GraphQL Not Working for "Load More" Functionality on Published Environment

Issue: GraphQL Not Working for "Load More" Functionality on Published Environment

Summary:
The "Load More" functionality using GraphQL queries works correctly in preview mode and local environments but fails on the published GraphQL endpoint. The error message indicates an execution issue with the children query, specifically with the endCursor value.

Root Cause:

1. Incorrect Context ID: The published environment may be using the Preview Context ID instead of the Live Context ID in the configuration.
2. Unpublished Items: Items referenced in the query might not be published or available in the Live Experience Edge.
3. Incorrect Cursor Value: The endCursor value may not be valid for the published environment, potentially copied from the Preview environment.

Solution:

1. Update Context ID:

   • Set the correct SITECORE_EDGE_CONTEXT_ID for the Live environment in your hosting provider's environment variables (e.g., Vercel).
   • Redeploy the application to ensure the correct configuration.

2. Verify Published Items:

   • Confirm that all required items are published and available in the Live Edge endpoint.

3. Use Correct Cursor:

   • Run the initial query (children (first: 4)) without the after parameter on the Live endpoint to retrieve the correct endCursor value.
   • Use the returned endCursor for subsequent queries.

4. Test Queries in Published Environment:

   • Verify the GraphQL query directly in the published GraphQL IDE to ensure the configuration works correctly.

By following these steps, the "Load More" functionality should work as expected in the published environment.

Content Serialization Challenges in Sitecore XM Cloud

We encountered a recurring issue with content serialization in Sitecore XM Cloud, particularly when dealing with presentation updates like page branches and component renderings. Below is a summary of the problem, possible causes, and steps to replicate the issue.

Issue Description

• Content changes, such as updates to page branches or component renderings, are serialized into .yml files and deployed to XM Cloud.
• On the initial deployment, the updates reflect correctly in XM Cloud.
• However, after subsequent deployments (even with unrelated changes), the previously deployed content reverts to its earlier state.
• This behavior is observed only for certain renderings and not universally.

Suspected Cause

This behavior appears related to the interaction between:

1. IAR (Items as Resources): Serialized content deployed as IAR files in XM Cloud.
2. SQL Database in XM Cloud CM: Changes made directly in XM Cloud CM's content editor are stored in its SQL database, superseding IAR content.
3. Deployment Overrides: Subsequent deployments fail to update content because the local serialized content doesn't reflect changes made in the XM Cloud CM.

Steps to Replicate

1. Create a New Site:

   • Navigate to Presentation > Page Branches.
   • Create a new page branch template and add a component with rendering.
   • Update the component's data source and modify a value.

2. Deploy Changes:

   • Serialize and deploy the changes to XM Cloud. Confirm that the changes are reflected.

3. Perform Subsequent Deployment:

   • Make additional changes unrelated to the previous deployment.
   • Deploy again and observe that the earlier updates to the page branch or rendering have reverted.

Proposed Solutions

1. Manual Cleanup:

   • Use the dotnet sitecore itemres cleanup --force command to remove outdated content in XM Cloud CM before deploying new serialized content.

2. Synchronization:

   • Before deploying new serialized content, pull the latest content changes from XM Cloud CM to the local environment to ensure alignment between local and XM Cloud states.

3. Direct Content Management:

   • If frequent authoring occurs in XM Cloud CM, coordinate deployments to minimize conflicts between serialized content and database-stored updates.

Best Practices

• Track Content Changes: Maintain clear documentation of changes made in XM Cloud CM to prevent inadvertent overrides during deployments.
• Test Locally: Validate serialized content thoroughly in local environments before deploying.
• Streamline Collaboration: Establish workflows that synchronize content updates between developers and content authors effectively.

This approach should help mitigate inconsistencies in content serialization and deployment within Sitecore XM Cloud environments.

Resolving Facet Functionality Issues in Search Integration with Sitecore XM Cloud

During the integration of the Search application with Sitecore XM Cloud, we encountered an issue where facets functionality was not working as expected. While search results displayed correctly, the facets' checkboxes were unresponsive, and an error appeared in the console when attempting to interact with them.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the problem and the steps taken to resolve it.

Issue Overview

• Symptoms:
  • Facet checkboxes were displayed but were unresponsive to clicks.
  • Console error: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'facets').
• Environment:
  • Frontend: Next.js application.
  • API Endpoint: Sitecore Discover API.
• Observation:
  • The facets functionality worked perfectly during a proof of concept (POC) outside the XM Cloud environment with the same API and codebase.

Investigation

1. Code Review:

   • The issue was identified in the SearchResultWidget.tsx component, particularly in the onFacetValueClick function.
   • An arrow function (onFacetValueClick={() => onFacetClick}) was used instead of directly passing the callback function.

2. Environment Consistency:

   • Verified that the API response was identical in both environments (POC and XM Cloud).
   • Compared configurations and ensured the same codebase was deployed.

3. Styled vs. CSS Components:

   • The demo site used styled components, whereas the integrated application used .css files. An attempt was made to replicate the behavior using styled components for troubleshooting.

Solution

1. Fixing the Facet Click Logic:

   • Replaced the arrow function with a direct callback function.

   
   
   <SearchResultsAccordionFacets
       defaultFacetTypesExpandedList={[]}
       onFacetValueClick={onFacetClick}
       className="sitecore-accordion-facets-root"
   />
   

2. Testing and Validation:

   • Updated the @sitecore-search/react package to version 2.2.3, resolving known bugs in earlier versions (2.1.1).
   • Validated the changes locally and deployed them to the XM Cloud environment.

3. Facet Behavior in URL:

   • For modifying the facet behavior in the URL (displaying facet value instead of ID), implemented the useSearchResultsSelectedFacets hook from the Search SDK.

Key Findings

• The issue originated from a combination of incorrect function usage and a known bug in the older version of the @sitecore-search/react package.
• XM Cloud-specific configurations did not impact the functionality; the error was resolved by addressing code-level issues and updating dependencies.

Conclusion

By fixing the callback logic and updating the relevant package, the facets functionality was restored. This experience highlighted the importance of:

1. Keeping dependencies up to date.
2. Ensuring code consistency across environments.
3. Validating functionality with minimal, reproducible examples.

If you encounter a similar issue, check your package versions, verify API responses, and thoroughly review component implementations. The above steps should help resolve most facet-related issues during Sitecore Search integrations.