Configuring Publishing Targets for Multiple Environments in Sitecore CMS

To support multiple environments (e.g., Production, QA), you can configure publishing targets in Sitecore to publish content to specific databases like web db(Production) and master db (QA). Below are the steps to achieve this configuration:

Step 1: Add Publishing Targets in Sitecore

1. Open Sitecore Desktop:
   • From the Sitecore Launchpad, click Desktop.
2. Access Content Editor:
   • Navigate to Sitecore > System > Publishing Targets.
3. Create New Publishing Target:
   • Right-click on Publishing Targets and select Insert > Publishing Target.
4. Configure Publishing Target:
   • Name: Provide a meaningful name like Production Web or QA Master.
   • Target Database: Set the database name (web, qa_master, or any other database configured for the environment).
   • Publishing Target Settings:
     • Database: Enter the target database name.
     • Target Hostname: Leave empty unless you are using a hostname for preview.

   For example:

   • Production Web: Targets the web database.
   • QA Master: Targets a custom database like qa_master.

Step 2: Configure Target Databases

Ensure the target databases are properly configured in Sitecore.

1. Add Target Databases in Connection Strings:
   • Open the ConnectionStrings.config file located in App_Config.
   • Add connection strings for each target database

<connectionStrings>
<add name="sitecore.web" connectionString="Data Source=yourserver;Initial Catalog=web;Integrated Security=True" />
<add name="sitecore.qa_master" connectionString="Data Source=yourserver;Initial Catalog=qa_master;Integrated Security=True" />
</connectionStrings>


Verify Database Existence:

• Ensure that the web and qa_master databases exist in your SQL Server instance.

Step 3: Publish to Different Environments

Once publishing targets are configured:

1. Choose the Target When Publishing:
   • In the Publish dialog, select Publishing Target to choose either Production Web or QA Master.
2. Publish Content:
   • Perform a Publish or Smart Publish to ensure content is pushed to the selected environment.

Step 4: Secure and Optimize

1. Access Control:
   • Ensure only authorized users can publish to Production or QA.
2. Publishing Restrictions:
   • Apply publishing restrictions to prevent accidental overwrites between environments.

Step 5: Automate Environment-Specific Workflows (Optional)

To further streamline publishing for multiple environments, you can configure workflows specific to each environment:

1. Create Environment-Specific Workflows:
   • Define workflows for Production and QA.
   • Set publishing restrictions per environment.
2. Assign Workflows:
   • Assign workflows to content items based on their lifecycle and target environments.

With this configuration, Sitecore can publish content to multiple environments, enabling streamlined development, testing, and production workflows.