AEM Assets Developer Professional study plan

Diagram the AEM Assets stack from repository (JCR/Oak) through servlets, workflows, and the Assets UI, labeling where each domain's concerns live

Explain how asset binaries are stored and referenced (data store vs. node store) and trace what happens to a binary on upload

Compare the roles of the Assets UI, the HTTP API, and the desktop app as ingestion and management surfaces

List the core asset node types and properties that define an asset rendition and its metadata

Differentiate users, groups, and permission models relevant to asset authoring, review, and publishing

Describe how replication and the author/publish topology affect asset availability and metadata propagation

Identify which asset operations are synchronous versus workflow-driven and where errors surface

Map the standard asset processing workflow steps to their configuration points

Configure a metadata schema and apply it to a folder, then verify the fields render and persist on an uploaded asset

Set up a processing profile that generates at least two renditions and confirm the outputs

Write a metadata profile that maps incoming XMP or IPTC fields to schema properties

Trace an asset through ingestion: upload, workflow trigger, rendition generation, and metadata write-back

Compare bulk import approaches (watched folder, bulk import tool, API upload) and select one for a stated scenario with justification

Implement a custom workflow step or process that derives a metadata value and attach it to the ingestion pipeline

Explain how connected assets and Dynamic Media fit into processing without conflating them with core DAM processing

Diagnose a failed ingestion by reading workflow logs and status

Build a folder taxonomy and apply tags from a namespace you define, then verify tag-based filtering

Construct at least three saved searches or search filters using metadata predicates and full-text terms

Explain how the Oak query engine and indexes affect asset search performance and when to add an index

Create a collection, add assets by search query, and distinguish static from smart/dynamic collections

Write a query that combines path, property, and full-text constraints and explain the resulting index selection

Configure a smart collection rule set and predict which assets will match before testing

Describe how asset relations, versions, and references affect search and collection membership

Evaluate search results for relevance and adjust predicates to reduce false positives

Explain how assets are delivered to front ends via the HTTP API, renditions, and Dynamic Media, and when each is appropriate

Configure or describe a custom servlet or Sling model that exposes asset metadata to a consuming application

Describe integration patterns with external systems (e.g., translation, PIM, or marketing tools) and the extension points used

Identify customization boundaries: overlays versus core modifications, and the upgrade implications of each

Rehearse the four domains with timed practice covering each domain's heaviest topics

Re-derive the architecture diagram and ingestion trace from memory and correct discrepancies

Consolidate weak spots from weeks 1-7 into a prioritized review list and close the top three

State, in writing, the delivery and customization decision rules you would apply to an unfamiliar scenario