When defining data structures in Sitecore for a new site, what tool should a developer utilize?

In Sitecore, when defining data structures for a new site, the use of templates is essential. Templates serve as blueprints for creating items within Sitecore's content tree. They define the fields, data types, and structure that the items will contain, enabling developers to maintain consistency and organization throughout the content.

Templates allow developers to create reusable structures, which is particularly important for larger or multi-site implementations where similar data fields are required across different content items. By using templates, developers can ensure that all items derived from a particular template share the same characteristics and behavior, facilitating management and updates.

While items, layouts, and rendering parameters are important components within Sitecore, they serve different purposes. Items are instances of templates and contain actual data; layouts help dictate how the content is displayed on the frontend; rendering parameters are used to customize presentation settings like styling or behavior for individual renderings. However, the foundational structure itself is defined by templates, making them the correct tool for establishing a new data structure in Sitecore.