How to Install Umbraco on Windows Server

Umbraco is an open-source content management system (CMS) known for its flexibility and scalability. It is suitable for both small websites and large enterprise projects. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, Umbraco has become a popular choice among developers and businesses. Installing Umbraco on a Windows Server improves performance and reliability. 

Umbraco allows seamless integration with Microsoft technologies like SQL Server and IIS. This setup ensures stability and scalability for enterprise-level websites. In this tutorial, we’ll demonstrate how to install Umbraco on Windows Server.

Prerequisites for Umbraco

You must fulfill the following prerequisites before proceeding with the Umbraco installation:

• .NET SDK must be pre-installed.
• Windows Server (2019/2022) or Windows 10/11.
• A supported SQL database, such as SQL Server, SQLite, MySQL, etc.
• IIS (Internet Information Services) with Web Server (IIS), ASP.NET Core Hosting Bundle, and Static Content.

What is Umbraco

Umbraco is a flexible content management system (CMS), similar to popular ones like WordPress. It has a learning curve and requires some effort to get familiar with. However, it provides the benefit of being an enterprise-level CMS that you can customize to suit your business needs.

Installing Umbraco on Windows Server

To install Umbraco on Windows, first, make sure you meet the prerequisites, and then go through the following steps:

Step 1: Install Umbraco Templates

Open the Command Prompt or PowerShell and run the command below to install Umbraco Templates on your Windows system:

dotnet new install Umbraco.Templates::13.*

This command downloads and installs the essential templates for building a new Umbraco project:

Step 2: Set up a New Umbraco Project

Let’s create a new Umbraco project with the following command:

dotnet new umbraco --name ProjName 

Replace ProjName with the actual name of your project and then execute the following command to access the newly created project folder:

cd ultahost

Step 3: Run Umbraco Site

Now launch the Umbraco site by executing the following command:

dotnet run

This command starts the built-in web server and hosts your Umbraco project locally:

Step 4: Access Umbraco

After running your Umbraco site, open your web browser and navigate to the URL displayed in the terminal to access the Umbraco:

Specify the valid credentials and the level of consent for telemetry data of your Umbraco installation.

Step 5: Set up Umbraco

Once Umbraco is installed, you can explore its features using the guided tour. This tour is accessible anytime by clicking the question mark icon in the top-right corner:

Once completed, your Umbraco installation will be ready for use:

How to Use Umbraco?

After setting up Umbraco, you can access key sections from the top menu like Content to manage pages, Media to organize assets, Settings to customize your site’s structure, and Users to manage roles and permissions:

These tools provide you with everything you need to build and manage a flexible, content-packed website.

Alternative Methods of Umbraco Installation

Apart from the above-discussed method, you can opt for one of the following installation methods depending on your needs:

1. Using .NET CLI: This method lets you install and run Umbraco directly using the .NET Command Line Interface.
2. Install Umbraco Visual Studio: This method enables you to create and manage your Umbraco project within Visual Studio for smooth development.
3. Running on IIS: This method hosts Umbraco on IIS for a production-ready environment.
4. With VS Code: This method sets up and manages Umbraco projects using Visual Studio Code.
5. Installing Nightly Builds: You can also use Nightly Builds to access the latest features and updates in Umbraco (recommended for developers).

That’s all about installing and using Umbraco on a Windows Server.

Conclusion

Umbraco is a flexible content management system that is suitable for both small websites and large-scale enterprise projects. Installing Umbraco on a Windows Server enhances performance and reliability while allowing seamless integration with Microsoft technologies like SQL Server and IIS.

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