AEM Sites Developer Expert study plan
AEM Sites Developer Expert · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
AEM Sites architecture and component development
Diagram the request flow from Dispatcher through Sling to a rendered component and label each extension point
Build a custom component from scratch using HTL, a Sling Model, and a dialog, then verify it renders in an editable template
Explain the difference between core components, proxy components, and custom components and when to choose each
Trace how the resource type, resource resolver, and sling:resourceSuperType combine to select a rendering script
Your checkpoint
A one-page architecture map plus a working custom component committed to a local AEM instance, with a short note on why each layer exists
AEM Sites architecture and component development & Templates, policies, and editable templates
Create an editable template with a layout container, policies, and allowed components restricted to a subset
Configure template-level and policy-level dialog properties and observe how they override component defaults
Compare static templates to editable templates and list the migration risks for each
Document how the template type, allowed paths, and policy mappings interact for a given page
Your checkpoint
Two editable templates (one with locked structure, one flexible) plus a table mapping each policy to the component property it controls
Sling models, HTL, and client-side libraries
Write three HTL templates that use data-sly-use, data-sly-list, and data-sly-test without any Java logic in the markup
Implement a Sling Model with @Model, injector annotations, and a default interface, then expose it to HTL
Register and debug a client library with dependencies, embed, and categories, and verify load order in the browser
Configure the HTL compiler and client library debug settings and confirm the effect on a page
Your checkpoint
A component bundle where all logic lives in Sling Models, HTL is logic-free, and the client library dependency chain is proven with a network-trace screenshot
Content authoring, dialogs, and component configuration
Build a dialog with a multifield, a nested container, and a granite validation rule
Configure a component so authors can edit it in the layout mode and in the design mode with correct scoping
Set up a content fragment or experience fragment reference and describe how authors reuse it
Reproduce a common authoring failure (missing dialog field, wrong resource type) and fix it
Your checkpoint
A component with a fully validated authoring dialog and a short troubleshooting checklist for authoring errors
Workflows, replication, and content activation
Create a workflow model with a participant step and a process step and run it on a test page
Configure a replication agent and activate a page through both the UI and the API
Explain the difference between activate, deactivate, and the replication queue, and when each fires
Trigger a workflow via a launcher on content change and confirm the payload is correct
Your checkpoint
An end-to-end demo: page edit triggers a launcher, a workflow runs, and the page is activated through a configured agent, with logs as evidence
Dispatcher, caching, and performance
Write Dispatcher rules that allow a specific path and block everything else, then test with curl
Configure cache headers and TTLs and observe the difference between cached and bypassed responses
Identify the top five causes of cache misses and describe a mitigation for each
Explain how statelessness and client-side rendering affect Dispatcher strategy
Your checkpoint
A Dispatcher configuration with a documented allow/deny matrix and a before/after cache-hit test log
Multi-site management, localization, and translation
Set up a language copy and a live copy and describe how inheritance and rollout behave
Configure a translation connector and run a translation job on a small page set
Explain the role of the language master and how the MSM blueprint maps to it
Resolve a broken inheritance scenario and document the fix
Your checkpoint
A two-language site with a live copy relationship, one completed translation job, and a note on inheritance behavior
Security, permissions, and user/group management & Workflows, replication, and content activation & Dispatcher, caching, and performance
Create a group, assign permissions on a content path, and verify with a test user
Explain how ACLs, principals, and the resource resolver combine to authorize a request
Review replication and Dispatcher settings for security exposure and list concrete hardening steps
Run a timed practice set across all domains and log weak areas
Your checkpoint
A permissions matrix for a sample site plus a personal weak-area list with a remediation plan
Milestones
Week 2: Can build an editable template with policy-restricted components from memory and explain each policy's effect
Week 4: Can ship a component with Sling Model logic, logic-free HTL, and a validated dialog without referencing notes
Week 6: Can write and test Dispatcher allow/deny rules and explain cache-hit behavior under load
Week 8: Scores above 75% on a timed mixed-domain practice set and has a written remediation plan for remaining gaps