Spinning up a new Experience Cloud site takes about 30 minutes for the basic configuration. The work continues for days or weeks as you add content, configure permissions, and brand the site.
- Enable Digital Experiences
Setup, then Digital Experiences, then Settings. Enable Digital Experiences if not already on. Pick a domain prefix (the URL stem for all your sites).
- Create a new site
Setup, then Digital Experiences, then All Sites, then New. Pick a template (Customer Service, Partner Central, Build Your Own LWR, or a Salesforce-curated template). Name the site and give it a URL slug.
- Configure site permissions and access
In the site''s Workspaces, set the Profile-level access (which user profiles can access the site) and the Sharing settings (which records flow into the site). Each license type unlocks different data access patterns.
- Build pages and navigation in Experience Builder
Open Experience Builder. Drag components onto pages (Header, Footer, Content, Login). Edit the navigation menu. Set the homepage. Brand the theme with your logo, fonts, and colors.
- Activate the site
In Workspaces, click Activate. The site goes live at its assigned URL. Until activated, the site is in draft mode and only accessible to internal users.
- Configure a custom domain (optional)
For production sites, add a custom domain (help.example.com) in Setup, then Domains. Configure DNS to point to the Salesforce CDN. Salesforce provisions an SSL certificate; the site is reachable at the custom URL.
Pre-built site for help centers, case submission, and Knowledge browsing. Most common starting point.
Pre-built site for partner portals, deal registration, and lead distribution.
Blank LWR template. Use when no pre-built template fits your design.
Older template family. Still supported but no longer recommended for new sites.
- Experience Cloud licenses cost extra. Customer Community, Customer Community Plus, and Partner Community licenses have separate per-user pricing. Plan licensing before designing the site.
- Profile-based access is the gating layer. Even with the right license, users need a profile that grants them access to the site and the underlying objects.
- Custom domain DNS changes can take hours to propagate. Schedule the cutover during low-traffic windows.
- Site activation is reversible but causes visible downtime. Deactivating mid-day takes the site offline for all users; coordinate with stakeholders.