Generating Experience React Site

Digital Experience Site for React Web Applications

Create and configure Digital Experience Sites that host React web applications on Salesforce. This skill generates the minimum necessary site infrastructure — Network, CustomSite, DigitalExperienceConfig, DigitalExperienceBundle, and the sfdc_cms__site content type — so a React app can be served from Salesforce.

React sites differ from standard LWR sites: they don't need routes, views, theme layouts, or branding sets. The site acts as a thin container (appContainer: true) that delegates rendering to the React application referenced by appSpace.

Required Properties

Resolve all five properties before generating any metadata. Each has a fallback chain — work through each option in order until a value is found.

The appNamespace and appDevName properties connect the site to the correct React application. Getting these wrong means the site deploys but shows a blank page, so take care to resolve them from real project data.

Generation Workflow

Step 1: Resolve All Required Properties

Determine values for all five properties before constructing anything. Use the resolution strategies in the table above, falling through each option until a value is found.

Step 2: Create the Project Structure

Call the get_metadata_api_context MCP tool to retrieve schemas for Network, CustomSite, DigitalExperienceConfig, and DigitalExperienceBundle metadata types. These schemas define the valid XML structure for each file.

Create any files and directories that don't already exist, using these paths:

The DigitalExperience directory contains only _meta.json and content.json. Do not create any directories other than sfdc_cms__site inside the bundle.

Step 3: Populate All Metadata Fields

Use the default templates in the docs below. Values in {braces} are resolved property references — substitute them with the actual values from Step 1.

Execution Note for Step 3: Load and use the docs

• Agents MUST read the full contents of each docs/*.md file referenced in Step 3 before attempting to populate metadata fields.
• Use your platform's file-read tool (for example, read_file) to load these files in full, then perform placeholder substitution for values in {braces} using the resolved properties from Step 1.
• Files to load:
• docs/configure-metadata-network.md
• docs/configure-metadata-custom-site.md
• docs/configure-metadata-digital-experience-config.md
• docs/configure-metadata-digital-experience-bundle.md
• docs/configure-metadata-digital-experience.md
• Read entire file contents, replace placeholders (e.g. {siteName}) with the resolved values, then use the expanded templates to populate the metadata XML/JSON content.

Step 4: Resolve Additional Configurations

Address any extra configurations the user requests. Use the schemas returned by get_metadata_api_context in Step 2 to understand each field's purpose, and update only the minimum necessary fields.

Verification Checklist

Before deploying, confirm:

• [ ] All five required properties are resolved
• [ ] All metadata directories and files exist per the project structure
• [ ] All metadata fields are populated per the templates and user requests
• [ ] appSpace in content.json matches an existing WebApplication metadata record
• [ ] Deployment validates successfully:

sf project deploy validate --metadata Network CustomSite DigitalExperienceConfig DigitalExperienceBundle DigitalExperience --target-org ${usernameOrAlias}

Configure Metadata: CustomSite

Purpose

This configuration file creates a net-new, default CustomSite metadata record for a Digital Experience React Site. It is not intended to edit or modify an existing CustomSite record. Use this template only when provisioning a brand-new React site.

File Location

sites/{siteName}.site-meta.xml

Default Template

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<CustomSite xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <active>true</active>
    <allowGuestPaymentsApi>false</allowGuestPaymentsApi>
    <allowHomePage>false</allowHomePage>
    <allowStandardAnswersPages>false</allowStandardAnswersPages>
    <allowStandardIdeasPages>false</allowStandardIdeasPages>
    <allowStandardLookups>false</allowStandardLookups>
    <allowStandardPortalPages>true</allowStandardPortalPages>
    <allowStandardSearch>false</allowStandardSearch>
    <authorizationRequiredPage>CommunitiesLogin</authorizationRequiredPage>
    <bandwidthExceededPage>BandwidthExceeded</bandwidthExceededPage>
    <browserXssProtection>true</browserXssProtection>
    <cachePublicVisualforcePagesInProxyServers>true</cachePublicVisualforcePagesInProxyServers>
    <clickjackProtectionLevel>SameOriginOnly</clickjackProtectionLevel>
    <contentSniffingProtection>true</contentSniffingProtection>
    <enableAuraRequests>true</enableAuraRequests>
    <fileNotFoundPage>FileNotFound</fileNotFoundPage>
    <genericErrorPage>Exception</genericErrorPage>
    <inMaintenancePage>InMaintenance</inMaintenancePage>
    <indexPage>CommunitiesLanding</indexPage>
    <masterLabel>{siteName}</masterLabel>
    <redirectToCustomDomain>false</redirectToCustomDomain>
    <referrerPolicyOriginWhenCrossOrigin>true</referrerPolicyOriginWhenCrossOrigin>
    <selfRegPage>CommunitiesSelfReg</selfRegPage>
    <siteType>ChatterNetwork</siteType>
    <urlPathPrefix>{siteUrlPathPrefix}vforcesite</urlPathPrefix>
</CustomSite>

Configure Metadata: DigitalExperienceBundle

Purpose

This configuration file creates a net-new, default DigitalExperienceBundle metadata record for a Digital Experience React Site. It is not intended to edit or modify an existing DigitalExperienceBundle record. Use this template only when provisioning a brand-new React site.

File Location

digitalExperiences/site/{siteName}1/{siteName}1.digitalExperience-meta.xml

Default Template

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<DigitalExperienceBundle xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <label>{siteName}1</label>
</DigitalExperienceBundle>

Configure Metadata: DigitalExperienceConfig

Purpose

This configuration file creates a net-new, default DigitalExperienceConfig metadata record for a Digital Experience React Site. It is not intended to edit or modify an existing DigitalExperienceConfig record. Use this template only when provisioning a brand-new React site.

File Location

digitalExperienceConfigs/{siteName}1.digitalExperienceConfig-meta.xml

Default Template

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<DigitalExperienceConfig xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <label>{siteName}</label>
    <site>
        <urlPathPrefix>{siteUrlPathPrefix}</urlPathPrefix>
    </site>
    <space>site/{siteName}1</space>
</DigitalExperienceConfig>

Configure Metadata: DigitalExperience (sfdc_cms__site)

Purpose

These configuration files create net-new, default DigitalExperience content records (sfdc_cms__site type) for a Digital Experience React Site. They are not intended to edit or modify existing DigitalExperience content. Use these templates only when provisioning a brand-new React site.

The appContainer: true and appSpace fields in content.json are what make this a React site rather than a standard LWR site. The appSpace value follows the format {namespace}__{developerName} and must match a deployed WebApplication metadata record.

File Location

The DigitalExperience directory contains only _meta.json and content.json. Do not create any directories other than sfdc_cms__site inside the bundle.

digitalExperiences/site/{siteName}1/sfdc_cms__site/{siteName}1/_meta.json
digitalExperiences/site/{siteName}1/sfdc_cms__site/{siteName}1/content.json

Default Templates

_meta.json

{
  "apiName": "{siteName}1",
  "path": "",
  "type": "sfdc_cms__site"
}

content.json

{
  "type": "sfdc_cms__site",
  "title": "{siteName}",
  "urlName": "{siteUrlPathPrefix}",
  "contentBody": {
    "authenticationType": "AUTHENTICATED_WITH_PUBLIC_ACCESS_ENABLED",
    "appContainer": true,
    "appSpace": "{appNamespace}__{appDevName}"
  }
}

Configure Metadata: Network

Purpose

This configuration file creates a net-new, default Network metadata record for a Digital Experience React Site. It is not intended to edit or modify an existing Network record. Use this template only when provisioning a brand-new React site.

File Location

networks/{siteName}.network-meta.xml

Default Template

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Network xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <allowInternalUserLogin>false</allowInternalUserLogin>
    <allowMembersToFlag>false</allowMembersToFlag>
    <changePasswordTemplate>unfiled$public/CommunityChangePasswordEmailTemplate</changePasswordTemplate>
    <disableReputationRecordConversations>true</disableReputationRecordConversations>
    <emailSenderAddress>admin@company.com</emailSenderAddress>
    <emailSenderName>{siteName}</emailSenderName>
    <embeddedLoginEnabled>false</embeddedLoginEnabled>
    <enableApexCDNCaching>true</enableApexCDNCaching>
    <enableCustomVFErrorPageOverrides>false</enableCustomVFErrorPageOverrides>
    <enableDirectMessages>true</enableDirectMessages>
    <enableExpFriendlyUrlsAsDefault>false</enableExpFriendlyUrlsAsDefault>
    <enableExperienceBundleBasedSnaOverrideEnabled>true</enableExperienceBundleBasedSnaOverrideEnabled>
    <enableGuestChatter>{enableGuestAccess}</enableGuestChatter>
    <enableGuestFileAccess>false</enableGuestFileAccess>
    <enableGuestMemberVisibility>false</enableGuestMemberVisibility>
    <enableImageOptimizationCDN>true</enableImageOptimizationCDN>
    <enableInvitation>false</enableInvitation>
    <enableKnowledgeable>false</enableKnowledgeable>
    <enableLWRExperienceConnectedApp>false</enableLWRExperienceConnectedApp>
    <enableMemberVisibility>false</enableMemberVisibility>
    <enableNicknameDisplay>true</enableNicknameDisplay>
    <enablePrivateMessages>false</enablePrivateMessages>
    <enableReputation>false</enableReputation>
    <enableShowAllNetworkSettings>false</enableShowAllNetworkSettings>
    <enableSiteAsContainer>true</enableSiteAsContainer>
    <enableTalkingAboutStats>true</enableTalkingAboutStats>
    <enableTopicAssignmentRules>true</enableTopicAssignmentRules>
    <enableTopicSuggestions>false</enableTopicSuggestions>
    <enableUpDownVote>false</enableUpDownVote>
    <forgotPasswordTemplate>unfiled$public/CommunityForgotPasswordEmailTemplate</forgotPasswordTemplate>
    <gatherCustomerSentimentData>false</gatherCustomerSentimentData>
    <headlessForgotPasswordTemplate>unfiled$public/CommunityHeadlessForgotPasswordTemplate</headlessForgotPasswordTemplate>
    <headlessRegistrationTemplate>unfiled$public/CommunityHeadlessRegistrationTemplate</headlessRegistrationTemplate>
    <networkMemberGroups>
        <profile>admin</profile>
    </networkMemberGroups>
    <networkPageOverrides>
        <changePasswordPageOverrideSetting>Standard</changePasswordPageOverrideSetting>
        <forgotPasswordPageOverrideSetting>Designer</forgotPasswordPageOverrideSetting>
        <homePageOverrideSetting>Designer</homePageOverrideSetting>
        <loginPageOverrideSetting>Designer</loginPageOverrideSetting>
        <selfRegProfilePageOverrideSetting>Designer</selfRegProfilePageOverrideSetting>
    </networkPageOverrides>
    <newSenderAddress>admin@company.com</newSenderAddress>
    <picassoSite>{siteName}1</picassoSite>
    <selfRegistration>false</selfRegistration>
    <sendWelcomeEmail>true</sendWelcomeEmail>
    <site>{siteName}</site>
    <siteArchiveStatus>NotArchived</siteArchiveStatus>
    <status>Live</status>
    <tabs>
        <defaultTab>home</defaultTab>
        <standardTab>Chatter</standardTab>
    </tabs>
    <urlPathPrefix>{siteUrlPathPrefix}vforcesite</urlPathPrefix>
    <welcomeTemplate>unfiled$public/CommunityWelcomeEmailTemplate</welcomeTemplate>
</Network>