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Storyblok JoyConf ’26: ‘Content Confidence’ Stole the Show, but Human Connection was the Real Magic

matt-garrepy

<hr /> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.author-it.com/resources/content-debt-technical-documentation">Content debt </a>isn’t like other kinds of debt. It’s quiet, sneaky, and compounds exponentially in the shadows – where no one’s the wiser. It often accrues on your website, but it can spread across your organization’s entire content ecosystem like a virus.We’ve known about content debt for a long time, lingering in the dark corners of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/google-cloud-platform">Google</a> where it can be conveniently ignored. Over time, it’s become a snowballing backlog of duplicated content, outdated topics, poorly structured text and terminology, and undocumented features. Like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_debt">technical debt </a>in software development, content debt charges you interest. And that hefty bill pumps an invisible brake on your operations, wasting your team’s resources and hurting both your search engine rankings and AI search visibility. And at a moment when <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/31/google-search-publishers-seo-geo-llms-ai">traffic is dying on the vine</a> – and more customers are turning to answer engines like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://search.google/ways-to-search/ai-overviews/">Google AI Overviews</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chatgpt.com/">ChatGPT</a> – it’s become a critical liability. But exactly how big is this problem? That’s what <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/lp/ft-longitude-content-debt-report">new research from Storyblok</a> endeavored to find out. The CMS vendor collaborated with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://longitude.ft.com/">FT Longitude (an arm of The Financial Times)</a> to shed some light on this question. And what they found ain’t pretty. According to a survey of 550 senior executives at organizations with at least $1 billion in annual global revenue, content debt is costing enterprises $4.63 trillion worldwide. You read that right: $4.63 trillion. That's bigger than Japan's GDP. A jaw-dropping stat by any measure.The question is: how do we even begin to pay down this debt?<h3 id="ai-search-exposed-the-problem-–-and-made-it-worse">AI search exposed the problem – and made it worse</h3>Prior to the modern AI explosion, content debt was out of sight and out of mind. Businesses could bury their old or low-quality content simply by de-indexing it, removing it from their navigation, or allowing only their most optimized pages to appear in search. So it persisted – but there were fewer routes to access it.But AI has, for all intents and purposes, blown this up. LLMs are like bloodhounds, sniffing their way to inaccurate information that’s often obscured or even forgotten. This could be old product data or misrepresented pricing that could surface in an AI search, resulting in poor customer experiences. And because organizations can’t directly control what an LLM surfaces, this content is proving to be a liability. As noted, this financial impact is harrowing. But the report also revealed some other compelling metrics. For example, 67% of executives say that poor content quality or structure is reducing their visibility in search and AI-driven discovery. A clear sign that enterprise leaders understand what’s happening and what’s at stake.Respondents also indicate that there's an average of $663.4 million in content debt per company, and they’re spending roughly $4.8 million fixing the problems – and that’s 34% of the total content spend.  <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:82.43%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/08/image.png" /></figure>Source: “Content Debt: A $4.63 Trillion Business Liability” report While the data includes a global sample, the U.S. dwarfs the rest of the world in its share of content debt. That’s not surprising given the density of companies in the region. But most large enterprises have multinational interests, and content debt is likely being amplified globally from the source. <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.86%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/08/image-1786503786276.png" /></figure>Source: “Content Debt: A $4.63 Trillion Business Liability” report There’s also some interesting data on a granular level. For example, executives in the Netherlands report the highest revenue impact from inaccurate or out-of-date content. Meanwhile, when viewed through an industry lens, this same problem disproportionately impacts the education industry. A likely conclusion? Many higher ed websites offer course materials or curriculum details that change frequently, and there’s likely a glut of digital residue left behind. As a result, education organizations report the highest proportion of content budget dedicated to addressing inaccurate or out-of-date content – and you can see below how this stacks up to other industries. <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:82.64%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/08/image-1786503786350.png" /></figure>Source: “Content Debt: A $4.63 Trillion Business Liability” report <h3 id="enterprise-leaders-are-finally-addressing-the-content-problem-">Enterprise leaders are finally addressing the content problem </h3>So who’s responsible for this crushing, out-of-control content debt? There’s plenty of blame to go around, but the bottom line is that brands weren’t motivated to solve the problem because they simply didn’t feel it. Now, after decades of letting it metastasize, enterprise leaders and executives are finally seeing the light. According to the research, 69% say outdated or inconsistent content is making it harder for customers to find, trust, or act on their information.It gets worse. The same number say that the lack of visibility into their content is creating a compliance risk for their organization, while 67% say poor content quality or structure is weakening their discoverability in AI search. This tracks with my own coverage of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lutzfinger/2025/06/19/answer-engine-optimization-aeo--what-brands-need-to-know/">AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)</a> becoming a boardroom mandate, and how enterprise leaders are demanding enhanced content strategies as part of the new marketing playbook.  Additionally, 89% of respondents say that improving the quality, structure, and governance of their content would deliver measurable business value for their organization. They’re already trying to do this, with organizations spending (on average) 105.4 hours each week maintaining existing content. <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:81.83%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/08/image-1786503786301.png" /></figure>Source: “Content Debt: A $4.63 Trillion Business Liability” report Perhaps the most troubling data point concerns the sheer volume of content that most enterprises are grappling with. According to the data, 78% of respondents say their organization has more digital content than it can realistically maintain as accurate, relevant, and up-to-date. That’s scary.<h3 id="can-the-content-debt-crisis-be-solved?">Can the content debt crisis be solved?</h3>In the report, there’s a question posed to a C-level technology executive, asking what they would do if they had an extra $1 million per year to spend on content. Their answer: “The first investment would be AI tools that update outdated content automatically, so customers always receive fresh and correct information.”This crystallizes the urgency and friction that leaders face when coping with the content debt crisis. But spending more on technology and remediation may not be the answer. Instead, enterprises should prioritize efficiency over reactive buying or strategies.Further, 69% of executives agree that improving their content strategy is more of a technical challenge than a creative one, suggesting that teams are being held back by their CMS and tech stack, not by a skills gap.Governance is also a critical part of the solution, and it helps reinforce the idea of “content confidence.” According to the research, organizations that are less affected by content debt have a higher degree of control over their enterprise content operations, from publishing to managing. Those with the highest confidence are less likely to have their systems and workflows limit their responsiveness, and more likely to exceed their financial targets than those with lower confidence.<h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>As I heard repeatedly at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">Boye &amp; Company CMS Connect 26</a> conference in Montreal, the answer to our marketing woes isn’t more content – it’s better content.“For decades, publishing as much content as possible, hoping it ranks in search, and letting the content and platforms decay has been a business strategy,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/dominik-angerer">Dominik Angerer,</a> CEO of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/storyblok">Storyblok</a>. “It felt good at the time, just like loading up a credit card with a bunch of impulsive purchases and not thinking about the true cost of the debt. But now AI has exposed the scope of the problem, and it can’t be ignored anymore. The bill is past due.”AI has indeed exposed and exacerbated this problem. But how can brands make a dent in a debt the size of Japan’s GDP? As Dominik said, just as consumers need to develop a plan to pay off debt, brands need a “content debt recovery plan” to eliminate the burden. “The fact that they’re already spending so much time and money maintaining content and it isn’t decreasing the overall effects of content debt in a meaningful way proves that what they’re doing isn’t working,” he added. “The companies that audit all of their content, implement new ways of managing it, and measure the results will have confidence that their content is accurate, optimized, visible, and driving revenue in AI and every channel that’s important to them.”In the age of AI, brands are fighting for more than visibility. They're fighting for their lives. Having your content ready to serve an audience of machines is the new imperative, and this data reinforces the scope of the problem we face. Now, we need to take action. And that starts by removing the invisible brake – and hitting the accelerator.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:36.69%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/open-source-cms-26.jpg" /><h4 id="open-source-cms-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26">Open Source CMS 26</a></h4>October 20–21, 2026 – Utrecht, NetherlandsJoin us for the first annual edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to making open source CMS better. This event is already being called the “missing gathering place” for the open source CMS community – an international conference with confirmed participants from Europe and North America. Be part of a friendly mix of digital leaders from notable open source CMS projects, agencies, even a few industry analysts who get together to learn, network, and talk about what really matters when it comes to creating better open source CMS projects right now and for the foreseeable future. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26/tickets">Book your tickets today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf"><img style="width:34.57%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/joyconf-2026-logo.png" /></a><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Storyblok JoyConf 2026</a></h4>October 28 - 29, Rheingoldhalle, Mainz (Frankfurt)JoyConf 2026 is where developers, marketers, and digital innovators come together from all around the world, united by one powerful idea: great content isn’t built by tools alone – it’s built by people who rely on systems to deliver their best work to the world. In an era where technology is increasingly shaped by AI, Content Confidence becomes your competitive advantage. When you can create, manage, and scale content that performs seamlessly across channels, platforms, and AI, you don’t just keep up – you win. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Book your seats today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/"><img style="width:36.36%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/sitecore-symposium-2026.png" /></a><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2026</a></h4>November 10 - 12, Orlando, FloridaWelcome to “Marketing Rewired” at Sitecore Symposium 2026! Sitecore's annual flagship global conference brings together customers, partners, developers, marketers, and digital experience leaders to explore the latest innovations in digital experience, content management, AI, personalization, and customer engagement. This year's event features keynote presentations from Sitecore executives and industry experts, product announcements, hands-on learning, technical sessions, customer success stories, and networking opportunities focused on helping organizations build more intelligent, connected, and AI-powered digital experiences. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Book your seats today.</a>

An ‘Invisible Brake’ on AI? New Research Suggests Content Debt is a $4.63 Trillion Liability

<h4 id="-"> </h4><h4 id="listen-to-the-full-episode-of-“the-critic’s-corner”-podcast-&gt;-"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tinyurl.com/5ymyfwav">Listen to the full episode of “The Critic’s Corner” Podcast &gt; </a></h4> <hr /> The web and the tools that power it are in the middle of a major reset. DXPs have evolved from monolithic suites to composable ecosystems and now into AI-driven systems and "Agentic Experience Platforms." So what actually counts as a DXP in 2026? And how should digital teams evaluate these platforms in an AI‑first world?On this episode of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tinyurl.com/5ymyfwav">"The Critic’s Corner" podcast,</a> CMS Critic’s lead analyst and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/matt-garrepy">Chief Critic Matt Garrepy</a> sits down with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/dan-drapeau">Dan Drapeau,</a> founder of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://dxpcatalyst.com/">DXP Catalyst</a> – an independent, vendor-neutral consultancy that advises on the selection and buildout of DXP and martech ecosystems. Together, they unpack what a modern DXP really is and what it’s becoming. From assessment to roadmap to implementation, Dan has spent his career in the trenches with leading CMS and DXP vendors like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/adobe-experience-manager">Adobe</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/sitecore">Sitecore</a>, as well as open souce projects like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/drupal">Drupal</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wordpress">WordPress</a>. Throughout his digital journey, Dan has helped enterprises select, deploy, and modernize their digital experience stacks and manage the complexities. This gives him a keen eye and unmatched perspective on what might lay ahead as DXPs become more AI-powered.<h3 id="the-evolution-to-agentic-cms-and-agent-powered-systems">The evolution to Agentic CMS and agent-powered systems</h3>In the pod, Matt and Dan trace the line from CMS to web experience management to DXP, leading to the rise of AI and agentic systems. Despite all the new features and terminology, they explore why the CMS is still the true center of the digital experience and which capabilities are non‑negotiable versus “nice to have.” Along the way, they revisit the headless vs. monolith debate that captured the market zeitgeist in the early 2020s, and how CDPs, DAMs, and CMPs slid into the DXP stack over years of acquisitions – rendering a new composition for the DXP template.  <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/aPWv6nHg1Cs"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aPWv6nHg1Cs" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> <h3 id="how-is-ai-transforming-the-dxp?">How is AI transforming the DXP?</h3>The conversation then zeroes in on AI, starting with the first wave of generative features. Today, the agentic expansion is undeniable, with platforms introducing full agentic layers and multi‑agent orchestration. In the episode, Dan walks through how Adobe, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/optimizely">Optimizely</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a>, Sitecore, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/squiz">Squiz</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/magnolia">Magnolia</a>, and other vendors are positioning their AI stacks as front and center. And while many features are finding parity, there are key differences in how AI agents are being harnessed from system to system. As he says, if your DXP vendor doesn’t offer an agentic layer by 2027, it’s time to get concerned.Matt and Dan also tackle the practical side of DXP selection in the here and now. They cover everything from balancing composability, dealing with multiple CMSs inside universities and large organizations, managing agents and MCP servers, and making sense of AI credit models and total cost of ownership. They also share how real clients are weighting agentic capabilities in RFPs, the importance of discovery around content operations, and why governance and permissions for agents are now just as critical as roles for humans.If you work in CMS/DXP platforms, lead digital or product teams, or manage content operations, you'll find this episode to be hyper relevant and enlightening. And if you're staring down a replatforming RFP or a big AI roadmap decision, Dan brings clear, practitioner‑level guidance to what really matters in a modern DXP – and how to hedge your bets for the next 3–5 years of AI‑driven change. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tinyurl.com/5ymyfwav">Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts.</a><h3 id="links">Links</h3><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dxpcatalyst.com ">DXP Catalyst Consulting</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">Boye &amp; Company CMS Connect 26</a></li></ul><h3 id="other-articles-by-dan-on-cms-critic:">Other Articles by Dan on CMS Critic:</h3><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-dxp-in-2026">What is a DXP in 2026?</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/where-native-dxp-ai-fits-within-an-agentic-enterprise-strategy">Where Native DXP AI Fits Within an Agentic Enterprise Strategy</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/composable-vs-pre-composed-dxps-in-2026-a-two-track-evaluation-framework-for-modern-dxp-selection">Composable vs. Pre-Composed DXPs in 2026: A Two-Track Evaluation Framework for Modern DXP Selection</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/3-things-to-look-for-in-a-dxp-as-conversational-search-changes-the-game">3 Things to Look for in a DXP as Conversational Search Changes the Game</a></li></ul><h3 id="“the-critic’s-corner”-podcast-with-dan-drapeau">“The Critic’s Corner” Podcast with Dan Drapeau</h3> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tinyurl.com/5ymyfwav">Listen to the full episode &gt;</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cms-critic-the-critics-corner-podcast/id1801794414">Subscribe on Apple Podcasts &gt;</a> <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:66.12%"><a href="https://tinyurl.com/5ymyfwav" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/08/critics-corner-apple-podcast-dan-drapeau.jpg" /></a></figure> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:36.69%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/open-source-cms-26.jpg" /><h4 id="open-source-cms-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26">Open Source CMS 26</a></h4>October 20–21, 2026 – Utrecht, NetherlandsJoin us for the first annual edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to making open source CMS better. This event is already being called the “missing gathering place” for the open source CMS community – an international conference with confirmed participants from Europe and North America. Be part of a friendly mix of digital leaders from notable open source CMS projects, agencies, even a few industry analysts who get together to learn, network, and talk about what really matters when it comes to creating better open source CMS projects right now and for the foreseeable future. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26/tickets">Book your tickets today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf"><img style="width:34.57%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/joyconf-2026-logo.png" /></a><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Storyblok JoyConf 2026</a></h4>October 28 - 29, Rheingoldhalle, Mainz (Frankfurt)JoyConf 2026 is where developers, marketers, and digital innovators come together from all around the world, united by one powerful idea: great content isn’t built by tools alone – it’s built by people who rely on systems to deliver their best work to the world. In an era where technology is increasingly shaped by AI, Content Confidence becomes your competitive advantage. When you can create, manage, and scale content that performs seamlessly across channels, platforms, and AI, you don’t just keep up – you win. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Book your seats today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/"><img style="width:36.36%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/sitecore-symposium-2026.png" /></a><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2026</a></h4>November 10 - 12, Orlando, FloridaWelcome to “Marketing Rewired” at Sitecore Symposium 2026! Sitecore's annual flagship global conference brings together customers, partners, developers, marketers, and digital experience leaders to explore the latest innovations in digital experience, content management, AI, personalization, and customer engagement. This year's event features keynote presentations from Sitecore executives and industry experts, product announcements, hands-on learning, technical sessions, customer success stories, and networking opportunities focused on helping organizations build more intelligent, connected, and AI-powered digital experiences. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Book your seats today.</a>

The Critic's Corner Podcast: Dan Drapeau on How AI Agents are Redefining DXP Expectations

cms-critic-staff

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/mike-spenceley">Michael Spenceley</a> is a DX and Content Operations Leader and a CMS Critic Contributor. <hr /> The pressure to extract ROI from AI is being felt in organizations of all sizes and in all sectors. Over the past several years, many leaders have been pleased with the incremental efficiency gains and cost avoidance that their organizations have achieved by using AI tools. However, if the ROI pressure continues, investors, boards, and the C-suite will set a higher bar for what constitutes successful AI implementation.According to PwC’s latest <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/1/issues/c-suite-insights/ceo-survey.html">Global CEO Survey</a>, only 30% of CEOs are confident about revenue growth over the next year. That’s down from 38% last year. To get ROI, AI has to either increase revenue, or reduce costs (hopefully, both). This leaves us with a lot of pressure and some difficult choices to make about how to proceed. Before we talk about what to do about it, let’s talk about what’s happening right now.What most people are experiencing right now are incremental, individual productivity gains through the use of AI tools like Copilot, Claude, and ChatGPT. Unless a company is actively reducing its workforce, re-deploying people to revenue-generating activities, or using AI to accelerate new product development and increase speed to market, they are likely not getting any measurable ROI.To be clear, individual productivity gains are a good thing, and, in a lot of cases, they improve the employee and customer experience. This is also an important step for everyone to build comfort and proficiency with AI. These are all good things, but if the ROI pressure continues, we’ll have to do more to meet expectations.There’s no perfect answer, but I think a good starting point is to move past incremental productivity gains and start reimagining processes with AI at the center.What does it mean to reimagine a process with AI at the center? Well, now that we know what AI can do, how might we change what people do and how they do it at a more fundamental level? How might we implement AI in ways that break down functional boundaries and surface inefficiencies we didn’t know we had?<h3 id="let’s-run-through-a-simple-example…">Let’s run through a simple example…</h3>An organization that sells products has lots of data and information about its products. That product information is used as an input by different functions. A marketing team uses it to create marketing materials, a sales team uses it as a reference when calling on customers, and a training team uses it to train sales and customer support teams.Especially in large organizations, these might be completely different functions that report into different leaders. Each of these teams are probably using AI in their own way, and I’m sure they collaborate and share information. But is that enough? What if we look across the functional boundaries and reimagine how we execute these processes with AI at the center?First, product information needs to be stored and organized in one central place, with a clear process to ensure it’s accurate and kept up to date (many organizations already do this).After assessing all the ways product information is used, imagine building an ecosystem of AI agents trained to handle various tasks that leverage product information.<ul><li>A marketer can prompt an agent to build content for a social media campaign, or a product brochure for a trade show</li><li>A trainer can prompt an agent to build a product training curriculum, including videos, slides, role-play scenarios, and objection-handling guidance</li><li>A sales associate can prompt an agent to pull product details and create a branded one-pager they can share with a potential customer, tailored to that customer’s unique needs</li></ul>Note: These agents will need to be built and trained to do these tasks and, in many cases, the output will require some level of review, at least for now.<h3 id="will-this-approach-lead-to-a-tangible-roi?">Will this approach lead to a tangible ROI?</h3>It depends on what we do next. Using this approach, we’ve saved time across multiple functions and have streamlined handoffs between functions. Using AI in this way can also lower the barriers to entry for some roles, making it easier for people to be redeployed or shared across functions. This might help us go to market faster, reach more customers, and ultimately increase revenue. We may also have the opportunity to shift people between functions and re-skill them for roles that require a human touch (at least for now).The ROI will also depend on how much it costs to build these tools. Implementing AI increases operating costs, and there is a lot of debate over whether we’re seeing the true costs of AI just yet. On the revenue side of the equation, there is a general lack of confidence about growth, so while all this sounds good on paper, both cutting costs and increasing revenue are difficult to achieve, even if we’re using AI in all the right ways.<h3 id="let’s-address-the-elephant-in-the-room…">Let’s address the elephant in the room…</h3>If we reimagine a process with AI at the center, will there still be layoffs?Forrester wrote in its latest <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.forrester.com/press-newsroom/forrester-impact-ai-jobs-forecast/">AI Job Impact Forecast</a> that many companies announcing AI-related layoffs don’t have mature, vetted AI applications that can truly replace people. Additionally, in an <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://hbr.org/2026/01/companies-are-laying-off-workers-because-of-ais-potential-not-its-performance">HBR study</a>, 60% of the more than 1,000 executives surveyed said they made headcount reductions in anticipation of future AI efficiencies.I think the writing is on the wall, and it’s likely that layoffs will continue, whether AI is ready to take over or not. However, if the right tools aren’t in place, companies may not get the results they’re looking for; and quality, employee experience, and customer experience will suffer.There are still a lot of unknowns and a lot to learn, but I think the best next step is to think differently about how we transform a process using AI, moving beyond incremental productivity gains. While layoffs will happen and may bring some short-term ROI; in the long run, companies need to deliver results, either with people or with AI. Hopefully, with a little of both. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26"><img style="width:41.96%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/05/cms-connect-logo-26.jpg" /></a><h4 id="cms-connect-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">CMS Connect 26</a></h4>August 5-6, 2026 – Montreal, CanadaThe best conferences create space for honest, experience-based conversations. Not sales pitches. Not hype. Just thoughtful exchanges between people who spend their days designing, building, running, and evolving digital experiences. CMS Connect brings together people who share real stories from their work and platforms and who are interested in learning from each other on how to make things better. Over two days in Montreal, you can expect practitioner-led talks grounded in experience, conversations about trade-offs, constraints, and decisions, and time to compare notes with peers facing similar challenges. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:36.69%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/open-source-cms-26.jpg" /><h4 id="open-source-cms-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26">Open Source CMS 26</a></h4>October 20–21, 2026 – Utrecht, NetherlandsJoin us for the first annual edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to making open source CMS better. This event is already being called the “missing gathering place” for the open source CMS community – an international conference with confirmed participants from Europe and North America. Be part of a friendly mix of digital leaders from notable open source CMS projects, agencies, even a few industry analysts who get together to learn, network, and talk about what really matters when it comes to creating better open source CMS projects right now and for the foreseeable future. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26/tickets">Book your tickets today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf"><img style="width:34.57%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/joyconf-2026-logo.png" /></a><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Storyblok JoyConf 2026</a></h4>October 28 - 29, Rheingoldhalle, Mainz (Frankfurt)JoyConf 2026 is where developers, marketers, and digital innovators come together from all around the world, united by one powerful idea: great content isn’t built by tools alone – it’s built by people who rely on systems to deliver their best work to the world. In an era where technology is increasingly shaped by AI, Content Confidence becomes your competitive advantage. When you can create, manage, and scale content that performs seamlessly across channels, platforms, and AI, you don’t just keep up – you win. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Book your seats today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/"><img style="width:36.36%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/sitecore-symposium-2026.png" /></a><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2026</a></h4>November 10 - 12, Orlando, FloridaWelcome to “Marketing Rewired” at Sitecore Symposium 2026! Sitecore's annual flagship global conference brings together customers, partners, developers, marketers, and digital experience leaders to explore the latest innovations in digital experience, content management, AI, personalization, and customer engagement. This year's event features keynote presentations from Sitecore executives and industry experts, product announcements, hands-on learning, technical sessions, customer success stories, and networking opportunities focused on helping organizations build more intelligent, connected, and AI-powered digital experiences. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Book your seats today.</a>

The ROI Trap: Why AI Needs More Than Individual Productivity Gains

mike-spenceley

<hr /> There’s an undeniable “craftsmanship” that underpins <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://craftersoftware.com/">Crafter Software’s</a> success. The name evokes something handmade, deliberate, and bespoke – which most digital experiences aspire to be. And that's what Crafter has always aimed to deliver.It’s not to say that reusable components and DRY principles aren’t part of the unique recipe. They are – along with a Git-based, developer-centric posture that has made this its headless <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://craftercms.com/">CrafterCMS</a> a preferred choice for notable enterprise brands like MasterCard, Marriott International, and eBay.Founded in 2013 as an open source project, CrafterCMS has long reflected the evolving needs of content operations in a cloud-based, multi-channel, highly personalized ecosystem. By 2019, the product and its community were growing by leaps and bounds. After an acquisition by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.capgemini.com/us-en/">Capgemini</a>, CrafterCMS was “decoupled” from its agency roots with Rivet Logic and spun off as part of the Crafter Software entity. Since then, the company has been innovating hard under the leadership of CEO and co-founder <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikevertal/">Mike Vertal</a>, and a big part of his recent focus has been on AI. The company just unveiled its new <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://craftercms.com/products/craftercms-ai">CrafterCMS AI,</a> billing it as the “Open Source Agentic CMS for the Enterprise.” The new release combines AI skills, content authoring assistance, vector search, MCP integrations, and more. <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:39.69%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/image-1784643823358.png" /></figure>Crafter Software Co-founder and CEO Mike Vertal. Source: LinkedIn Now, Crafter is democratizing AI for any website with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://crafterq.ai/">CrafterQ</a>, an AI agent platform that promises to transform any existing website or e-commerce store into an intelligent conversational experience. It enables organizations to deploy <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://crafterq.ai/blog/website-ai-agents-the-complete-guide-for-business-leaders">AI agents</a> trained on their own content to answer questions, guide purchases, capture leads, and deliver instant self-service directly on their websites."We're witnessing one of the biggest shifts in the history of the web," Mike said. "For years we've optimized websites around pages, menus, and search. AI changes that. Customers no longer want to hunt for information – they want outcomes. We believe every website will evolve from a collection of pages and search results into an intelligent conversational experience."It’s worth noting that Crafter was recently named to the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://crafterq.ai/blog/crafterq-named-to-the-2026-kmworld-ai-100">KMWorld AI 100 for 2026</a>, which highlights companies that are empowering intelligent knowledge management. For more than two decades, KMWorld has been one of the leading publications covering topics like enterprise search, information management, and AI.<h3 id="evolving-the-web-with-agent-power">Evolving the web with agent power</h3>With the rise of AI chatbots, consumers are engaging with brands using natural language – and they expect to receive an answer that’s personalized to their queries. Browsing page after page of results is so 2020. That’s true across every digital touchpoint, including answer engines like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chatgpt.com/">ChatGPT </a>and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://search.google/ways-to-search/ai-overviews/">Google AI Overviews.</a> For many brands, delivering this experience at the website level is key, and this is where CrafterQ applies its intelligent conversational layer, helping visitors leap over laborious navigation and avoid sifting through search results. First and foremost, CrafterQ surfaces answers that are trained on your organization's website. That means less hallucinating and more relevant, trustworthy, and brand-consistent experiences. But it can also be targeted at other content sources like your product catalog, documentation, FAQs, and more.CrafterQ supports a broad range of customer-facing use cases like marketing and corporate websites, AI shopping assistants for e-commerce, and product discovery and recommendations. It’s also an easy lift for adding customer support and self-service capabilities and enabling quick answers from sources that are under your organization's control. <h3 id="how-it-works">How it works</h3>In a nutshell, CrafterQ interprets customer intent through a natural language query, identifies the most relevant knowledge, and generates accurate, context-aware responses grounded in your organization's content. As you might guess, this is <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/retrieval-augmented-generation/">AI RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)</a> but with a proprietary mix of contextual memory and reasoning technologies.  <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v-XJl9_j2o"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5v-XJl9_j2o" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> Like similar conversational AI products I’ve covered, CrafterQ can be deployed in minutes with almost no technical know-how. After creating an account (which starts for free), you simply enter your website URL, which is then crawled in the background. I went through the entire process, which was pretty darn seamless.Once you arrive at your dashboard, you’ll notice how clean and intuitive the UX is. Super easy to navigate with zero complexity. Even a novice user could start testing in the sandbox without consulting any documentation – <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://crafterq.ai/docs/index.html">but docs are available</a>, and they’re pretty easy to digest.  <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:86.22%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/image-1784643297491.png" /></figure>Source: CrafterQ It works – nicely. I ran it through a few basic queries and was pleased with the overall accuracy. You can also tweak and customize the parameters and refine your agent’s role and responses via CrafterQ’s Playground. <img style="width:85.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/image-1784643297504.png" />Source: CrafterQ CrafterQ is designed to continuously learn as your website content changes and evolves. It automatically retrains and provides detailed conversation analytics that reveal what customers are asking, where they struggle, and what information they can't find. What stood out for me was the analytics. With CrafterQ’s dashboard, you get clear data on user chats, geographic trends, and other details that can help you improve your customer experience and journey. "Traditional analytics tell you what visitors clicked," Mike explained. “Conversations tell you what people are actually trying to accomplish. That gives organizations a completely new source of customer insight and a better understanding of how to improve their websites, products, and customer experience.” <img style="width:84.79%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/image-1784643297447.png" />Source: CrafterQ As I said previously, this goes beyond websites. You can also target CrafterQ at documents like PDFs or Microsoft Word files, which you can easily upload into the system. The platform automatically discovers, indexes, and learns from anything you add.When ready, your CrafterQ agent can be embedded into almost any existing website simply by copying and pasting a single line of JavaScript from the “Deploy Agent” tab. You can also adjust the look and feel of the UI and even add your own avatar. Pretty slick.As with any modern AI product, enterprise-grade control and governance are top of mind. Crafter has brokered a lot of trust over the years, and it’s not surprising that CrafterQ has been designed with security and scalability in mind. Along with the built-in layers of analytics and reporting, there’s SOC 2 compliance and deeper admin controls like MFA that make the solution more performant. CrafterQ also gives agencies and partners access to white-label branding and customization features, as well as REST APIs for more expansive integrations. Available in the advanced plans, it enables connections to business systems like CRM or support tools. You can get more details in the product documentation. <h3 id="real-world-success-with-crafterq">Real-world success with CrafterQ</h3>As far as adoption, CrafterQ is already being used across a myriad of industry use cases. From higher education to public sector websites, it’s an ideal fit for information-heavy sources. But given its enterprise posture and focus on security, it’s could be a good fit for regulated sectors like healthcare, financial, and professional services. Of course, this all comes down to specific compliance requirements on a case-by-case basis.CrafterQ is delivering for customers with some measurable impact. One example is <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.buyrailings.com/">BuyRailings,</a> a manufacturer of architectural and industrial railing systems. The company deployed a CrafterQ AI agent that guides visitors through its complex catalog of railing products and systems.  <img style="width:84.36%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/image-1784643297654.png" />The CrafterQ agent customized for the BuyRailings website. Source: www.buyrailings.com According to BuyRailings CEO Ihab Barrawi, CrafterQ transformed its e-commerce website from a catalog into an AI shopping assistant, helping customers find exactly what they need quickly and efficiently. The proof is in the pudding: adding the CrafterQ agent delivered an immediate 12% bump in online sales while helping customers identify the right products more quickly. Impressive.<h3 id="pricing">Pricing</h3>In a word? Simple. I’m a stickler for transparency, and this SaaS-based subscription model offers a range of clear options that should fit almost any website. Try out the Free tier and launch a single agent with some basic limits on messages and storage. It’s just enough to kick the tires. The Solo plan starts at just $29/month, and it’s perfect for small projects or solopreneurs who want real performance and control over agent actions, as well as automated agent retraining for content that’s regularly changing.The Team and Business plans ($99 and $399/month respectively) get serious for serious workloads. You can invite and manage additional users – and the messages, storage, and retraining all step up in size and frequency. And yes, there’s an Enterprise tier with custom options, including private hosting on AWS, your choice of AI model, SSO, advanced analytics, and support with a CSM. You can dig into all the plan details at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://crafterq.ai/pricing">crafterq.ai/pricing</a><h3 id="the-verdict">The verdict</h3>Conversational AI has become an expectation for most website visitors. It’s delivering higher levels of engagement, conversion, and online sales – making the web channel more valuable at a time when answer engines are disrupting search and traffic. Intelligent on-site agents are also mitigating repetitive support requests across industries like retail, manufacturing, restaurants, marketing agencies, and enterprise software. That makes it a must-have for improving productivity across a wide range of applications. I’ve test-driven and reviewed several conversational AI solutions, and the results have steadily improved. They’re addressing a gap in the AI transformation journey by enhancing the web experience with almost zero friction, and making AI attainable for a broader swath of the market. Yes, there’s already parity surrounding the fundamentals, and the performance is fairly on par. But I really like CrafterQ’s ease of use, customizability, and focus on security and scalability. The clean UX further simplifies the build, train, and deploy funnel for new users, and the retraining is automatic, so one less concern to manage. And because it’s backed by Crafter – a respected brand in the CMS and software ecosystem – it marshals greater validation and trust.My Recommendation: If you’re considering options for an on-site chatbot, CrafterQ should be on your list. It’s free to run it around the track, and I encourage you to do so. There are platforms with more robust features, but this one really delivers on the core mission of higher visitor satisfaction and achieving business objectives. If you’re concerned about data ownership and deeper governance, I would recommend a demo and conversation about the Enterprise options. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://app.crafterq.ai/">Start for nothing</a>, or contact <a href="mailto:hello@crafterq.ai">hello@crafterq.ai</a> for details. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26"><img style="width:41.96%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/05/cms-connect-logo-26.jpg" /></a><h4 id="cms-connect-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">CMS Connect 26</a></h4>August 5-6, 2026 – Montreal, CanadaThe best conferences create space for honest, experience-based conversations. Not sales pitches. Not hype. Just thoughtful exchanges between people who spend their days designing, building, running, and evolving digital experiences. CMS Connect brings together people who share real stories from their work and platforms and who are interested in learning from each other on how to make things better. Over two days in Montreal, you can expect practitioner-led talks grounded in experience, conversations about trade-offs, constraints, and decisions, and time to compare notes with peers facing similar challenges. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:36.69%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/open-source-cms-26.jpg" /><h4 id="open-source-cms-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26">Open Source CMS 26</a></h4>October 20–21, 2026 – Utrecht, NetherlandsJoin us for the first annual edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to making open source CMS better. This event is already being called the “missing gathering place” for the open source CMS community – an international conference with confirmed participants from Europe and North America. Be part of a friendly mix of digital leaders from notable open source CMS projects, agencies, even a few industry analysts who get together to learn, network, and talk about what really matters when it comes to creating better open source CMS projects right now and for the foreseeable future. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26/tickets">Book your tickets today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf"><img style="width:34.57%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/joyconf-2026-logo.png" /></a><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Storyblok JoyConf 2026</a></h4>October 28 - 29, Rheingoldhalle, Mainz (Frankfurt)JoyConf 2026 is where developers, marketers, and digital innovators come together from all around the world, united by one powerful idea: great content isn’t built by tools alone – it’s built by people who rely on systems to deliver their best work to the world. In an era where technology is increasingly shaped by AI, Content Confidence becomes your competitive advantage. When you can create, manage, and scale content that performs seamlessly across channels, platforms, and AI, you don’t just keep up – you win. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Book your seats today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/"><img style="width:36.36%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/sitecore-symposium-2026.png" /></a><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2026</a></h4>November 10 - 12, Orlando, FloridaWelcome to “Marketing Rewired” at Sitecore Symposium 2026! Sitecore's annual flagship global conference brings together customers, partners, developers, marketers, and digital experience leaders to explore the latest innovations in digital experience, content management, AI, personalization, and customer engagement. This year's event features keynote presentations from Sitecore executives and industry experts, product announcements, hands-on learning, technical sessions, customer success stories, and networking opportunities focused on helping organizations build more intelligent, connected, and AI-powered digital experiences. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Book your seats today.</a>

Cue the CrafterQ: Crafter Software’s Agent Platform Turns Websites into Conversational AI Experiences

Are your AI projects stalling? Acquia Source is priming an agentic engine for marketers

What Is a DXP in 2026?

dan-drapeau

Best Video Experience

Give your audience the best video experience

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MX to the MAX: Tom Cranstoun's New Book Decodes Machine Experience for Humans and Agents

Diving Deep with Palmata: Contentful Uplevels AEO to Help Brands Understand and Influence AI Discoverability

<h4 id="-"> </h4><h4 id="watch-the-full-episode-of-the-matt-&amp;-matt-show--&gt;"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/3ob-7QyWk8U">Watch the full episode of the Matt &amp; Matt Show  &gt;</a></h4> <hr /> The summer is heating up, and the Matts are back with some hot takes from the road in this unofficial 2026 Halftime Report! Sure, the World Cup might be scoring big on most screens, but AEO is proving (again) to be the real goal in our industry game. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/3ob-7QyWk8U">In this episode of the show,</a> Matt McQueeny kicks things off with insights from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/vercel">Vercel</a> Ship in New York, driving a conversation about the company’s growth track. From partner momentum to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://openai.com/">OpenAI</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.meta.ai/">Meta</a> use cases, the two Matts dig into why Vercel continues to be a preferred development platform for building, deploying, and scaling applications. They unpack what this means for agencies, developers, and the growing world of prompt-driven, component-based prototyping.  <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:71.85%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/matt-vercel.png" /></figure>Matt McQueeny at Vercel Ship in New York The conversation then heads to Orlando and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.fullsail.edu/">Full Sail University,</a> the site of the latest <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/groups/cms-experts">Boye &amp; Company CMS Experts and Digital Leaders</a> meeting. The Matts were joined by a diverse group of participants and treated to a campus tour that featured world-class facilities for training the next generation of builders. In the pod, they talk about the school’s unique curriculum, the intersection of physical and digital experiences, the growing focus on AI literacy, and the urgent need for better-prepared practitioners in disciplines like cybersecurity (oh, and drone operation!) <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:70.85%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/full-sail-meeting.jpg" /></figure>Matt Garrepy and Matt McQueeny in Orlando at the Boye &amp; Company Digital Leaders meeting at Full Sail University During the meeting, Matt Garrepy facilitated a deeper conversation around AI’s impact, with some fantastic use cases across industries like healthcare – where attendees like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-coyne-55565615a/">Amba’s Stephanie Coyne</a> shared how AI and automation are making an impact in elder care. The group also discussed everything from AI governance and compliance to adtech, making for a truly dynamic session. Throughout the episode, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/in-the-race-to-ai-visibility-are-aeo-and-geo-really-delivering-97-of-digital-leaders-say-yes">AEO – Answer Engine Optimization</a> – is a major throughline, and the Matts discuss how bots now own the largest share of traffic, how websites are adapting, and what AEO success looks like in practice. Matt and Matt also dig into the AEO race in the wake of some high-profile industry moves. From <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/crunch-time-for-ai-visibility-sitecores-acquisition-of-scrunch-gives-brands-an-edge-beyond-aeo">Sitecore’s acquisition of Scrunch,</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/bland-brands-beware-optimizelys-new-identity-brings-human-creativity-to-its-agentic-ai-and-aeo-ambitions">Optimizely’s partnership with Conductor, </a>and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/no-more-kicking-the-cms-tires-as-salesforce-acquires-contentful-can-it-keep-the-wheels-on-the-ai-road">Contentful’s</a> launch of Palmata, the landscape is growing at both the top and bottom as more downstream startups like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/as-ai-generated-search-grows-otterly-is-utterly-awesome-for-marketers-heres-why">Otterly.ai </a>and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.surfacegx.com/">SurfaceGX</a> attempt to challenge this nascent space.  <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75.01%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/codegarden-image-1783344921770.jpg" /></figure>Umbraco Codegarden 2026 in Copenhagen Matt Garrepy also reviews his recent stops covering the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://summit.typo3.com/">TYPO3 North American Summit </a>in Atlanta, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://codegarden.umbraco.com/program/">Umbraco’s Codegarden 26</a> in Copenhagen, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/how-to-thrive-at-25-as-sitecore-charts-an-ai-future-community-remains-its-greatest-asset">Sitecore’s 25th Silver Anniversary</a> event at the Tivoli Gardens in Denmark. It’s a tour of how open source and commercial CMS and DXP platforms are making a stronger play in a competitive marketplace, and where AI is transforming the roadmap for every vendor.  <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75.96%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/sitecore-tivoli-event.png" /></figure>Sitecore's 25th Silver Anniversary event at Tivoli Gardens Finally, Matt and Matt explore the reinvigoration of PR, video, podcasting, and other multimedia channels as new engines for AEO and (maybe) even a new CPM measurement: “cost-per-mention.” From transcripts and clips to earned media and “earnfluencing,” they dig into why these content streams are further fueling the answer engines that shape discovery.It’s a packed hour with a ton of insights, a few offside calls, and only a couple of penalties for opinions. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/3ob-7QyWk8U">Listen here and subscribe,</a> and let us know what you want us to talk about on the next episode!<h3 id="check-out-our-latest-stories">Check out our latest stories</h3><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/bland-brands-beware-optimizelys-new-identity-brings-human-creativity-to-its-agentic-ai-and-aeo-ambitions">Bland Brands Beware: Optimizely’s New Identity Brings Human Creativity to its Agentic AI and AEO Ambitions</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/ai-and-accessibility-incredible-potential-inconvenient-questions">AI and Accessibility: Incredible Potential, Inconvenient Questions</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/how-to-thrive-at-25-as-sitecore-charts-an-ai-future-community-remains-its-greatest-asset">How to Thrive at 25: As Sitecore Charts an AI Future, Community Remains its Greatest Asset</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/kentico-opens-its-site-of-the-year-2026-awards-as-first-major-dxp-with-a-best-use-of-ai-category">Kentico Opens its Site of the Year 2026 Awards as First Major DXP with a ‘Best Use of AI’ Category</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/without-cogs-no-machine-moves">Without Cogs, No Machine Moves</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/how-cms-and-dxp-teams-can-use-generative-engine-optimization-to-increase-visibility-in-ai-generated-answers">How CMS and DXP Teams Can Use Generative Engine Optimization to Increase Visibility in AI-Generated Answers</a></li></ul><h3 id="matt-&amp;-matt-meetups">Matt &amp; Matt meetups</h3>The Matts are on the road! Check out where they’re at – and drop us a line if you’re able to join some of our <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/groups/cms-experts">Boye &amp; Company meetings</a> for CMS Experts and Digital Leaders. <ul><li>August 4-5 – Montréal <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">CMS Connect 26 Conference</a></li></ul><h3 id="enjoying-the-matt-&amp;-matt-show?-stay-connected!">Enjoying the Matt &amp; Matt Show? Stay connected!</h3> <ul><li>Subscribe today on YouTube: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/@MattMattShow">@MattMattShow</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-mcqueeny-9732493/">Follow Matt McQueeny on LinkedIn</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattgarrepy/">Follow Matt Garrepy on LinkedIn</a></li></ul><h3 id="have-an-idea-for-a-topic?-wanna-be-on-the-show?-">Have an idea for a topic? Wanna be on the show? </h3>We love our audience, and we want your input. Send us your ideas for future episodes! And if you’re willing, maybe we’ll have you on to talk CMS, DXP, AI, and more! <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Contact us.</a> <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:28.7%"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MattMattShow" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/03/image-1774291050198.png" /></a></figure> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3>  <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26"><img style="width:41.96%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/05/cms-connect-logo-26.jpg" /></a><h4 id="cms-connect-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">CMS Connect 26</a></h4>August 5-6, 2026 – Montreal, CanadaThe best conferences create space for honest, experience-based conversations. Not sales pitches. Not hype. Just thoughtful exchanges between people who spend their days designing, building, running, and evolving digital experiences. CMS Connect brings together people who share real stories from their work and platforms and who are interested in learning from each other on how to make things better. Over two days in Montreal, you can expect practitioner-led talks grounded in experience, conversations about trade-offs, constraints, and decisions, and time to compare notes with peers facing similar challenges. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:36.69%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/open-source-cms-26.jpg" /><h4 id="open-source-cms-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26">Open Source CMS 26</a></h4>October 20–21, 2026 – Utrecht, NetherlandsJoin us for the first annual edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to making open source CMS better. This event is already being called the “missing gathering place” for the open source CMS community – an international conference with confirmed participants from Europe and North America. Be part of a friendly mix of digital leaders from notable open source CMS projects, agencies, even a few industry analysts who get together to learn, network, and talk about what really matters when it comes to creating better open source CMS projects right now and for the foreseeable future. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26/tickets">Book your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:35.73%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/05/image-1778200565145.png" /><h4 id="contentstack-contentcon-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">Contentstack ContentCon 2026</a></h4>September 30 - October 1, Amsterdam  /  October 27-28, 2026 – ChicagoContentstack’s annual customer conference is the premier event for executives, marketing leaders, and developers to redefine their digital experience strategy. This is your opportunity to step out of the "status quo" and into "elite" status, learning exactly how the world’s most successful brands are using the technology you already own to do the impossible. Enjoy a full day of interactive workshops, certifications, and inspirational on-stage sessions designed to help you become an expert on cutting-edge digital strategies and how to turn Contentstack's CMS and adaptive personalization tools into your greatest competitive advantage.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jdayusa.com/"> </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">Book your seats today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf"><img style="width:34.57%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/joyconf-2026-logo.png" /></a><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Storyblok JoyConf 2026</a></h4>October 28 - 29, Rheingoldhalle, Mainz (Frankfurt)JoyConf 2026 is where developers, marketers, and digital innovators come together from all around the world, united by one powerful idea: great content isn’t built by tools alone – it’s built by people who rely on systems to deliver their best work to the world. In an era where technology is increasingly shaped by AI, Content Confidence becomes your competitive advantage. When you can create, manage, and scale content that performs seamlessly across channels, platforms, and AI, you don’t just keep up – you win. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Book your seats today.</a>

Matt & Matt Show Episode 7: 2026 Halftime Report! Vercel Ship to Full Sail, the AEO Goal, and More

Bland Brands Beware: Optimizely’s New Identity Brings Human Creativity to its Agentic AI and AEO Ambitions

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/antonia-fedder">Antonia Fedder </a>is a digital designer, consultant, and speaker working at the intersection of accessibility, inclusion, and sustainability. She is also a CMS Critic contributor. <hr /> AI is either the greatest opportunity for the future of digital accessibility or a fast track to cementing existing exclusions. It all depends on who you ask. I honestly think both are happening at the same time, and the decisions that are being made right now will determine where we end up. The disability market remains both chronically underserved and one of the most severely underestimated in the world, and that’s before you consider the much bigger community of people who use the digital world differently: neurodivergent users, senior citizens, people with temporary impairments, anyone who’s ever encountered a digital interface that wasn’t built for them. Getting AI and accessibility right is a market question, a rights question, and a design question. This is not a niche problem. <h3 id="two-kinds-of-ai,-two-kinds-of-possibility-">Two kinds of AI, two kinds of possibility </h3>Before we go further, we need to be clear about what we’re actually talking about. "AI" covers a lot of ground. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thehackettgroup.com/glossary/discriminative-ai/">Discriminative AI </a>works through recognition and classification. That’s the technology behind speech recognition systems like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.voiceitt.com/">Voiceitt</a>, which learns the unique speech patterns of people with cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s, or Down syndrome, so that they can be understood by voice interfaces made only for standard speech. It supports <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/garage/wall-of-fame/seeing-ai/">Microsoft’s Seeing AI</a>, which has enabled blind and low-vision users to manage millions of independent tasks using just a smartphone camera. Generative AI creates. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bemyeyes.com/bme-ai/">Be My AI,</a> built into the Be My Eyes app, goes beyond describing images. It enables actual conversations around them. You can ask follow-up questions and explore what you are seeing. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machinelearning.apple.com/research/personal-voice">Apple’s Personal Voice</a> allows people living with ALS or other speech-affecting conditions to create a synthetic version of their own voice in 15 minutes on a device they already own. Voice banking was available before this function, but it was expensive, time-consuming, and required specialist equipment. AI moved it to the iPhone. To me, one of the most vivid descriptions of what this access actually means came from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tink.uk/">Léonie Watson</a>, a blind developer and accessibility specialist, in her talk at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://2024.ffconf.org/">FFConf 2024. </a>She described how generative AI has allowed blind users to go back through photo albums and actually experience what is in those photos: the expressions, the context, the memories. Access to personal history that had been visually inaccessible. One of the most extraordinary things this technology has opened up is that kind of agency and independence, being able to access your own life, on your own terms. <h3 id="when-the-picture-gets-complicated-">When the picture gets complicated </h3>The same tools make mistakes, and they make them confidently. AI image descriptions are hallucinating. They describe what is not there, or they miss what is. That’s a lot to be asking a blind user to decide in real-time based on what the AI is telling them about their surroundings. The gap between "this is a bit annoying" and "this is a safety issue" is precisely the gap that an intersectional lens helps us see. The term <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersectionality">intersectionality</a> was coined by legal scholar <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberl%C3%A9_Crenshaw">Kimberlé Crenshaw.</a> The key insight is what many people with multiple marginalised identities already know from experience: structural discrimination does not happen in neat, separate categories. Ableism, racism, sexism, class, and language access all intersect and build on each other, and the effects combine in certain ways based on who you are and what systems you are navigating. I use this lens whenever a tool is described as “neutral” or “universal,” because in reality, those words usually mean "designed for the default user" (who doesn't exist). Bias in AI systems is well-documented, and has real-world consequences. Facial recognition has long had much higher error rates for women with darker skin than for men with lighter skin. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.media.mit.edu/people/joyab/overview/">Joy Buolamwini's research at MIT Media Lab </a>made this impossible to ignore, though many have tried. Imagine a blind male user relying on facial recognition to tell him who’s standing in front of him, and getting an error. Then ask what it means to a Black blind woman with the same tool. The tool fails on both, but not to the same degree. That’s the intersectional question: who carries what risk when this goes wrong?  Who built a dataset, who it centres, who it was tested on – these are things that are important to critically question, both for accessibility and equity. If disabled people were not in the room when these systems were built, then you see the gaps in the product. The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray-Ban_Meta">Meta Ray-Ban glasses</a> are a telling illustration of how the same technology can exist in completely different realities at once. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://afb.org/aw">The American Foundation for the Blind's AccessWorld publication</a> described them as an accessibility tool only by coincidence, designed for social media users with assistive features that exist because of the hardware and AI integration, not because disability access was ever part of the brief.  But for many blind and low-vision users, they’ve become a true independence tool: hands-free environmental description, text reading, and navigation support in a form factor that doesn’t look like medical equipment. Simultaneously, these same glasses are used to film women in public without their consent, which is harmful and violating. Technology doesn’t pick its context, and its unintended consequences tend to fall on the people who already carry the most risk. <h3 id="ai-as-barrier-shifter-">AI as barrier-shifter </h3>AI moves barriers. It doesn’t remove them. The benefits of AI accessibility tools tend to be concentrated on disabilities that are well-represented in training data, languages with large datasets, voices and bodies that systems were designed around, and hardware that people can afford. Coverage that treats these as tools that solve the whole problem ignores the structural question of who still can’t get access – and why. <h3 id="the-gap-in-governance-">The gap in governance </h3>Accessibility expertise is still called in late, consulted briefly, then dropped – a structural problem that is, once again, accelerated by AI. Automated checkers can tell you about missing alt text (alternative text) and low color contrast, but they can’t tell you if a real person using real assistive technology will actually be able to use what you’ve built. A direct word on AI-powered overlay tools: Don’t use them. In the accessibility community, they are widely seen as bad practice because they clash with assistive technology. I recently did an audit of a website for an organization that is very active in advocating for inclusion and runs a blind sports team. They thought the overlay had them covered. It missed big chunks of alt text. It hadn’t tagged the paragraph elements, so a screen reader skips right over the paragraph content. The organisation’s own blind athletes cannot read the articles written about them. Good accessibility practice is based on the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us.” Disabled people should be included as designers, researchers, consultants, and decision-makers in all stages of design, development, and testing – and they should be involved from the start. AI can’t replace that involvement. If used well, it could free accessibility professionals to do the work that really matters and make accessibility a default built into the process from the beginning. Unfortunately, we're not there yet. <h3 id="this-is-also-a-‘market-power’-question-">This is also a ‘market power’ question </h3>The industry still views accessibility as a cost center, a compliance checkbox, or an edge case. AI can fundamentally change that equation, but only if the tools are built to be accessible, tested with real people, and governed with accountability. And the case goes far beyond the disability market. Captions were invented as a deaf accessibility feature, and became de facto for anyone watching video in a public space. Voice control, born of the need for motor accessibility, is now used by millions who just find it convenient. Neuroinclusive content is more usable, more memorable across the board, and performs better in AI-driven search contexts, with a clearer hierarchy and less cognitive load. Accessible design leads to better products, for everyone, every time. Disabled people have always been among the first to embrace and push technological innovation. Many interfaces we now take for granted originated in assistive technology. Getting AI, access, and innovation right is an opportunity to do that again, at a scale and speed that has not been available before. The returns aren't just about equity. They’re about what kind of digital world we build, how well it works, and for how many users. Both the optimistic and the dystopian scenarios are perfectly plausible. Which one we get depends on decisions being made right now, mostly by people without disabilities, in organizations that haven’t yet asked the right questions.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3>  <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26"><img style="width:41.96%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/05/cms-connect-logo-26.jpg" /></a><h4 id="cms-connect-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">CMS Connect 26</a></h4>August 5-6, 2026 – Montreal, CanadaThe best conferences create space for honest, experience-based conversations. Not sales pitches. Not hype. Just thoughtful exchanges between people who spend their days designing, building, running, and evolving digital experiences. CMS Connect brings together people who share real stories from their work and platforms and who are interested in learning from each other on how to make things better. Over two days in Montreal, you can expect practitioner-led talks grounded in experience, conversations about trade-offs, constraints, and decisions, and time to compare notes with peers facing similar challenges. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:36.69%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/open-source-cms-26.jpg" /><h4 id="open-source-cms-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26">Open Source CMS 26</a></h4>October 20–21, 2026 – Utrecht, NetherlandsJoin us for the first annual edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to making open source CMS better. This event is already being called the “missing gathering place” for the open source CMS community – an international conference with confirmed participants from Europe and North America. Be part of a friendly mix of digital leaders from notable open source CMS projects, agencies, even a few industry analysts who get together to learn, network, and talk about what really matters when it comes to creating better open source CMS projects right now and for the foreseeable future. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26/tickets">Book your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:35.73%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/05/image-1778200565145.png" /><h4 id="contentstack-contentcon-2026">Contentstack <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">ContentCon 2026</a></h4>September 30 - October 1, Amsterdam  /  October 27-28, 2026 – ChicagoContentstack’s annual customer conference is the premier event for executives, marketing leaders, and developers to redefine their digital experience strategy. This is your opportunity to step out of the "status quo" and into "elite" status, learning exactly how the world’s most successful brands are using the technology you already own to do the impossible. Enjoy a full day of interactive workshops, certifications, and inspirational on-stage sessions designed to help you become an expert on cutting-edge digital strategies and how to turn Contentstack's CMS and adaptive personalization tools into your greatest competitive advantage.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jdayusa.com/"> </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">Book your seats today.</a>

AI and Accessibility: Incredible Potential, Inconvenient Questions 

antonia-fedder

How to Thrive at 25: As Sitecore Charts an AI Future, Community Remains its Greatest Asset     

<hr /> As an industry analyst, CMS geek, and all-around digital design nut, I’m fortunate to review and sometimes judge various awards competitions. It’s one of the best parts of my job because I get to look at what people and agencies make – and do it through a number of different lenses. Yes, it often involves a deep dive into architectures, but it also means I get to play with digital experiences. Who doesn’t love exploring an exquisite mobile UI or ogling over a stunning homepage template? There’s simply no replacement for how we – as humans – can be inspired by good design. But when you combine an awards competition with compelling stories about complex migrations and multichannel applications, you get a range of impressive submissions that go beyond just the visual appeal.Kentico has been running its annual <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/discover/kentico-awards-winners/archive">Site of the Year</a> competition since 2017, and I’ve <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/kentico-announces-winners-of-2023-site-of-the-year-awards">covered it in the past.</a> The platform highlights some “swoon-worthy” projects built on Kentico, demonstrating the flexibility and extensibility of what’s possible when partners push the boundaries.The DXP just announced its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/discover/kentico-awards-winners/site-of-the-year-2026">Site of the Year 2026 program</a> last week, offering an updated awards structure that reflects the direction of modern digital experiences. This edition consolidates ten vertical categories into six while introducing a slate of new bonus awards like “Best SaaS Project,” “Best Multichannel Project,” “Best Upgrade Project,” and “Best Migration Project.”There’s one more, and it’s arguably in the spotlight: Kentico has added a “Best Use of AI” award to the roster, the first of its kind from a major category vendor.This is a smart move – and it complements the awards program in an area where many partners and enterprises are doubling down. According to Kentico, the new category will recognize and celebrate the work of brands and teams in deploying agentic and generative AI in production.It also aligns to the capabilities Kentico has been shipping across its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=1c0eda97-ac92-42bf-b5fd-5acf9b5ead34&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">Xperience by Kentico</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=7bf2d6a7-2052-4f00-b58a-3084ce60c4f1&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">AIRA</a>, and the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=57081f58-7b0c-4976-bf1a-bf02cca136d9&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">Agentic Marketing Suite</a>. I recently broke down the platform’s rollout of four specialized agents that operate as a virtual marketing team, and you can <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/meet-the-agents-kentico-fields-an-ai-dream-team-to-win-the-new-game-of-marketing">read my analysis here.</a>"Awards programs should be a mirror of where the industry is actually moving, not where it was two years ago," said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/petrklouda/">Petr Klouda</a>, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Kentico. "Agentic AI is no longer experimental; it is in production, shipping real outcomes for real customers. With Site of the Year 2026, we are putting that work on the leaderboard, alongside the SaaS, migration, and consolidation projects that are reshaping how organizations operate. The partners and customers building this future deserve to be recognized for it." <h3 id="a-new-awards-structure-for-a-changing-industry">A New Awards Structure for a Changing Industry</h3>It goes without saying that AI is rippling across the CMS and DXP toolscape and transforming everything. Still, the value of websites remains steadfast, even as they evolve to serve both humans and agents. Kentico’s Site of the Year competition is an opportunity to celebrate the efforts of the people behind these amazing experiences. It highlights the partners and customers who continue to elevate design and harness Xperience by Kentico to deliver uniquely inspiring results. As AI shifts the horizon, these practitioners are leveraging its capabilities to explore what’s next.The 2026 Site of the Year program introduces three changes to reflect the realities of how leading digital teams are working today. As mentioned, Kentico has consolidated the vertical structure from ten categories to six, clustering industries with a natural alignment. This includes: <ul><li>Government, Associations &amp; Education</li><li>Sport, Entertainment, Travel &amp; Tourism</li><li>Financial Services</li><li>Healthcare</li><li>Industrial Manufacturing</li><li>B2B &amp; Consumer Brands</li></ul>One important change: commerce is no longer a standalone category, and will be evaluated within the industry that each project aligns with. The five new bonus awards hit every vertical and reflect the focus of modern digital experience. This includes agentic and generative AI integration, true SaaS implementations, multichannel and consolidation projects, in-place version upgrades, and migrations from competing platforms. And bonus awards aren’t exclusive, meaning a single project can win both a vertical category and one or more bonus awards. <h3 id="site-of-the-year-2025-set-a-high-bar">Site of the Year 2025 Set a High Bar</h3>You can read my review of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/websites-still-rock-kenticos-2025-site-of-the-year-winners-push-the-boundaries-of-digital-experience">Kentico’s Site of the Year 2025 competition</a>, which featured ten category winners and twenty honorable mentions across financial services, commerce, education, hospitality, healthcare, government, B2B, manufacturing, and nonprofit sectors. Submissions came from North America, EMEA, and APAC.For me, there were certainly some standouts. For example, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=2352b3f4-ad18-4695-b4cf-9fea119232c4&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">LeShuttle Freight’s</a> elegant, high-performance, multilingual experience was top-notch. In addition to simple, intuitive navigation, it has a tricked-out, real-time service update that provides critical visibility for time-sensitive logistics. The mobile experience is also lightweight, prioritizing the right elements in the UX. You can also read my review of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://bobw.co/">Bob W. </a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=d26dfe6c-b389-43aa-a623-daa701b4b192&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">Oppenheimer</a> projects, and why they really made the grade. The full list of winners is available on the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=e1050167-fe25-4ff7-990d-71fec88be870&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">Kentico Awards page</a>. <h3 id="2026-is-already-taking-shape">2026 is already taking shape</h3>Kentico’s 2026 Site of the Year competition is already underway, with early entries crystallizing the value and impact of its new award categories. According to Kentico, every project that wins Site of the Month automatically qualifies for Site of the Year consideration, and thus far, the projects encompass work that would have been difficult to place in last year's structure. For example, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.integralife.com/">Integra LifeSciences</a>, a global medical technology leader specializing in neurosurgery and surgical solutions, is a model project for the new “Best SaaS Project.” With a hard deadline driven by an impending CMS sunset, Integra worked with Kentico partner <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/bizstream-acquires-refactored-adds-strategic-digital-services-and-headless-cms-accelerator">BizStream </a>to migrate to Xperience by Kentico delivered as SaaS.Additionally, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.tescomobile.com/">Tesco Mobile</a> Ireland, a consumer mobile brand, replatformed from a custom e-commerce build onto Xperience by Kentico. Delivered by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wearegranite.com/">Granite</a>, the new site features a native phone comparison tool, a bundling and add-on checkout flow, and prepaid top-up functionality.<h3 id="criteria-and-timeline">Criteria and timeline</h3>Kentico’s “Site of the Year” entries are evaluated across four key pillars: <ul><li>Design and user experience</li><li>Content &amp; engagement</li><li>Technical excellence &amp; performance</li><li>Complexity &amp; fuctionality</li></ul>For more granular detail, you can <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/discover/kentico-awards-winners/site-of-the-year-2026">visit the 2026 Awards website.</a>As for the schedule, Site of the Year 2026 follows the Site of the Month–based qualification model that was introduced in 2025. Kentico has a complete timeline on the awards website. Submissions open on January 1st, and the international Kentico judging committee will evaluate finalists in tournament-mode knockout rounds in January 2027. Winners will be announced the first week of February 2027. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3>  <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26"><img style="width:41.96%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/05/cms-connect-logo-26.jpg" /></a><h4 id="cms-connect-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">CMS Connect 26</a></h4>August 5-6, 2026 – Montreal, CanadaThe best conferences create space for honest, experience-based conversations. Not sales pitches. Not hype. Just thoughtful exchanges between people who spend their days designing, building, running, and evolving digital experiences. CMS Connect brings together people who share real stories from their work and platforms and who are interested in learning from each other on how to make things better. Over two days in Montreal, you can expect practitioner-led talks grounded in experience, conversations about trade-offs, constraints, and decisions, and time to compare notes with peers facing similar challenges. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:36.69%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/open-source-cms-26.jpg" /><h4 id="open-source-cms-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26">Open Source CMS 26</a></h4>October 20–21, 2026 – Utrecht, NetherlandsJoin us for the first annual edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to making open source CMS better. This event is already being called the “missing gathering place” for the open source CMS community – an international conference with confirmed participants from Europe and North America. Be part of a friendly mix of digital leaders from notable open source CMS projects, agencies, even a few industry analysts who get together to learn, network, and talk about what really matters when it comes to creating better open source CMS projects right now and for the foreseeable future. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26/tickets">Book your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:35.73%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/05/image-1778200565145.png" /><h4 id="contentstack-contentcon-2026">Contentstack <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">ContentCon 2026</a></h4>September 30 - October 1, Amsterdam  /  October 27-28, 2026 – ChicagoContentstack’s annual customer conference is the premier event for executives, marketing leaders, and developers to redefine their digital experience strategy. This is your opportunity to step out of the "status quo" and into "elite" status, learning exactly how the world’s most successful brands are using the technology you already own to do the impossible. Enjoy a full day of interactive workshops, certifications, and inspirational on-stage sessions designed to help you become an expert on cutting-edge digital strategies and how to turn Contentstack's CMS and adaptive personalization tools into your greatest competitive advantage.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jdayusa.com/"> </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">Book your seats today.</a>

Kentico Opens its Site of the Year 2026 Awards as First Major DXP with a ‘Best Use of AI’ Category

CMS Summit 26

Find out at Open Source CMS 26, October 20-21 in Utrecht, Netherlands

What's ahead for Open Source CMS?

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