AEM Component Authoring Basics

What is Component Authoring?

In Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), component authoring is the process of placing and configuring reusable content blocks — called components — on a page using the Page Editor. Authors can drag components from the component browser onto the page canvas and configure them via their edit dialogs without writing any code.

The Page Editor

The AEM Page Editor provides a visual, in-context editing experience. When a page is opened in edit mode, each component is outlined and offers a toolbar with actions such as:

• Edit — opens the component's configuration dialog
• Configure — access policy or design settings
• Copy / Paste — duplicate components across the page
• Delete — remove a component from the layout

Placing a Component

1. Open your page in the Page Editor.
2. Click the + icon in any editable paragraph system (parsys).
3. Browse or search for the component you want to insert.
4. Click the component to place it, then open its Edit dialog to configure it.

Component Dialogs

Each component exposes an Edit Dialog — a form that controls what content is displayed. Common fields include:

• Text fields for titles and body copy
• Image asset pickers
• Toggle switches for layout variants
• Multifield lists for repeating items

[!TIP] Use the Preview mode to see exactly how the page will look to visitors before publishing.

Allowed Components

Administrators control which components are available in each editable area using Template Policies. If a component you need is not showing in the browser, ask your AEM administrator to add it to the relevant template policy.

Publishing Content

Once you are happy with your changes, use the Page Properties > Publish action or the quick-publish button in the top toolbar to make the page live.