose of this property, if it is only related with link provider, than we can add custom pipeline for sitemaplinkprovider (where we can ready dynamically generated variable by docker environment variable settings) or other linkprovider to resolve URL.

I just want to know if there is any other area that will impact if we do not set targetHostName in SXA CMS.

Answer 1

The targetHostName in SXA is mainly used for generating URLs, such as links to pages or images across different environments CM, CD, and Preview. To explore more the purpose of the targetHostName is to create the correct website links, sitemap generation, multisite support (managing multiple sites with different hostnames, it helps SXA handle links for each site correctly).

If you don't use targetHostName in the CMS and handle it dynamically through Docker environment variables or a custom link provider then you need to keep in mind about Link Generation, Media/Assets URLs and Multiple Sites or few other areas as well.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

When the targetHostName property for the Site is not defined, Sitecore uses the value of the hostName attribute instead.

You may face challenges in Site Resolver when you set SiteResolving as true in the link builder options, while generating link. The reason for this is because Sitecore uses DefaultItemSiteResolver to decide whether the site should be resolved or not.

Belos is an example code snippet which uses SiteResolving attribute to fetch site url. Those scenarios might create issues while generating item path.

ItemUrlBuilderOptions defaultUrlOptions = LinkManager.GetDefaultUrlBuilderOptions();
defaultUrlOptions.SiteResolving = true;
defaultUrlOptions.AlwaysIncludeServerUrl = true;
var linkurl = LinkManager.GetItemUrl(Sitecore.Context.Item, defaultUrlOptions);

In case you do not specify targetHostName for the site and set siteResolving as true while constructing link, then the site resolving will not work for the site and the link generated will not have the correct path.

Second scenario it could impact is while setting the host name, you will need to make sure it should not contain multiple urls separated by pipe, as the below function will start returning empty. Setting multiple host names will impact the server url set in the links generated.

Hope this helps!!! Let me know in case you have doubts.

Answer 3

The targetHostName in SXA helps make web links. It's used to create links to pages and pictures that work across different parts of a website system.

This is important for:

• Making sure links go to the right place
• Creating a map of the website
• Handling multiple websites with different web addresses

If you don't set the targetHostName in the main system, but instead use other ways to control it, you need to be careful about:

• How links are made
• Where pictures and files are stored
• How multiple websites are handled

Hope it helps!

Answer 4

Not setting targetHostName in Sitecore SXA primarily impacts URL generation, site routing, and sitemap creation. Without it, the link provider might generate incorrect or relative URLs, affecting features like sitemaps, Experience Editor, and site routing in multi-site environments. However, if you handle hostname resolution dynamically via a proxy or custom link provider, you can mitigate these issues. Ensure thorough testing, especially in multi-site setups and when using features like sitemaps or Experience Editor.

Answer 5

In Sitecore SXA (Sitecore Experience Accelerator), the targetHostName property in the site definition plays a role in determining how URLs are generated and resolved, particularly in relation to link providers and other components that generate URLs.

Omitting targetHostName in Sitecore SXA mainly affects URL generation, site routing, and sitemap creation. This omission can lead to the link provider producing inaccurate or relative URLs, which impacts various functionalities including sitemaps, Experience Editor, and site routing in multi-site setups. However, these issues can be mitigated by implementing dynamic hostname resolution through a proxy or custom link provider. It's crucial to conduct comprehensive testing, particularly in multi-site environments and when utilizing features such as sitemaps or Experience Editor

In summary, while targetHostName is primarily associated with link generation and URL resolution, its absence or misconfiguration can impact various aspects of how URLs are handled across your Sitecore instance. Custom solutions can help mitigate these issues, especially in dynamic or containerized environments.

Hope it helps!