I've utilized Data Exchange Framework and built pipeline batches.

Now it's unclear how the created/updated items can be published automatically. I did not find any publishing pipeline steps or even mention of publishing stuff in Sitecore.DataExchange. Publishing seems to be an essential step within pipeline after pulling data but looks like DEF is not responsible for that.

So, what is the right way of doing automatic publish when DEF is used?

You can add a custom pipeline step to perform the publishing. Below is an example of one that can publish either a specific item (e.g. the root item below which all your DEF items were imported) or an item in the pipeline context (e.g. each item as it's imported).

As with all custom pipeline steps, you'll need to perform the following steps:

1. Add a custom pipeline step template


2. Add a plugin for settings


3. Add a pipeline step converter


4. Add a pipeline step processor


5. Update the standard values of your template to reference your step converter and processor

1. Create your template

1. Create a new template called Publish Item Pipeline Step
   
   
   • I created mine at /sitecore/templates/Data Exchange/Providers/Sitecore/Pipeline Steps/Publish Item Pipeline Step
     
   
   


2. Add /sitecore/templates/Data Exchange/Framework/Pipeline Steps/Base Pipeline Steps/Base Pipeline Step as a base template


3. Add fields
   
   
   • 
     EndpointFrom
     
     
     • Type: Droptree
     
     
     • Source: query:./ancestor-or-self::*[@@templateid='327A381B-59F8-4E88-B331-BEBC7BD87E4E']//descendant-or-self::*[@@templateid='CAADA2F1-1D71-452A-87BF-A3AE335CA169']
       
     
     
   
   
   • 
     Item
     
     
     • Type: Droptree
     
     
     • Short Description: The exact item to publish. A value in this field will override the Item Location field.
     
     
   
   
   • 
     ItemLocation
     
     
     • Type: Droplink
     
     
     • Source: DD61BBDB-CF41-40F6-9923-3031C7AB47C8
       
     
     
     • Short Description: Location within the pipeline's context of the item to publish
     
     
   
   
   • 
     Publishing Targets
     
     
     • Type: Checklist
     
     
     • Source: /sitecore/system/Publishing targets
       
     
     
   
   
   • 
     Publish Subitems
     
     
     • Type: Checkbox
     
     
   
   

2. Add plugin

using Sitecore.DataExchange;
using Sitecore.Services.Core.Model;

public class PublishItemSettings : IPlugin

 public ItemModel ItemModel get; set; 
 public string[] TargetDatabaseNames get; set; 
 public bool PublishSubitems get; set; 

3. Add pipeline step converter

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using Sitecore.DataExchange;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Attributes;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Converters.PipelineSteps;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Extensions;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Models;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Plugins;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Repositories;
using Sitecore.Services.Core.Model;

[SupportedIds("YOUR-TEMPLATE-ID")]
public class PublishItemPipelineStepConverter : BasePipelineStepConverter

 public PublishItemPipelineStepConverter(IItemModelRepository repository) : base(repository) 

 private void AddPublishItemSettings(ItemModel source, PipelineStep pipelineStep)
 

 private void AddDataLocationSettings(ItemModel source, PipelineStep pipelineStep)
 
 if (pipelineStep == null)
 
 throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(pipelineStep));
 

 var settings = new DataLocationSettings
 
 DataLocation = GetGuidValue(source, "ItemLocation")
 ;
 pipelineStep.AddPlugin(settings);
 

 private void AddEndpointSettings(ItemModel source, PipelineStep pipelineStep)
 
 var settings = new EndpointSettings();
 var endpoint = ConvertReferenceToModel<Endpoint>(source, "EndpointFrom");
 if (endpoint != null)
 
 settings.EndpointFrom = endpoint;
 

 pipelineStep.AddPlugin(settings);
 

 protected override void AddPlugins(ItemModel source, PipelineStep pipelineStep)
 
 this.AddPublishItemSettings(source, pipelineStep);
 this.AddDataLocationSettings(source, pipelineStep);
 this.AddEndpointSettings(source, pipelineStep);
 

4. Add pipeline step processor

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using Sitecore.Data;
using Sitecore.Data.Items;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Attributes;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Contexts;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Extensions;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Models;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Plugins;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Providers.Sc.Extensions;
using Sitecore.DataExchange.Providers.Sc.Processors.PipelineSteps;
using Sitecore.Publishing;
using Sitecore.Services.Core.Diagnostics;
using Sitecore.Services.Core.Model;

[RequiredPipelineStepPlugins(typeof(PublishItemSettings), typeof(DataLocationSettings), typeof(EndpointSettings))]
public class PublishItemPipelineStepProcessor : UpdateSitecoreItemStepProcessor

 protected override void ProcessPipelineStep(PipelineStep pipelineStep, PipelineContext pipelineContext, ILogger logger)
 

5. Update standard values

1. In Sitecore, navigate to the standard values of your custom pipeline step template you created back in step 1


2. Populate the Converter Type and Processor Type fields with your custom types, for example:
   
   
   • Custom.DataExchange.Providers.Sc.PipelineSteps.PublishItemPipelineStepConverter,Custom.DataExchange
   
   
   • Custom.DataExchange.Providers.Sc.PipelineSteps.PublishItemPipelineStepProcessor,Custom.DataExchange