AEM Components: Core vs Custom Components

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is a powerful content management system used by enterprises to deliver personalized digital experiences. One of the key features of AEM is its component-based architecture, allowing developers to build reusable pieces of UI functionality. These components help content authors assemble web pages by simply dragging and dropping elements in a structured layout.

In AEM, components are generally classified into Core Components and Custom Components. Understanding the difference between these two, and when to use each, is essential for building scalable and maintainable AEM projects.


What Are Core Components?

Core Components are a set of standardized, production-ready components provided by Adobe as part of the AEM ecosystem. They are built using HTL (HTML Template Language) and Sling Models, and follow best practices in terms of performance, accessibility, and responsiveness.


Key Features of Core Components:

Reusable and Configurable: Easily adaptable to different templates using policies.

Versioned: Regularly updated and maintained by Adobe.

Author-Friendly: Built with intuitive dialogs for easy content authoring.

Responsive Design: Optimized for mobile and desktop by default.

Out-of-the-box (OOTB) Support: Includes components like Text, Image, Title, Carousel, Tabs, Accordion, and Navigation.


Advantages:

Reduces development time.

Ensures consistency across websites.

Built-in accessibility and SEO best practices.

Seamless integration with AEM’s Style System and Templates.


Use Case:

If your project requirements can be met by modifying existing features (like styling, layout, or slight behavioral tweaks), Core Components are the way to go.


What Are Custom Components?

Custom Components are built from scratch or by extending existing Core Components to fulfill unique business needs not addressed by the out-of-the-box components. They allow for full control over the functionality, logic, and presentation.


Why Build Custom Components?

The business requirement is too specific for Core Components.

Integration with third-party systems or APIs.

Need for advanced logic or user interactions (e.g., custom calculators, dynamic charts).

Unique design or UX patterns that are not supported by default.


Technologies Used:

HTL/Sightly for templating.

Java (Sling Models) for business logic.

JavaScript/React/Vue for dynamic client-side interactions if required.

CSS/SCSS for custom styling.


Development Steps:

Define component structure in component-name.html.

Create the dialog in XML or use Granite UI.

Write the backing logic in a Sling Model.

Style using CSS and test across devices.


Core vs Custom: When to Choose What?

Criteria Core Components Custom Components

Reusability High Moderate to High

Development Time Minimal (OOTB) Higher (requires full development)

Flexibility Limited to available configuration Fully customizable

Maintenance Adobe-managed updates Developer-managed

Performance Optimized by Adobe Depends on developer implementation


Conclusion

Both Core and Custom Components have their place in AEM development. Core Components are ideal for rapid development and standard functionality, while Custom Components provide flexibility for unique business needs. A balanced strategy often involves using Core Components wherever possible and extending or creating Custom Components only when necessary. This ensures optimal performance, faster delivery, and long-term maintainability in your AEM projects.

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