Insights
The SitecoreAI questions marketers are asking
by Emily Lord
2/5/26
Marketing teams have always been caught in a battle between ambition and bandwidth.
They’re expected to deliver personalized experiences at scale, run campaigns across multiple channels, analyze performance, and predict what customers will do next—all with limited resources and tight timelines. But even the best teams spend too much time on manual tasks, content updates, and keeping up with yesterday’s data, and far too little time on strategy, experimentation, and creative work.
SitecoreAI is freeing marketers from this cycle of manual busywork. The platform is embedding intelligence where the work already happens, so teams can focus on high-value decisions while the platform handles repetitive, time-consuming tasks. AI acts more like a collaborator and less like a crutch.
Bringing AI into this mix doesn’t magically solve these problems—but it does make them manageable. Horizontal Digital has been at the forefront of the AI and digital experience wave, talking to teams about how to best utilize this functionality in their next big digital project.
Here are the top questions we’ve been hearing:
They’re expected to deliver personalized experiences at scale, run campaigns across multiple channels, analyze performance, and predict what customers will do next—all with limited resources and tight timelines. But even the best teams spend too much time on manual tasks, content updates, and keeping up with yesterday’s data, and far too little time on strategy, experimentation, and creative work.
SitecoreAI is freeing marketers from this cycle of manual busywork. The platform is embedding intelligence where the work already happens, so teams can focus on high-value decisions while the platform handles repetitive, time-consuming tasks. AI acts more like a collaborator and less like a crutch.
Bringing AI into this mix doesn’t magically solve these problems—but it does make them manageable. Horizontal Digital has been at the forefront of the AI and digital experience wave, talking to teams about how to best utilize this functionality in their next big digital project.
Here are the top questions we’ve been hearing:
All-in-one
Is this just another AI add-on?
Short answer: No. And that distinction matters.
Many platforms have bolted AI features onto existing workflows: a content generator here, a recommendation engine there. Useful? Sometimes. Transformational? Rarely.
In this case, the underlying operating model stays the same, which means marketers are still managing tasks instead of driving outcomes.
SitecoreAI is revolutionary because what were previously composable products are now embedded as features in a truly intelligent DXP. Rather than asking marketers to orchestrate every step across products, the integrated platform allows teams to define goals and lets AI reason about how to achieve them in real time. Agents act as assistants that understand intent, evaluate options, take initiative, and adapt based on results and feedback. Marketers stay in control and are no longer buried in execution.
As Sitecore CMO Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek puts it: “In an era where AI is reshaping every customer interaction, the winning brands won’t be the ones who use AI the most, but those who use it best.”
That means using AI that’s contextual, governed, and embedded.
Many platforms have bolted AI features onto existing workflows: a content generator here, a recommendation engine there. Useful? Sometimes. Transformational? Rarely.
In this case, the underlying operating model stays the same, which means marketers are still managing tasks instead of driving outcomes.
SitecoreAI is revolutionary because what were previously composable products are now embedded as features in a truly intelligent DXP. Rather than asking marketers to orchestrate every step across products, the integrated platform allows teams to define goals and lets AI reason about how to achieve them in real time. Agents act as assistants that understand intent, evaluate options, take initiative, and adapt based on results and feedback. Marketers stay in control and are no longer buried in execution.
As Sitecore CMO Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek puts it: “In an era where AI is reshaping every customer interaction, the winning brands won’t be the ones who use AI the most, but those who use it best.”
That means using AI that’s contextual, governed, and embedded.
Data readiness
How do we clean up our data before using AI?
Many teams assume they need “perfect” data before AI can deliver value. In reality, the goal isn’t perfection. If we all shoot for perfection, we will never make progress.
Getting assets and data into centralized, well-structured systems does take upfront effort. But that investment pays off quickly. When content and customer data live in one place, AI can reason across them consistently. The result is less rework, fewer one-off fixes, and dramatically faster execution over time.
More importantly, the data governance you need to control AI should become an enabler. Instead of relying on everyone to find, read, update, and implement policy documents, SitecoreAI enforces guardrails directly in the workflow. Human-in-the-loop validation ensures quality and compliance, while AI handles repetitive mechanics. It’s about setting the stage with clean data (and the most important data) to move faster with confidence.
Getting assets and data into centralized, well-structured systems does take upfront effort. But that investment pays off quickly. When content and customer data live in one place, AI can reason across them consistently. The result is less rework, fewer one-off fixes, and dramatically faster execution over time.
More importantly, the data governance you need to control AI should become an enabler. Instead of relying on everyone to find, read, update, and implement policy documents, SitecoreAI enforces guardrails directly in the workflow. Human-in-the-loop validation ensures quality and compliance, while AI handles repetitive mechanics. It’s about setting the stage with clean data (and the most important data) to move faster with confidence.
AI content generation
Will SitecoreAI really use our brand voice?
This is where governance and AI maturity collide for more guardrails – but in a good way! SitecoreAI doesn’t treat brand voice as an afterthought. Before agents ever go to work, they’re informed by your organization’s brand guidelines, tone, terminology, and business context.
This enables true human-in-the-loop AI. Marketers define the standards once, then trust the system to operate within them. AI-generated content is consistent, on-brand, and adaptable across regions, audiences, and channels without requiring endless reviews or rewrites.
It’s better control and consistency of how your brand is showing up, enforced by the system that you are putting in place. You can’t put AI to work for you unless you can trust its output.
This enables true human-in-the-loop AI. Marketers define the standards once, then trust the system to operate within them. AI-generated content is consistent, on-brand, and adaptable across regions, audiences, and channels without requiring endless reviews or rewrites.
It’s better control and consistency of how your brand is showing up, enforced by the system that you are putting in place. You can’t put AI to work for you unless you can trust its output.
Agentic marketing
What can SitecoreAI agents actually do?
Agents are where the platform truly comes to life. Today, SitecoreAI offers more than 20 pre-built agents designed to support real marketing workflows—from competitive analysis and SEO/AEO research to email writing and bulk content generation.
What makes these agents different is autonomy. They can set goals, take initiative, evaluate options, adapt based on outcomes, and collaborate with other agents and humans. You can run agents in parallel, chain them together, or combine predefined steps with independent actions (just like teams work in the real world).
Before activating any agent (Opens in a new tab), marketers must ensure it’s informed with brand voice, guidelines, and business context. From there, agents become force multipliers—handling the work that used to stall teams while marketers focus on strategy and judgment.
Sitecore’s Agentic Studio allows teams to create their own agents for custom actions or workflows that aren’t covered by any pre-built agent. Existing agents can be duplicated for a starting point, or a brand-new agent can be built from scratch. The Agentic Studio unlocks true power for digital teams, as agentic AI can handle almost anything.
What makes these agents different is autonomy. They can set goals, take initiative, evaluate options, adapt based on outcomes, and collaborate with other agents and humans. You can run agents in parallel, chain them together, or combine predefined steps with independent actions (just like teams work in the real world).
Before activating any agent (Opens in a new tab), marketers must ensure it’s informed with brand voice, guidelines, and business context. From there, agents become force multipliers—handling the work that used to stall teams while marketers focus on strategy and judgment.
Sitecore’s Agentic Studio allows teams to create their own agents for custom actions or workflows that aren’t covered by any pre-built agent. Existing agents can be duplicated for a starting point, or a brand-new agent can be built from scratch. The Agentic Studio unlocks true power for digital teams, as agentic AI can handle almost anything.
.png%3Fh%3D912%26iar%3D0%26w%3D1800%26rev%3D255490417ad94cd0b52b4325a285b76e%26hash%3D01E4679AFF275CAD08CCCCCE4508300E&w=1920&q=75)
Personalization
How is SitecoreAI making personalization easier?
Traditional personalization relies on static rules: If someone does X, show them Y. That approach becomes unmanageable quickly as channels multiply and customer expectations rise. The result is brittle logic that’s expensive to maintain and impossible to scale.
SitecoreAI replaces static rules with agentic workflows that unify CDP and personalization. (Opens in a new tab) Agents reason over real-time signals, historical behavior, and available content, adapting experiences continuously as context changes. Personalization becomes always-on, cross-channel, and deeply relevant without teams manually defining hundreds of rules.
Whether it’s localizing content by region, adapting tone by audience, or reshaping journeys based on intent, personalization becomes dynamic instead of reactive. And crucially, it scales without adding complexity.
SitecoreAI replaces static rules with agentic workflows that unify CDP and personalization. (Opens in a new tab) Agents reason over real-time signals, historical behavior, and available content, adapting experiences continuously as context changes. Personalization becomes always-on, cross-channel, and deeply relevant without teams manually defining hundreds of rules.
Whether it’s localizing content by region, adapting tone by audience, or reshaping journeys based on intent, personalization becomes dynamic instead of reactive. And crucially, it scales without adding complexity.
Cost & pricing
Is SitecoreAI expensive?
Surprisingly, no. One of the most underrated aspects of SitecoreAI is cost clarity. With all-inclusive pricing (like no credits or tokens) teams aren’t penalized for experimenting with new features in a “try before you buy” motion.
That freedom matters. When marketers don’t have to justify every AI interaction, adoption accelerates. Teams test more, learn faster, and uncover value sooner. Budget predictability becomes a catalyst for innovation, not a constraint.
Additionally, a common part of this question has been related to bot traffic. A site visit is a site visit, no matter if it’s from a human or a bot. Because bot visits are increasing and human visits are decreasing, it can be difficult for marketers to predict total site visits and thus spend. Through Analyze and additional future capabilities, Sitecore will help customers understand engagement trends to better predict metrics and total usage.
That freedom matters. When marketers don’t have to justify every AI interaction, adoption accelerates. Teams test more, learn faster, and uncover value sooner. Budget predictability becomes a catalyst for innovation, not a constraint.
Additionally, a common part of this question has been related to bot traffic. A site visit is a site visit, no matter if it’s from a human or a bot. Because bot visits are increasing and human visits are decreasing, it can be difficult for marketers to predict total site visits and thus spend. Through Analyze and additional future capabilities, Sitecore will help customers understand engagement trends to better predict metrics and total usage.
Content migration
I’m using an older legacy platform. Do we have to migrate everything all at once to SitecoreAI?
SitecoreAI supports incremental modernization, allowing organizations to move at their own pace and avoid the classic lift-and-shift trap.
This is where Pathway comes in. (Opens in a new tab) Rather than acting as a simple migration tool, Pathway uses AI to analyze existing implementations, propose site and component mappings, surface risks early, and keep humans in the loop.
Speed is the outcome, but the confidence that you’re migrating the right way is the real winning factor. Content migration can be one of the biggest portions of a modernization project, and Pathway takes a lot of the guesswork and risk out of it.
This is where Pathway comes in. (Opens in a new tab) Rather than acting as a simple migration tool, Pathway uses AI to analyze existing implementations, propose site and component mappings, surface risks early, and keep humans in the loop.
Speed is the outcome, but the confidence that you’re migrating the right way is the real winning factor. Content migration can be one of the biggest portions of a modernization project, and Pathway takes a lot of the guesswork and risk out of it.
Value realization
How soon will we see ROI?
Sitecore's numbers have been compelling, even before the SitecoreAI announcement. A late-2025 Forrester study (Opens in a new tab) found that Sitecore customers achieved 371% ROI within three years, along with a 50% increase in conversions and 40% time savings for website operations. With the shift to an agentic DXP, those outcomes are likely to improve even further.
Why? Because value isn’t tied to one feature. Instead, you’re seeing cost savings and gains compounding across content, personalization, operations, and speed to market.
Why? Because value isn’t tied to one feature. Instead, you’re seeing cost savings and gains compounding across content, personalization, operations, and speed to market.
Change management
What does SitecoreAI mean for our marketing team?
It means less manual execution and more impact. As AI takes over repetitive production work, marketers shift into higher-value roles: strategic planning, orchestration, experimentation, and decision-making.
Think of it as moving from operator to conductor. Teams focus on setting direction, interpreting results, and refining strategy while AI handles the mechanics. Training becomes about learning how to collaborate with and manage AI.
Think of it as moving from operator to conductor. Teams focus on setting direction, interpreting results, and refining strategy while AI handles the mechanics. Training becomes about learning how to collaborate with and manage AI.
Let's chat
For marketers willing to rethink their marketing operations, SitecoreAI will help you become more adaptive, more strategic, and more scalable. Our Sitecore experts are ready to help you get started.
Contact usPromoted Content
Whitepaper
SitecoreAI: Preparing for the AI-first era
Our whitepaper breaks down SitecoreAI’s capabilities into five clear phases critical to delivering a smooth launch and a future-ready digital experience platform.
See MoreSitecoreAI: Preparing for the AI-first eraInsights
Migrate to SitecoreAI the right way, right away
Learn how to accelerate your time to market (without cutting corners)
See MoreMigrate to SitecoreAI the right way, right away