Going Beyond Basics: Advanced Sitecore 10 PowerShell Extensions (SPE) That Made Life Easier
Most of us working with Sitecore have used PowerShell Extensions (SPE) at least once — bulk item updates, content reports, maybe even quick user management. But when I started diving deeper into Sitecore 10 with SPE, I realized there’s a whole world of advanced features that often go unnoticed.
And honestly, some of these have saved me from hours of frustration. Let me share a few that really stood out.
1. Automating Deployment Configurations
I had a scenario where every time we deployed to a new environment, someone had to manually update config items — things like publishing restrictions, workflow settings, or even default roles.
With SPE Remoting, I scripted these changes once, and now every deployment can apply them automatically.
Pro tip: Pair it with a deployment pipeline, so post-deploy configs are always aligned without human error.
2. Security Hardening Scripts
Sitecore 10 has stricter security requirements. Instead of manually reviewing roles and permissions, I built an SPE script to audit user roles, find weak spots, and auto-adjust access.
It’s almost like a security health-check built right inside Sitecore.
3. Advanced Reporting Dashboards
Everyone knows SPE can create simple reports — but did you know you can build interactive dashboards inside Sitecore with SPE scripts?
I used this for:
- Tracking content author activity
- Identifying unused templates and layouts
- Monitoring publishes queue patterns
Bonus: You can even schedule these reports to email stakeholders automatically.
4. Headless & API Integrations
This one was fun — Sitecore 10 with JSS/Headless can sometimes need bulk data movement. With SPE + Sitecore Services Client API, I automated data syncs between Sitecore and external systems.
It felt like giving Sitecore a two-way bridge without writing a whole new service.
5. Automated Content Archival & Governance
Content governance is a nightmare in big enterprises. With SPE, I set up a scheduled job that:
- Flags content older than 2 years
- Sends a reminder email to content owners
- Auto-archives if no action is taken within 30 days
Why This Matters in Sitecore 10?
Sitecore 10 is more cloud-ready and DevOps-driven. That means manual processes don’t scale. Using SPE for automation ensures:
- Faster deployments
- Cleaner environments
- Consistent governance
- Better security compliance
My Advice to Fellow Sitecore Developers
If you’re still using SPE only for bulk updates, you’re missing out. Start experimenting with:
- Remoting (control multiple Sitecore instances remotely)
- Scheduled scripts (turn manual processes into automated governance)
- Custom dashboards (give business users visibility without custom dev)
- Integration scripts (connect Sitecore with APIs or external systems)
Once you try these, you will see Sitecore 10 become much more manageable.
Final Thought
For me, SPE in Sitecore 10 is no longer a “helper tool” — it’s part of my deployment strategy, governance model, and automation toolkit.
If you haven’t gone beyond item updates, here’s my suggestion:
- Pick one repetitive governance task (like user audit, content cleanup, or deployment configs) and automate it with SPE. That’s where the real power of Sitecore 10 + SPE shines.