Using Content Editor

SitecoreAI Content Editor allows users to work with content independent of how it is presented on a website. This can be useful when creating and editing content that appears on several webpages. Content Editor users work with data fields; the tool is not visual.

Content Editor is an optional tool and not generally necessary for building webpages. Users can complete most of their work using Page Builder, though there may be settings that require editing in Content Editor.

Users opting to use Content Editor can:

Create new content items
Edit fields and settings for content items
Add alternate versions of content items
Manage which versions are available for publishing
Submit/ content items

To use Content Editor, select it from the Tools menu.

Content editor is marked in red on the tool menu — Figure 1: The Tools menu, viewed upon clicking on an environment icon, such as the SitecoreAI MSU / prod icon. Content Editor has been marked with a red box.

Content Editor User Interface

Expand the tabs below to review the different areas of Content Editor.

The Ribbon is the main navigation menu, found at the top of the screen. Actions are grouped into categories such as Home, Navigate, Publish, Versions and View. Use the Ribbon to navigate to different functions within Content Editor and to take actions.

A screenshot of the content editor interface with the ribbon navigation marked in red. — Figure 2: The Ribbon has been outlined with a red box.

The Content Tree is a hierarchical list of the pages and content items within a website. Click on an item to view and edit it in the content area.

A screenshot of the content editor interface with the content tree marked in red. — Figure 3: The Content Tree has been outlined with a red box.

The Content Area is located below the Ribbon and to the right of the Content Tree. The Content Area is where a user can view and edit fields to make changes to content.

Screenshot of the content editor interface with the content area marked in red. — Figure 4: The Content Area has been outlined with a red box.

Interface Configuration Tips

When Content Editor is first used in a SitecoreAI environment, there are some settings that should be configured to facilitate ease of use.

Some items in the content tree require view settings to be enabled in order for them to be visible.

On the main Ribbon, click on the View tab.
Check all items except for “Raw values." These include: Content tree, Entire tree, Hidden items, Standard fields and Buckets.

The View ribbon shows the following items checked: Content tree, Entire tree, Hidden items, Standard fields and Buckets. — Figure 5: The View tab on the navigation ribbon has all options except "Raw values" checked. The checked items will display in the content tree.

The gutter is a narrow vertical space to the left of the Content Tree. Enabling icon display in the gutter provides visual cues to the status of each item.

Right click on the gutter space to open up the gutter icon options.
Click on any item to display its icon in the gutter space. It will now show as being checked in the list.
Click on an item again to hide it.

Recommendation: University Marketing and Communications recommends that users enable visibility for Locked Items, Workflow State and Publishing Warnings.

The gutter settings menu is displayed. Locked items, Workflow state and Publishing warnings are checked. — Figure 6: The gutter options menu is open, with Locked Items, Workflow State and Publishing Warnings toggled on to display.

Documentation updated: May 28, 2026

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