Setting Up Your First AEM Project

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is a powerful content management system widely used by enterprises to build and manage websites, mobile apps, and forms. If you’re new to AEM, setting up your first project might seem daunting. But don’t worry! This blog will guide you step-by-step through the essential process of creating and configuring your first AEM project.


What is AEM?

AEM is part of the Adobe Experience Cloud and combines a web content management system (WCMS) with digital asset management (DAM) and a robust platform for building digital experiences. It’s built on Java and uses technologies like Apache Sling, OSGi, and JCR (Java Content Repository).


Prerequisites Before You Begin

Java Development Kit (JDK): AEM requires JDK 8 or higher. Make sure it is installed and configured.

AEM SDK: Adobe provides an AEM Quickstart JAR file to run AEM locally.

Maven: AEM projects are commonly built using Maven, so ensure Maven is installed.

IDE: Use an IDE like IntelliJ IDEA or Eclipse for development.


Step 1: Download and Install AEM

Get the AEM Quickstart JAR from Adobe’s licensing site or your organization.

Place the JAR file in a folder on your local machine.

Run the following command to start AEM locally:


nginx

java -jar aem-quickstart.jar

AEM will start and create the necessary repository folders. The default port is usually 4502.

Open your browser and go to http://localhost:4502 to access the AEM Author instance.

Log in with default credentials (admin / admin).


Step 2: Create a New AEM Project Using Maven Archetype

Adobe provides Maven archetypes to quickly scaffold AEM projects.

Open your terminal or command prompt.

Run this Maven command to create a new project:


diff


mvn archetype:generate \

-DarchetypeGroupId=com.adobe.granite.archetypes \

-DarchetypeArtifactId=aem-project-archetype \

-DarchetypeVersion=25 \

-DgroupId=com.mycompany.aem \

-DartifactId=my-aem-project \

-Dversion=1.0-SNAPSHOT \

-Dpackage=com.mycompany.aem \

-DappsFolderName=my-aem-project \

-DartifactName="My AEM Project" \

-DcomponentGroupName="My Components" \

-DcontentFolderName=my-aem-project-content \

-DconfFolderName=my-aem-project-config \

-DsiteName="My AEM Site" \

-DincludeExamples=n

This command generates a complete project structure with modules for core logic, UI components, content, and configuration.


Step 3: Import the Project into Your IDE

Open your IDE and import the project as a Maven project.

  • Let the IDE download dependencies and build the project.
  • Explore the project structure:
  • core: Contains Java code and business logic.
  • ui.apps: Contains UI components and front-end code.
  • ui.content: Contains content structure and sample pages.
  • ui.config: Contains configuration files.


Step 4: Build and Deploy the Project

Make sure your AEM author instance is running.

Use Maven to build and deploy the project:

nginx

mvn clean install -PautoInstallPackage

This command packages your code and installs it into the local AEM instance.

After deployment, open your browser at http://localhost:4502/apps/my-aem-project to see your new components.


Step 5: Start Developing

Create new components under ui.apps to build your site UI.

Use Sling Models in the core module to connect backend logic.

Manage content in AEM’s Touch UI by creating pages and adding components.


Conclusion

Setting up your first AEM project might feel complex initially due to the platform’s richness, but by following these clear steps—installing AEM, scaffolding a project with Maven, importing it into an IDE, and deploying—you’re well on your way to building powerful digital experiences. With practice, you’ll soon master creating custom components, templates, and workflows that leverage AEM’s full potential. Happy coding!

Learn AEM(Adobe Experience Manager) Training
Read More: AEM Sites vs AEM Assets: Key Differences Explained


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