Enhancing Digital Experiences with AI-Powered Content Generation and Personalization in SitecoreAI

There’s no shortage of content in digital experiences today. The real challenge is showing the right content in the right way to the right user. This is where AI and personalization come together.

Personalization is a key capability in modern CMS platforms, and SitecoreAI enables marketers and developers to deliver targeted experiences based on user behavior.

In this blog, I’ll walk through a hands-on implementation of component-level personalization, in which different components and layouts are rendered for New vs. Returning Users.

Optimize with SitecoreAI

Combining AI and personalization in SitecoreAI helps deliver the right content to the right user at the right time. Even a small POC can unlock powerful, scalable digital experience strategies by showing how content, structure, and user intent can work together.

Use Case of Sitecore Personalize

To bring this concept to life, we designed a page where the experience changes based on user type:

• New Users → Simple, clean onboarding content
• Returning Users → Rich, content-heavy personalized experience

This distinction ensures that first-time visitors are not overwhelmed, while returning users are given more depth and engagement opportunities.

Base Page Structure (Default Variant)

The Default variant (New Users) contains:

• Rich Text (RTE)
• Hero Banner

This keeps the experience minimal and focused for first-time visitors, helping them quickly understand the purpose of the page without unnecessary complexity. It also ensures that users are not overwhelmed with too many options at the very beginning of their journey.

Personalized Variant (Returning Users)

We created a variant called: “Returning Users.”

This variant includes a much richer layout designed to encourage exploration and engagement.

Components Used

• Rich Text (Intro content)
• Insight Cards (engagement content)
• Column Splitter (2-column layout)
  • Column 1 → Rich Text
  • Column 2 → Link List
• Another Column Splitter
  • Column 1 → Link List
  • Column 2 → Rich Text

By introducing multiple components and structured layouts, the experience becomes more interactive and content-rich for users who are already familiar with the platform. This layered approach also allows users to consume content in different ways through reading, scanning, or navigating, depending on their preference

Why This Structure?

This design follows a clear strategy aligned with user intent.

New Users

• Less cognitive load
• Clear messaging
• Focus on the introduction

Returning Users

• More content depth
• Navigation options (Link Lists)
• Engagement blocks (Insight Cards)
• Structured layout (Column Splitters)

The idea is simple: reduce friction for new users and increase engagement for returning ones.

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Create Audience

In Sitecore:

• New users: Condition: Visit Count = 1
• Returning users: Condition: Visit Count > 1

This segmentation forms the foundation for delivering personalized experiences.

Step 2: Create Variants

Inside Experience Editor:

• Default Variant → mapped to Default
• Variant 1 → mapped to New Users
• Variant 2 → mapped to Returning Users

These variants allow different layouts and components to be served based on audience type.

Step 3: Build New Users Experience

Add:

• Rich Text → “New here…”
• Hero Banner → Intro visual

This ensures a simple and welcoming first interaction.

Step 4: Build Returning User Variant

Switch to the Returning Users variant, then add components in order:

• Rich Text (Welcome back message)
• Insight Cards
  1. Show features, updates, highlights
• Column Splitter (2 columns)
  1. Left → Rich Text
  2. Right → Link List
• Column Splitter (again)
  1. Left → Link List
  2. Right → Rich Text

This layered structure helps returning users navigate, explore, and engage more deeply with the content.

Key Learning: Component-Level Personalization

Unlike simple page personalization, this POC demonstrates:

Different component structures per audience

This means:

• Layout changes
• Component visibility changes
• Content strategy changes

It highlights how personalization can evolve from content variation to full experience design.

Testing Strategy

To verify personalization:

• Use Incognito mode → New User
• Refresh page multiple times → Returning User
• Clear storage/cookies if needed

This simple testing approach helps validate how the experience adapts in real time.

Final Output with Styling

New User Sees

• Simple RTE
• Hero Banner

Returning User Sees

• Rich content
• Insight Cards
• Multi-column layouts

What’s next?

This implementation proves that SitecoreAI can dynamically render different experiences at the component level. It shows that personalization doesn’t have to be limited to content blocks. Entire layouts can adapt, creating more meaningful interactions. More importantly, it shifts the mindset from content delivery to experience design.

By combining AI-powered content generation with component-level personalization, organizations can create experiences that feel more relevant from the very first interaction. New visitors receive focused, distraction-free journeys, while returning users are guided toward deeper exploration and engagement.

If your organization is exploring AI-driven personalization with SitecoreAI, Altudo can help accelerate the journey with scalable implementation strategies tailored to your digital experience roadmap. Fill out the form below to reach us.