---
title: Deploy a new CMS site
slug: dxp/cms12-docs/deploy-a-new-cms-site
docTags:
createdAt: 2026-06-01T17:39:49.621Z
---
:::hint{type="info"}
**When is this applicable?**
This is an onboarding scenario for a **first-time/onboarding deployment of a new site based on the Optimizely sample templates** to use from start for development in a cloud environment. A new site like this does not require database restore, and the database schema is created during initial deployment.
:::
## Before you start
This example uses deployment API to publish code.
- See [DXP requirements](docId\:tH8LtpR9f_RAt-J55B8Hj) for recommended software versions, tools, and services when deploying.
- See [Get started with DXP](docId\:qhf6bI8u3v38CNZw88Zkx) for deployment information.
- See [Install Optimizely](docId\:JkKYtt9dyKjTSGKZyJ6vb) for instructions on how to add the Optimizely NuGet feed to Visual Studio.
- Before deploying, add a wildcard binding to the site in the **Manage Websites** screen. This helps prevent failures from URL-dependent code when migrating the database between environments. The following image shows an example of wildcard binding.
1. Go to **Admin > Config > Manage Websites**.
2. Click **Add** and add a wildcard (\*) Host Name.
## Deployment steps
The following steps create a website, add Azure and Search & Navigation (formerly called Find), and deploy the code and database with content to the `Integration` environment in DXP. The deployment uses the publishing profiles provided by Optimizely with your DXP setup.
:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
Optimizely has a bootstrap feature for deploying content. If `[SolutionDir]\\App\_Data\\DefaultSiteContent.episerverdata` contains an export package, the bootstrap feature imports that package during initialization and creates a site with content. The system applies the bootstrap only if the web app site does not have any existing content.
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### Step 1 – Create a website with Azure
1. Click **Create a new project** in Visual Studio.
2. Search for Episerver, select **Episerver Web site**, and click **Next**.
3. Complete the Configuration dialog box:
a. Enter **Project name**.
b. Enter **Location**.
c. Enter **Solution name**.
d. Select your **Framework**. This example uses **.Net Framework 4.7.2**.
e. Click **Create**.
4. Complete the Template dialog box:
a. Select **Alloy (MVC or Web Forms).**
b. Clear the **Configure Search** option. Optimizely Search and Navigation is added in a later step.
c. Click **OK**.
5. Select **Tools > NuGet Package Manager > Manage NuGet Packages for Solution** to update the website to the latest Optimizely NuGet packages.
6. Set the NuGet Package manager:
a. Select **Updates**.
b. Select **Optimizely Packages** in the **Package source** field to locate the latest updates.
c. Enable **Select all packages**.
d. Click **Update** and confirm the updates.
7. Add Azure to the website. In the NuGet package manager:
a. Select **Browse**.
b. Search and install package `EPiServer.Azure` .
c. Search and install package `Episerver.CloudPlatform.Cms`.
8. Select **Tools > NuGet Package Manager > Package Manager Console**.
9. Enter `update-epidatabase` at the Package Manager prompt (PM> ).
10. Run the solution.
11. Follow the instructions to update the database, add an admin account (if needed), and click **Register**. The Alloy site display.
### Step 2 – Update the configuration
You need to change some configurations for the website to work with Azure. The **container** attribute for the BLOB provider and **topic** for the event provider should be unique per site within the same storage or service bus account. You must update the mapping for BLOBs and event providers.
:::hint{type="warning"}
**Important**
Do not skip this step! If you do, assets are stored locally and do not deploy properly to the Azure BLOB storage.
:::
:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
The installation of NuGet package **Episerver.CloudPlatform.Cms** is optional. It is expected to see a warning at DXP Management Portal during the deployment if your code does not have the package.
:::
1. Open `Global.asax.cs` in Visual Studio, and create or edit the method `ApplicationStart`:
```csharp
protected void Application_Start() {
AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();
GlobalConfiguration.Configure(config => WebApiConfig.Register(config, ""));
// Custom code and routing configs go here
GlobalConfiguration.Configuration.EnsureInitialized();
}
```
2. Open `web.config` and add the following configuration under the **episerver.framework** section.
:::hint{type="warning"}
**Important**
Do not change the values for **connectionStringName** because these are overwritten with the correct environment-specific values during deployment. Optionally, you can change the **container** and **topic** names **mysitemedia** and **MySiteEvents** to names of your choice. The storage container name must be in lowercase, for example `mysitemedia`, for DNS compatibility.
:::
```xml
```
3. Compile and run the solution (**Build > Build Solution**).
:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
Your local site displays an error message because the site is pointing to Azure after the configuration changes. This is corrected when you publish the project to Azure.
:::
::::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
When you deploy a website, you may want settings in the *deployed application's* `web.config` to be different from your *local* development `web.config`. Instead of changing these settings for your local installation (as done here), you can
:::Iframe{code=""}
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apply a transformation of the web.config file when you deploy to Azure to avoid breaking your local site.
::::
### Step 3 – Publish the website with content
1. Go to Solution Explorer, right-click the project in Visual Studio, and select **Publish**.
2. Select **App Service** and **Select Existing**, then select **Create Profile > Publish immediately**. The **App Service** dialog box displays.
3. Click **Create**.
4. Go to **Publish** > **Edit**. **Connection** should display the imported publish profile settings. No changes are required here.
5. Click **Next**.
6. Enter the remote connection string to SQL Database by selecting it under **EPiServerDB** (copy and paste it from the publish profile if it does not display in the list).
7. Enable **Update database**, and click **Configure database updates**.
:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
If this is not the first time you are publishing to the Azure Web App (for example, you are republishing), disable this option because there are already database objects created.
:::
8. Clear the **\[Auto schema update]** option, click **Add SQL Script**, and go to to the `EPiServer.CMS.Core NuGet` packages (located in `[SolutionDir]\packages\EPServer.CMS.Core.N.N.N\tools\)` and select `EPiServer.Cms.Core.sql`.
9. Click **Save** in the **Settings** section.
10. Click **Publish** to publish the website with content. The website opens in a browser when finalized. If not, you can access it with the default URL for the environment publishing profiles provided by Optimizely with your DXP setup.
### Step 4 – Verify the website
1. Go to the default access URLs for the environment, such as `http://[projectNNNNinte].dxcloud.episerver.net`.
2. Log in to the website with the administrator user (see below).
3. Verify that the website is working.
When creating an Alloy sample site, you are prompted to add an admin account. However, the system stores these credentials in your local database and does not deploy them to the Web App. You may need to create an admin user to log in after deployment.
If you do not have an admin account, you can create and upload an `.aspx` file to your Web App and let it create an account. See these example files for
:::Iframe{code=""}
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ASP.NET Membership and
:::Iframe{code=""}
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ASP.NET Identity. Select the appropriate one depending on your provider (ASP.NET Identity for an Alloy sample site). Follow the instructions in the file. Use
:::Iframe{code=""}
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Kudu to upload the file to the website root folder and open the file once in a browser. Log in by adding `/episerver` to the site URL and using the credentials in the uploaded file.
:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
When you have successfully logged in, remove the `.aspx` file from the site in the Web App.
:::
### Step 5 – Add Optimizely Search & Navigation
DXP automatically configures an index. You can add Optimizely Search & Navigation (formerly Find) as the default search for your solution and publish the changes to Integration.
1. Go to the NuGet package manager for your project, locate the `EPiServer.Find.Cms` package, and click **Install**.
2. Modify `` to `` in `web.config`.
3. Go to Solution Explorer, right-click the project in Visual Studio, and select **Publish**.
4. If selected, go to **Edit > Publish > Settings** and deselect **Update database**.
5. Click **Publish**.
6. Verify that the website is working.