Sitecore Experience Accelerator (SXA) FAQs
Find the answers to commonly asked questions on SXA installations.
Can you mix SXA and non-SXA websites within a single Sitecore instance?
Yes (and no). The challenges of mixing SXA with other solutions are the same as with running any two solutions from different implementers on a single Sitecore instance. Non-SXA sites and SXA sites share pipelines, and both attempt to add processors and modify Sitecore behavior to its needs.
SXA did extensive reviews of all pipelines within recent releases. We have made sure we abort our processors whenever we detect that they are running outside of the context of SXA sites, for the very purpose of limiting any interference that SXA could cause for another solution.
We have tested it working with the Habitat and confirmed that they could run side by side. SXA should be as unobtrusive as any Sitecore solution can be to another solution.
On the other hand, SXA is not in control of the behavior of the processors from the other solution - which means the cohabiting code also needs to be a good neighbor and check for interference with SXA’s operation if it is to be deployed to the instance that co-hosts SXA.
Integration due diligence QA is always necessary when there are two solutions running in a single process.
Can you host a non-SXA site within an SXA site collection?
Yes. A non-SXA site does not participate in the operations of a site collection, but it should not cause problems either. For SXA, a site collection is mostly a container for templates and the grouping under /sitecore/Content is only reflecting that. It is the site that is a unit of execution.
Can SXA pages contain non-SXA components?
Yes. SXA pages can contain both SXA and non-SXA components. You can include these components in sitecore/Content/<site collection>/<site>/Presentation/Available renderings. The components can be placed on the page and function as long as they are not making assumptions about the site structure that conflicts with SXA. If this happens, you can usually mitigate it fairly easily.
You can choose to create an SXA rendering of your component. If you choose not to convert the component into SXA components, the component will not be able to:
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Use SXA styles. Styling these components can be more difficult.
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Use SXA grid settings. Resizing these components can be more difficult.
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Participate in the Creative Exchange styling process.
Can I use SXA components outside of an SXA site?
No. SXA components do not function outside of SXA sites. Because SXA components make many assumptions about, for example, the site structure, the data sources, this possibility is disabled.
Is there a limit on the number of sites that you can have in a single SXA installation?
No. SXA has no inherent limit other than those of the platform itself. SXA is as scalable as the Sitecore environment to which you deploy it. Please consult the general platform architecture recommendations with your partner.