How can I save a SharePoint 2010 Site Collection as a deployable Site Collection template?

My company currently creates a new site collection for each member of our audience when they sign up to our service. However, they create an empty site collection that requires our standard customisation on its root front page and I have to upload and deploy 4 subsite template solutions to the collection as well. Can I just fully create one of our standard site collections and then package it up as a deployable template that can be redeployed as and when it is needed, without all the adding of subsites etc. as mentioned?
Answer:

You need to do some kind of custom code solution to accomplish this. The backup and restore approach suggested won't work in most situations. The good news is that you have a range of options on exactly how you want to build the code (or who you hire or train to do so). With the exception of the first tier, you can accomplish this in any tier and probably easiest in the third tier, for example by using web event receivers or simply attaching a feature with a receiver to a custom site template or with feature stapling. The feature create the remaining site structure. You can also handle the entire site structure creation using either third tier managed code or PowerShell, the former for example as part of a workflow for new site provisioning. A framework such as Magick will also be able to handle this situation.

BjÃ¸rn Furuknap at Quora Visit the source

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