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Enables users without access to Bloomreach Content to see a preview of the unpublished website by using a project-specific URL.

For each Bloomreach Content channel - either the channel's [core](🔗) or a channel branch within a [project](🔗) context - users have the option to enable access to unpublished content outside of the _Experience manager_ app via a secure random key associated with the project. This access can also be revoked at any time by changing the secret key or disabling all access for that project.

For any frontend application built using the provided [Bloomreach Content SDKs](🔗) to enable the _Experience manager_ preview, the external preview feature is automatically enabled with no additional code changes. No SDK upgrade is required.

# Use cases

**Development**: Currently, the main way developers can test a new frontend feature before it's fully published is to use the _Experience manager_ preview. However, the embedded preview can be difficult to interact with using developer tools such as the built-in Chrome inspection tools. By using the external preview URL for an in progress project, this complexity is removed, enabling a more familiar experience for frontend developers.

**QA Automation**: As with other development tasks, QA tests can be more difficult to automate using tools like Selenium or Cypress when the site preview is embedded in the _Experience manager_. By using the external preview URL, the QA team can begin work building tests with their preferred tools while changes are still in development.

**Business user collaboration**: Stakeholders often prefer to review pages before they are fully published. Using the external preview link, even people who do not have user accounts in the Bloomreach Content system can see the expected result of an editing project. This helps different teams to collaborate with content editors and developers to deliver the best experience on the website, aligned with all stakeholder needs.

# Use the External Preview via the GUI

## Enable External Preview

External preview for a channel can be enabled in two places:

**1. In a channel's settings in the Experience manager app:**

In the _Experience manager_, open the channel's preview and make sure the _For project_ selector reflects either Core or the project you want to enable external preview for.

In the _Channel_ menu, select _Settings_.

In the _Settings_ screen that appears, toggle the _Channel preview_ switch to the enabled position.

Below the switch you'll find two shareable external preview URLs: one for the frontend application and one for the Delivery API.

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Make sure to save the channel settings to make the preview URLs active.

Once external preview is enabled for a channel, the URL for each individual page is also available in the page's _Page Info_ pop up accessible from the _Page_ menu in the _Experience manager_.

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Alternatively, use the _Preview_ button in the _Experience manager_ to directly open the external preview for the current page in a new browser tab.

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Beware:

The preview content is secured only based on access to the code embedded in the URL. Anyone on the internet who knows the URL can access the preview. If this is insufficient for your use case, we recommend against enabling external preview. Instead, each reviewer can be given a user account to access the preview within the Experience manager.

**2. In a development project's project settings for a channel**

On the [development project](🔗)'s _Channels_ tab, when opening the _Project settings_ dialog (using the cogwheel icon for a channel), a tab _Preview URL_ is available. A toggle button can be used to enable or disable the preview for that specific development project.

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## Regenerate URLs

It's possible to regenerate the preview URLs, which means that a new preview token is generated and the previous one becomes invalid forever. This is useful if a link was shared with too many people and there is a decision to not share it anymore.

## How Long Is the Preview Token Valid?

The token is valid for the duration of the project or until the preview URLs are regenerated.

When a project is merged or deleted, it's no longer possible to preview it. If a project is reopened, the same preview token will be restored and preview will work again using the same URLs as before.

# Use the External Preview via the API

Two new fields were added to the following [Site Management API](🔗) endpoints' response objects:

  • [Get all channels](🔗) - GET /channels

  • [Get a channel](🔗) - GET /channel/{channel_id}


### 1. Get the External Preview Token
**Existing Projects**
Use a PUT request once to set the `externalPreviewToken` value. Any random GUID is fine. At the same time, set the `externalPreviewEnabled` property to true to enable preview for that project.
externalPreviewToken must be GUID format
For example: `2eb89800-5d2f-4017-a317-7747859eb0e6`
You can use an online tool like [Online GUID generator](🔗) to generate it.
**New Projects**
For new projects that you might want to expose for external preview, use the API once to enable it.
New projects get a random token generated automatically, but it's possible to also set a new one if needed. This is the equivalent of the _Regenerate URLs_ action in the GUI.
### 2. Compose the URLs
Compose the correct preview URL for site visitors by appending the:
  • URL for the frontend app for that channel
  • `?token` query param
  • `externalPreviewToken` for that channel+project from the channel endpoint property
You can also test the Delivery API output directly by appending the `preview-token` query parameter with the `externalPreviewToken` value or by providing the `externalPreviewToken` value via a standard HTTP `Authorization` header.

### 3. Share the Preview URL
Share the URL with any stakeholders that want to see the project-specific preview of the website.