Sitecore-XM-Cloud-Developer Sitecore XM Cloud Developer Certification Exam Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

InSitecore headless development (JSS with Next.js), thesitecore.jsonfile plays a crucial role in configuringSitecore development tooling. It contains settings related toJSS applications, including SitecoreAPI endpoints, deployment configurations, and serialization settings.

Thesitecore.jsonfile is primarily used inJSS applicationsto configure development tools such as:

JSS CLI(@sitecore-jss/sitecore-jss-cli)

API endpoint definitions

Serialization and deployment settings

This file is located at therootof a JSS-based Sitecore project.

✅Correct Answer: B (The configuration file for the Sitecore development tooling)Example: Typicalsitecore.jsonStructure{

"instancePath": "..\\docker\\build",

"apiKey": "{YOUR_SITECORE_API_KEY}",

"sitecore": {

"instanceUrl": "https://xmcloud.localhost",

"layoutService": "/sitecore/api/layout/render/jss"

},

"jss": {

"appName": "my-jss-app",

"watchPaths": ["src/components", "src/content"]

},

"serialization": {

"root": "./src/sitecore",

"modules": ["core", "master"]

}

}

Defines the Sitecore instance URLfor headless applications.

Specifies API keysfor connecting withSitecore Layout Service & GraphQL API.

Controls serialization settingsfor content synchronization.

Configures JSS app name and deployment paths.

Used by JSS CLIfor deploying and syncing data with Sitecore.

Key Features ofsitecore.json:

(A) The environment variables file for the Sitecore Docker deployment → Incorrect

Environment variables for Sitecore Docker are typically stored in.envordocker-compose.override.yml,notsitecore.json.

Thesitecore.jsonfile isspecific to Sitecore JSS and development tooling, not Docker.

(C) The solution integration file needed for deploying code changes to the environment → Incorrect

Code deploymentis managed byXM Cloud Deploy, Next.js build processes, or GitHub Actions.

sitecore.jsonis usedfor development configuration, not deployment automation.

(D) A custom configuration file defining a solution for headless environments → Incorrect

Whilesitecore.jsonisrelated to headless development, it isnot a custom configuration file.

It is astandardized configuration filefor Sitecore’sJSS tooling and CLI.

❌Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

Ensure correct API keysand Sitecore instance URL are configured.

Use serialization settingsto sync Sitecore items between local and cloud environments.

Leverage JSS CLI(jss deploy config) to verify thesitecore.jsonsettings before deployment.

Best Practices for Usingsitecore.jsonin XM Cloud Development

Sitecore JSS Documentation– Understanding sitecore.json

JSS CLI & Development Setup– Sitecore JSS CLI Guide

Sitecore XM Cloud Serialization– Using Serialization in Headless Development

References:

TheSitecore serialization pluginprovides theserialization commandwith the short formser1.This command handles the serialization of items in and out of a Sitecore instance1.You can use thewatchsubcommand tomonitor changes to content items in a Sitecore instance and automatically serialize the changes to your file system1.This way, you can ensure that you don’t forget to pull changes made within a developer-managed location1.

References:

The CLI serialization command

Sitecore Content Serialization structural overview

The excluded fields feature is available fromCLI 4.0 or later1.This way, you can reduce the size of your Sitecore Content Serialization package and avoid unnecessary serialization of fields that are not relevant for your deployment scenario1.

References:

Sitecore Content Serialization structural overview

Configure excluded fields

InSitecore XM Cloud, when an item is published, theExperience Edge for XM Connectorgenerates a static snapshot of theLayout Serviceoutput for that specific item. This means that only the published state of the page, including its components and data sources, is pushed toExperience Edge.

If adata source item(such as a content item used in a component) is updated and published,that change alone will not update the published page on Experience Edge. This happens because the snapshot is linked to thepage item, not just the data source.

How to Make Data Source Changes Visible?To reflect changes made in adata source item, a developer must:

Publish the related page item.This regenerates and updates the Experience Edge snapshot.

Ifonly the data source is publishedwithout republishing the page, the changes will not be reflected on the live website.

Thus, the correct answer is:✅B. A developer must publish the related page items.

Sitecore Documentation on Experience Edge: https://doc.sitecore.com/xmc/en/developers/xm-cloud/index-en.html

Sitecore Headless Services (Layout Service & GraphQL): https://doc.sitecore.com/developers/101/sitecore-experience-manager/en/sitecore-headless-services.html

Publishing Content in XM Cloud: https://doc.sitecore.com/xmc/en/developers/xm-cloud/publishing-and-experience-edge.html

References for XM Cloud Development:

According to the Sitecore XM Cloud Documentation for Developers1, rendering parameters are a way to define custom properties for a component that can be changed by the content author in the XM Cloud Pages editor. Rendering parameters allow you to create flexible and reusable components that can adapt to different scenarios and layouts.To create a component with rendering parameters, you need to follow these steps2:

Create a data template that defines the rendering parameters for your component. For example, you can create a data template with a field called Layout that has three options: Left, Right, and Center.

Create a component that uses the data template as its rendering parameter template. For example, you can create a component called Image and Text that has an image, a title, and a call to action button.

In the component’s code, use the rendering parameter value to control the layout of the component. For example, you can use conditional logic or CSS classes to change the position of the image based on the Layout value.

Register the component in the Components builder and add it to the Components library.

In the XM Cloud Pages editor, drag and drop the component to the page and use the Properties panel to change the rendering parameter value. For example, you can select Left, Right, or Center from the Layout drop-down menu.

2:Create a component with rendering parameters | Sitecore Documentation1:XM Cloud Documentation for Developers - Sitecore

The publishing pipeline in Sitecore XM Cloud performs several tasks to ensure an accurate snapshot of content is available for publishing from the Content Management instance. These tasks include calculating additional entities to publish, calculating dependencies, and resolving dependencies. These steps are crucial for maintaining the integrity and consistency of the published content.

References:The Sitecore XM Cloud documentation outlines the publishing pipeline process, which includes the calculation and resolution of entities and dependencies as part of creating a publishing manifest1.

According to the Sitecore XM Cloud Documentation for Developers1, a placeholder is a named location on a page where components can be inserted. A placeholder can have one or more components assigned to it, and the content author can add, remove, or reorder the components in the XM Cloud Pages editor.To create a placeholder for a page, you need to follow these steps2:

In the Content Editor, create or select a rendering item that defines the metadata and parameters for your component.

In the rendering item, in the Data section, in the Layout field, enter the HTML markup for your component. Include a placeholder tag with a unique name, such as.

In the Content Editor, create or select a placeholder settings item that defines the allowed components for your placeholder. You can also clone an existing placeholder settings item and modify it as needed.

In the placeholder settings item, in the Data section, in the Key field, enter the same name as the placeholder tag, such asmy-placeholder.

In the placeholder settings item, in the Data section, in the Allowed Controls field, select the components that you want to allow in the placeholder. You can also use the Edit button to open the Allowed Controls dialog box and select the components from a tree view.

Register the component and the placeholder settings in the Components builder and add them to the Components library.

In the XM Cloud Pages editor, drag and drop the component to the page and use the placeholder to insert other components as needed.

2:Create a placeholder for a component | Sitecore Documentation1:XM Cloud Documentation for Developers - Sitecore

In Sitecore XM Cloud, to automatically populate the Title field of items created from a template with the name of the item, the developer should set the$nametoken in the Title field of the template’s standard values. This token is replaced with the actual item name when the item is created, ensuring that the Title field is automatically filled with the correct name.

References:The use of the$nametoken in standard values is supported by Sitecore and is documented in their developer resources.It is specifically mentioned that Sitecore replaces the$nametoken with the item’s name during creation1.

According to the Sitecore XM Cloud Documentation for Developers1, templates are the fundamental concept in Sitecore that determine the structure and behavior of content items. Templates define the fields, sections, and parameters that make up each item. Templates also enable inheritance, which allows items to share common fields and properties from their base templates.There are different types of templates in Sitecore, such as data templates, branch templates, and command templates2.

To create the data structures for a site, the developer should use data templates, which define the fields used to control how data is entered. Data templates form the framework around which items are built. Sitecore associates a data template with every item in the content tree.The field types determine the editing controls shown to the user and they contain the raw values that are stored in the database2.

The other options are not correct:

Rendering parameters are custom properties for a component that can be changed by the content author in the XM Cloud Pages editor.Rendering parameters allow the content author to customize the appearance and behavior of the component, but they do not define the data structure of the content item3.

Renderings are items that define the metadata and parameters for a component. Renderings link a component to a data template, a headless variant, and a rendering parameter template.Renderings are used to create and manage components in the Components builder, but they do not define the data structure of the content item4.

Component data sources are content items that provide the content for a component. Component data sources can have fields, such as text, image, or link, that can be edited by the content author in the XM Cloud Pages editor.Component data sources are based on data templates, but they are not templates themselves4.

2:Data definition and template overview | Sitecore Documentation3:Create a component with rendering parameters | Sitecore Documentation4:Create a component that uses a data source item | Sitecore Documentation1:XM Cloud Documentation for Developers - Sitecore

According to the Sitecore XM Cloud Documentation for Developers1, there are three ways to create an XM Cloud environment:

Using theSitecore CLI, which is a command-line tool that allows you to perform operations against local or remote XM Cloud instances.You can use the Sitecore CLI to create a project and an environment using thesitecore project createandsitecore environment createcommands2.

Using theXM Cloud Deploy app, which is a web application that allows you to create and manage projects, environments, and deployments.You can use the XM Cloud Deploy app to create a project and an environment using the user interface3.

Using theXM Cloud Deploy API, which is a RESTful API that allows you to programmatically interact with the XM Cloud Deploy app.You can use the XM Cloud Deploy API to create a project and an environment using HTTP requests4.

2:Walkthrough: Creating an XM Cloud project using the Sitecore CLI3:Create a project in the Deploy app4: [XM Cloud Deploy API Reference]1:XM Cloud Documentation for Developers - Sitecore

When adding a new language to aheadless SXAsite inSitecore XM Cloud, there are specific steps that must be followed to ensure content is available in the new language and can be managed effectively in the content tree.

Add the Language in /sitecore/system/languages:The first step is to add the new language to Sitecore’slanguage settings. This is done in the/sitecore/system/languagesnode, where you can define the new language and its associated country code (e.g., English - US, French - FR).

This step ensures that the language is recognized across the Sitecore instance, allowing content and components to be available in that language.

Change Language on Content Items and Add a New Version:Once the language is added, the next step is to ensure that the new language is applied to specific content items.

In theContent Editor, select the content item and change the language dropdown to the newly added language.

After switching the language, you will need to create anew versionof the content item in that language, so the content is ready for translation or localization.

Option A: Installing a language pack is not required in Sitecore XM Cloud for adding a language. This is typically more relevant for traditional Sitecore instances where language packs provide content and translation support. XM Cloud doesn’t require a language pack to add new languages.

Option C: The"Add Site language"option in Sitecore is not a standard action for adding a language to a site. This feature is not part of the typical process for adding a language in the Sitecore Content Management system.

Option D: The"country code in the Language field"step is not necessary in Sitecore. The language is added through the/sitecore/system/languagesnode, and country codes are generally tied to the language code but not entered manually in the Language field.

Steps to Add a New LanguageWhy Other Options Are Incorrect:Thus, the correct process is to add the language in/sitecore/system/languages, change the language of the content item, and add a version for that language.

Managing Languages in Sitecore XM Cloud:https://doc.sitecore.com/xmc/en/developers/xm-cloud/multilingual-content-in-xm-cloud.html

Sitecore SXA and Headless Development:https://doc.sitecore.com/xmc/en/developers/xm-cloud/sxa-in-xm-cloud.html

References for XM Cloud Development:

When abuild fails in XM Cloud, developers need to diagnose the issue by checking relevant logs and system information. The best place to start is theProject Details Page in the Deploy App, which provides insights into deployment failures, error messages, and related logs.

TheProject Details Page in the XM Cloud Deploy appshows thedeployment history, including build failures.

It providesdetailed error messagesand links to deployment logs.

Developers canview logs and troubleshootissues directly within the Deploy App.

Why is Option C Correct?

Option A - The Deploy app system status page❌Incorrect because this pageonly shows the overall status of XM Cloud services(whether the system is operational or experiencing outages). It does not provide detailed logs for a specific failed build.

Option B - The Content Management instance logs for the environment❌Incorrect because these logs trackruntime errorsrelated to the CMS and API calls but do not provide direct build or deployment failure details.

Option D - The deployment log files for the environment❌Incorrect becausedeployment logs are accessed through the Deploy app’s project details page. There are no separate “deployment log files” that can be accessed directly in XM Cloud.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect?Thus, the correct answer is:✅C. The project details page in the Deploy app.

XM Cloud Deploy App Overview:https://doc.sitecore.com/xmc/en/developers/xm-cloud/xm-cloud-deploy.html

Troubleshooting Deployments in XM Cloud:https://doc.sitecore.com/xmc/en/developers/xm-cloud/deployment-troubleshooting.html

Sitecore XM Cloud System Status Page:https://status.sitecorecloud.io/

References for XM Cloud Development:

According to the Sitecore XM Cloud Documentation for Developers1, in the Content Editor, you can set placeholder restrictions for your layout placeholders. These restrictions are applied on all pages in the site. For example, if you add restrictions for a footer, these apply for all footers on every page of the site. In this way, you can control the content that content authors can place in layout placeholders.To add a placeholder setting for a site, you need to create a placeholder item in the Layout/Placeholder Settings folder and enter the placeholder key and the allowed components2.

The other options are not correct:

A. The restrictions apply for all placeholders called headless-footer within a single site in the XM Cloud Content Management instance.This option is too narrow, as the placeholder restrictions apply to all sites that use the same placeholder key, not just one site.

C. The restrictions only apply for a placeholder called headless-footer on a designated page.This option is too specific, as the placeholder restrictions apply to all pages that use the same placeholder key, not just one page.However, you can create placeholder restrictions on specific pages in the Experience Editor, if you want to override the default settings3.

D. The restrictions only apply for subsequently created versions of a placeholder called headless-footer.This option is incorrect, as the placeholder restrictions apply to all versions of the placeholder, not just the new ones.

2:Set placeholder restrictions | Sitecore Documentation3:Set placeholder restrictions | Sitecore Documentation1:XM Cloud Documentation for Developers - Sitecore

XM Cloud includes a modern technology stack that supports various frameworks and libraries for development. React is part of this stack, as it is commonly used in conjunction with Sitecore’s headless services and JSS (JavaScript Services) for building dynamic user interfaces.

References:The Sitecore XM Cloud documentation mentions the use of modern frameworks and libraries, including React, as part of its technology stack1. This aligns with the industry’s move towards more flexible and modular front-end development practices.