Accessibility, SEO, performance, cache, broken links
QC checklist executed — UAT sign-off
7. Go-live
DNS/CDN cutover; redirects
Production cutover — Go-Live sign-off
8. Hypercare (2–4 weeks)
Error logs, cache, author issues
Daily monitoring; fixes — Hypercare Exit sign-off
9. Closure & handoff
Author training, component docs, release process
Handoff pack: runbooks, access list, training, open backlog
Implementation overview
Phase
What you do
Deliverables
Define Content & Site Architecture
IA, page types, MSM/language-copy structure
Site architecture doc, localization matrix
Set Up Environments
Author/Publish/Dispatcher, replication agents
Environment topology diagram
Build Templates & Components
Editable templates, policies, reusable components
Template library, component catalog
Configure Content/Experience Fragments
Structured content models, reusable page sections
CF Model catalog, XF library
Configure DAM
Folder structure, metadata schema, Smart Tags
DAM taxonomy, governance policy
Author Content & Workflows
Approval/publish workflows, author training
Workflow config, content calendar
Integrate with Target/AEP
Personalized component rendering
Integration doc, QA report
QA, SEO & Performance
Responsive/accessibility/SEO/Core Web Vitals checks
QA/accessibility report
Publish & Monitor
Cutover, cache/uptime monitoring, content audits
Publish log, monitoring dashboard
Step-by-step implementation
Do these 11 steps in order, in a development environment. Each step lists where to go, what to do, what to check, what you must know, and the questions interviewers ask about it.
Step 1
Plan architecture & IA
Where
Outside AEM — site architecture workshop
What you do
Define page types, site tree, languages/markets (MSM or language copies) and content models.
Tips
Plan localization up front; retrofitting MSM is costly.
Check before moving on
Site architecture doc signed off.
Must know
Information architecture (site tree, templates, components) comes before build; changing the tree later breaks URLs and SEO.
Decide early between full-stack AEM Sites, headless (content fragments via APIs) or a hybrid.
Plan languages and regions (multi-site manager) from the start.
Interview questions tap to reveal a model answer
Headful vs. headless AEM?
Headful renders pages in AEM; headless serves structured content (content fragments) over APIs to apps and other front ends.
What goes into AEM architecture planning?
Site structure, templates, component catalog, content models, languages, integrations and environments.
How do you plan for many languages?
Use language copies and live copies (multi-site manager) with translation workflows defined up front.
Screenshot Site map / IA diagramAdd screenshots/aem/step-01.pngStep 2
Set up program & environments
Where
Cloud Manager > Add program; Environments
What you do
Create the program and Dev, Stage and Prod environments (Author, Publish, Dispatcher/CDN).
Tips
Name environments clearly; assign Cloud Manager roles.
Check before moving on
Environments running.
Must know
AEM as a Cloud Service is managed through Cloud Manager: programs contain environments (dev, stage, prod).
Author tier is where people edit; publish tier serves visitors through the dispatcher and CDN.
Production programs include stage and production; sandbox programs are for trials and training.
Interview questions tap to reveal a model answer
Author vs. publish tier?
Author is where content is created and reviewed; publish delivers the approved content to visitors.
What is Cloud Manager?
Adobe's service for managing AEM Cloud Service programs, environments, Git repositories and CI/CD pipelines.
What does the dispatcher do?
It caches and filters requests in front of the publish tier, protecting it and speeding up delivery.
Screenshot Cloud Manager program overviewAdd screenshots/aem/step-02.pngStep 3
Generate the project, push to the Cloud Manager Git repo, and create non-production and production pipelines.
Tips
Use Core Components through proxy components.
Check before moving on
First pipeline run passes quality gates.
Must know
Code reaches AEM Cloud Service only through Cloud Manager pipelines from its Git repository.
The Maven project archetype gives the standard project structure.
Pipelines run code quality checks; failing quality gates block deployment.
Interview questions tap to reveal a model answer
How is code deployed to AEM Cloud Service?
Commit to the Cloud Manager Git repo (or a linked repo) and run a pipeline that builds, tests, checks quality and deploys.
Full-stack vs. front-end pipeline?
Full-stack deploys back-end, front-end and web-tier config together (one per environment); front-end pipelines deploy only CSS and JavaScript themes, and several can run at once. There are also web tier config, config (CDN, log forwarding) and Edge Delivery config pipelines.
What is the AEM project archetype?
A Maven template that generates a best-practice AEM project structure with core components.
Screenshot Pipeline execution with quality gatesAdd screenshots/aem/step-03.pngStep 4
Create the site
Where
Sites > Create > Site from template (or archetype content)
What you do
Create the site structure, root pages and language roots.
Tips
Site templates are fastest for a quick start on AEM as a Cloud Service.
Check before moving on
Site tree visible in Sites console.
Must know
Sites can be created from site templates for a quick, consistent start.
Set up the root structure, languages and navigation before authors create content.
URL and naming conventions matter for SEO.
Interview questions tap to reveal a model answer
How do you create a new site in AEM?
From a site template or from your project's templates, defining the root, languages and initial pages.
Why do page names matter?
They become URLs; renaming later causes broken links and needs redirects.
What is a site template?
A packaged starter for a site: theme, templates and sample content.
Screenshot Sites console with new siteAdd screenshots/aem/step-04.pngStep 5
Editable templates & policies
Where
Tools > General > Templates
What you do
Build editable templates (structure, initial content, policies) and enable them for authors.
Tips
Restrict allowed components per template to keep pages on-brand.
Check before moving on
Authors can create pages from each template.
Must know
Editable templates are created by template authors, without developers, and define structure, initial content and policies.
Policies control which components authors can use in each container and their design options.
Locked structure keeps brand elements fixed; unlocked areas are for authors.
Interview questions tap to reveal a model answer
Editable vs. static templates?
Editable templates are built in the template editor by authorized users and can change without code; static templates are defined in code by developers.
What is a content policy?
A configuration on a template that sets which components are allowed in a container and their design settings.
How do you stop authors breaking the layout?
Lock structural components in the template and allow only approved components through policies.
Screenshot Template editor with policiesAdd screenshots/aem/step-05.pngStep 6
Components & styles
Where
Code project (proxy components); Style System in component policies
What you do
Configure Core Components, build custom components where needed, and add style variants.
Tips
Test every component at mobile, tablet and desktop breakpoints.
Check before moving on
Component catalog reviewed.
Must know
Start from Core Components and extend them with the proxy pattern instead of writing everything from scratch.
The Style System lets authors switch approved visual variations without new components.
Components should be accessible and responsive by default.
Interview questions tap to reveal a model answer
What are Core Components?
Adobe-maintained, production-ready components (title, text, image, teaser and more) that projects extend through proxies.
What is the proxy component pattern?
Your project creates a component that inherits from a Core Component, so you get upgrades while customizing.
What does the Style System do?
It exposes CSS-based style variations of a component for authors to choose, without new code.
Screenshot Page editor with componentsAdd screenshots/aem/step-06.pngStep 7
Content & Experience Fragments
Where
Tools > General > Content Fragment Models; Experience Fragments console
What you do
Create Content Fragment Models for structured content and Experience Fragments for reusable sections.
Tips
Use Content Fragments for headless delivery to apps.
Check before moving on
Models published and enabled.
Must know
Content Fragments are structured, channel-neutral content (based on models), ideal for headless delivery via GraphQL.
Experience Fragments are groups of components with layout, reusable across pages and exportable to Target as offers.
Model content once and reuse it everywhere.
Interview questions tap to reveal a model answer
Content Fragment vs. Experience Fragment?
A Content Fragment is structured content without layout (for any channel); an Experience Fragment is a reusable, designed piece of a page.
How do you deliver content to a mobile app from AEM?
Model it as Content Fragments and deliver it through the GraphQL API (headless).
How does AEM work with Target?
Experience Fragments can be exported to Target as offers for tests and personalization.
Screenshot Content Fragment Model editorAdd screenshots/aem/step-07.pngStep 8
Sources (UI paths checked against Adobe Experience League, Oct 2026 — menus can move between releases; confirm in your org): overview · overview
Implementation by domain
How to use: do each step in your sandbox using the “How to do it” column, then read across the row to see how the same step changes by domain. Each domain column follows one scenario from top to bottom. Add a screenshot and what you learned in the last column.
Travel & Airlines · practice brand: SkyLumen Airways
In Phase 3, build PDP/PLP templates with commerce-platform component integration.
In Phase 9, load-test caching/Dispatcher performance at peak traffic before major sale events.
Healthcare
Lab use case: Patient information site
Profile: B2C (patients) + B2B (providers, payers). Compliance focus: HIPAA, HITRUST, consent-first data collection, no PHI in standard analytics tools without a BAA-covered environment.
What changes in this domain: Patient-portal pages gated behind secure auth; accessible content for assistive tech mandatory
Special considerations: ADA/Section 508 compliance is typically a hard requirement
Public info pages separate from the authenticated patient portal.
How (any domain): Define page types, site tree, languages, content models.
Check: Site architecture signed off.
Screenshot Architecture & IA · HealthcareAdd screenshots/aem/health-01.png
Security review before go-live.
How (any domain): Cloud Manager: program, Dev/Stage/Prod, pipelines with quality gates.
