Core Service

The Core Service is a remote API that lets implementers interact with Content Manager from any custom third-party application or graphical user interface. It is the recommended interface to Content Manager.

About Core Service

Tridion Sites provides two variations of the Core Service API.

WCF Core Service
The WCF Core Service (also called simply "Core Service" before Tridion Sites 9.6 ) is a WCF/SOAP-based web service for interacting with Content Manager. The WCF Core Service API is used by all Classic user interfaces, including Content Manager Explorer and Experience Manager. The API enables you to implement Automatic Activities to control Workflow.
As a SOAP-based web service, WCF Core Service supports Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) transport and message security. WCF supports interoperability with standard web service clients built on Java platforms. It supports WS-I Basic Profile 1.1, as well as more advanced WS-* protocols.
Core Service.REST
Core Service.REST is a RESTful web service that is the preferred API for interacting with Content Manager. Core Service.REST is used by the Experience Space user interface and it provides native support for Translation Manager and External Content Library.

Use cases for Core Service

While website management is one of the important goals of content management, many organizations also need to use content in a variety of ways. For example, product descriptions often need to be present in a catalog system, an ERP system and on a website. Core Service provides a very flexible mechanism to integrate with enterprise applications in order to import, manage and publish content originating from those systems.

Tridion Sites integrates with existing enterprise applications in the following two ways:
Real-time front-end integration
This is needed when Content Manager content is displayed together with content retrieved from enterprise applications, such as stock quotes or order status information.
Managed back-end integration
In some scenarios, organizations route content through Content Manager and enrich the content with metadata or multimedia content that other enterprise applications cannot handle. The ownership of this content remains inside the catalog or ERP system (where pricing and stock information is also maintained), while Tridion Sites can enrich the content and provide content management processes.