Table of contents

Introduction

AEM Interview Questions for Freshers

2.1.

1. What is AEM Testing?

2.2.

2. What is a component in AEM?

2.3.

3. What is AEM Explorer?

2.4.

4. What are AEM Connectors, and what do they do?

2.5.

5. What is Adobe CQ5 and its advantages?

2.6.

6. Explain the difference between AEM vs Sitecore.

2.7.

7. Role of Dispatcher in CQ5?

2.8.

8. Explain the Multi-Site Manager.

2.9.

9. How to customise page property dialogue?

2.10.

10. Role of Persistence Manager in CQ5?

2.11.

11. What is the difference between parsys and iparsys?

2.12.

12. What is the technology stack that CQ5 is built on?

2.13.

13. What does it mean to have a content repository? What is JCR (Java Content Repository), and how does it work?

2.14.

14. What is the need for a Content Management System (CMS)?

2.15.

15. What is the difference between a CQ5 overlay/override component and a CQ5 component?

2.16.

16. What is the role of OSGi in AEM?

2.17.

17. What is the difference between Template and Component in AEM?

2.18.

18. What is CRXDE Lite?

2.19.

19. What is DAM in AEM?

2.20.

20. What is Sightly in AEM?

2.21.

21. What is Sling in AEM?

2.22.

22. How does AEM handle workflows?

2.23.

23. What are Client Libraries (Clientlibs) in AEM?

AEM Interview Questions for Experienced

3.1.

24. What does it mean to extend a component?

3.2.

25. What does it mean to be RESTful?

3.3.

26. What exactly are xtypes, and how can they assist you in AEM?

3.4.

27. What is the distinction between live and language copy?

3.5.

28. What does CQ mean in the Adobe CQ5 CMS?

3.6.

29. What is the foundation of CQ5's technology stack?

3.7.

30. What do you mean by "sightly"?

3.8.

31. What's the difference between a conversation and a design conversation?

3.9.

32. What is the procedure for adding properties to the Page Properties dialogue?

3.10.

33. What is the Multi-Site Manager's purpose?

3.11.

34. How well do you know how to expand a component?

3.12.

35. What is the definition of a replicating agent?

3.13.

36. What are the responsibilities of AEM Architects?

3.14.

37. What are the benefits of using clientlibs?

3.15.

38. What is the difference between dependencies and dependencies in the client library?

3.16.

39. What is the distinction between a package and a bundle?

3.17.

40. What is the difference between Blueprint and Live Copy?

3.18.

41. How does AEM support multilingual websites?

3.19.

42. What is Sling Model in AEM?

3.20.

43. How does AEM integrate with third-party applications?

3.21.

44. What is the purpose of Replication Agents in AEM?

3.22.

45. How do you customize Page Properties Dialog in AEM?

3.23.

46. What are the best practices for AEM component development?

Frequently Asked Questions

4.1.

What coding language is used in AEM?

4.2.

What are the skills required for AEM?

4.3.

Which design pattern is used in AEM?

4.4.

What is the workflow model in AEM?

4.5.

How to crack an AEM interview?

4.6.

What framework does AEM use?

Conclusion

Last Updated: Mar 2, 2025

Medium

AEM Interview Questions

Author Mayank Goyal

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Introduction

AEM, short for Adobe Experience Manager, is a tool that helps businesses create great digital experiences and deliver the right content to the right people at the right time. It was previously known as CQ5. Companies use AEM to manage content for their products, services, and websites across different locations. Designers use it to build attractive and user-friendly websites and apps. Marketers can easily update and improve content without needing technical help. Developers can reuse content across different projects to give customers a consistent experience. Preparing for an AEM interview requires a deep understanding of its architecture, components, workflows, and various integrations. This blog provides a comprehensive list of AEM Interview Questions.

AEM Interview Questions for Freshers

1. What is AEM Testing?

AEM has a tool called the Bobcat testing framework, which lets you automate tests for your AEM user interface. You can write and run tests in a web browser using a Javascript API. Another tool called Hobbes.js, which is based on Javascript, can also be used for testing. Hobbes.js was created for AEM development and is now available to test your AEM apps. It's a free and open-source tool for testing web applications to make sure they work properly.

2. What is a component in AEM?

In AEM, components are like building blocks that help to create content for a website. They hold, format, and show the content on web pages. Authors can edit and manage content using the components while building web pages. Usually, components include an HTML or JSP file with some logic. A web page in AEM contains many different items, and components are the main parts that make it up.

3. What is AEM Explorer?

The AEM Explorer is a computer tool that helps people who have difficulty seeing, moving, or learning. It has features like bigger text, spoken words, highlighted text, and different text styles to make it easier for people to use. The tool is made for people who are blind, but it does not have Braille.

4. What are AEM Connectors, and what do they do?

The AEM Connector is a tool that helps connect different search systems to AEM. It works with both free and paid search systems like Elasticsearch, Solr, Azure Search, SharePoint Search, Endeca, and more. With this tool, organizations can publish their websites and digital files to their current search engines from their AEM server. This reduces the work that needs to be done on the AEM server. It controls the number of requests made to it. The connector also lets you control who can access specific documents.

5. What is Adobe CQ5 and its advantages?

Adobe Experience Manager is its full name. It's a content management system that lets you create websites, mobile apps, and forms. It's simple to manage your marketing content and assets with AEM. Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is based on Apache Sling, an OSGi-based Java application that uses the Apache Felix engine. In layman's terms, Apache Felix is what Equinox is to the Eclipse IDE for Apache Sling. It is part of the Adobe Marketing Cloud. It's also a component of Adobe's Marketing Cloud.

6. Explain the difference between AEM vs Sitecore.

Feature	AEM	Sitecore
Architecture	Java-based, built on Apache Sling and Apache Felix	.NET-based, built on Microsoft technology stack
CMS Capability	Strong	Strong
Digital Asset Management	Strong	Basic
Personalization	Strong	Strong
Marketing Automation	Strong	Basic
Multilingual Support	Strong	Basic
Scalability	Highly Scalable	Highly Scalable
Learning Curve	Steep	Moderate to Steep
Pricing Model	Subscription-based	Subscription-based

7. Role of Dispatcher in CQ5?

In CQ5, a Dispatcher is responsible for caching and serving the static content of a website. It helps reduce the load on the authoring environment and improves website performance by serving cached content to end-users.

8. Explain the Multi-Site Manager.

The Multi-Site Manager is a tool in Adobe Experience Manager that allows users to manage multiple websites from a single AEM instance. It provides a centralised interface for content creation, management, and publishing, simplifying the process of managing multiple sites.

9. How to customise page property dialogue?

To customise the page property dialogue in Adobe Experience Manager, one can create a custom dialogue using either the classic dialogue editor or the touch-optimized dialogue editor. The custom dialogue can be added to the page component and configured to display the desired fields and options.

10. Role of Persistence Manager in CQ5?

The Persistence Manager in CQ5 is responsible for managing data storage and retrieval from a database. It handles the mapping of content from the Java objects to the database tables and vice-versa. It ensures that the content is saved and retrieved correctly from the database.

11. What is the difference between parsys and iparsys?

Both parsys and iparsys are components in Adobe Experience Manager used for creating and managing content. The main difference between them is that iparsys is an in-place editing component that allows content authors to edit components directly on the page, while parsys requires a separate edit dialogue for component editing.

12. What is the technology stack that CQ5 is built on?

The CQ5 technology stack has three main parts: Apache Sling, OSGi (Apache Felix), and Java Content Repository (JCR). Apache Sling connects with JCR using the HTTP protocol to create a RESTful framework. OSGi lets developers build modular applications with bundles that can be turned off and on while the program is running. The Java Content Repository, accessed via JSR-170 API, can access the content repository through Java, no matter how it's set up. CQ5 uses CRX, its version of JCR.

13. What does it mean to have a content repository? What is JCR (Java Content Repository), and how does it work?

The CQ5 technology stack is made up of three important parts: Apache Sling, OSGi, and Java Content Repository (JCR). Apache Sling helps connect with JCR using the HTTP protocol, which creates a framework that's easy to use. OSGi helps developers build modular applications, which means that parts of the application can be turned on or off while the program is running. The Java Content Repository can access the content through Java, regardless of its setup. In CQ5, the version of JCR used is called CRX.

14. What is the need for a Content Management System (CMS)?

A content management system (CMS) is a tool to create and manage documents and websites. Websites need to update their information regularly, and a CMS helps with that. Adobe Content Management System is one of the choices available for CMS.

15. What is the difference between a CQ5 overlay/override component and a CQ5 component?

If you want to add more features to a component in AEM and change it across all instances of that component, you can use the overlay/override component. Let's say you want to add more features to the "text" component that comes with AEM but don't want to create a new one. In that case, you can copy the "text" component from "libs/foundation/components" to "apps/foundation/components" while keeping the same folder structure. Any changes you make to this new component will apply to the original "text" component without changing the code in "libs." It's not a good idea to modify the original code, so AEM allows you to use overlays.

16. What is the role of OSGi in AEM?

OSGi (Open Service Gateway Initiative) is a modular framework used in AEM to create dynamic Java applications. It allows components to be installed, updated, or removed without restarting the system.

17. What is the difference between Template and Component in AEM?

A Template defines the structure of a page, while a Component holds reusable content elements like text, images, or custom functionality.

18. What is CRXDE Lite?

CRXDE Lite is a browser-based development environment in AEM used to browse, create, and modify repository content directly.

19. What is DAM in AEM?

DAM (Digital Asset Management) is a system in AEM that stores, manages, and delivers digital media files like images, videos, and documents.

20. What is Sightly in AEM?

Sightly (HTL) is the HTML templating language in AEM that replaces JSP for better security, readability, and separation of business logic from the presentation layer.

21. What is Sling in AEM?

Apache Sling is a web framework that maps HTTP requests to content nodes in the JCR repository based on request URLs.

22. How does AEM handle workflows?

AEM uses workflow models to automate tasks such as content approval, publishing, and asset processing.

23. What are Client Libraries (Clientlibs) in AEM?

Clientlibs are used to manage JavaScript, CSS, and other front-end resources centrally, improving performance and reusability.

AEM Interview Questions for Experienced

24. What does it mean to extend a component?

If you want to create a new component in AEM without replacing a basic one but with the same features as the original to update or add more to it, you can use extension. To do this, set the "sling:resourceSuperType" of the component to the base component you want to extend. This way, you'll inherit everything from the base component without losing anything.

25. What does it mean to be RESTful?

REST is a way to design web services. It uses a simple and easy-to-use communication method between the client and the server. RESTful apps use HTTP requests to do things like adding, getting, and deleting data. There are six rules that must be followed when designing REST services. These rules make sure that the services are easy to use, work well, and can be improved over time.

26. What exactly are xtypes, and how can they assist you in AEM?

An xtype in ExtJS is like a nickname for a class. In AEM, xtypes are used as widgets to build components. AEM comes with pre-built widgets that you can use, or you can create your own. To allow authors to enter text in a component, you can create a dialogue for your component and add a "cq:Widget" with the xtype set to "textfield".

27. What is the distinction between live and language copy?

When you make a copy of something that already exists, it's called a "live copy." You can use the tool's console to set up how this copy will be used.

If you want to create a website that can be used in different languages, you can use a tool called "Language Copy."

28. What does CQ mean in the Adobe CQ5 CMS?

In Adobe CQ5 CMS, CQ stands for Communique.

29. What is the foundation of CQ5's technology stack?

There are three main technologies in the CQ5 system: Apache Sling, OSGI (Apache Felix), and the Java Content Repository (JCR). Apache Sling helps connect the JCR and the internet using a system called RESTful framework. OSGI helps divide up the system into smaller modules that can be started and stopped on their own. The Java Content Repository helps access the content stored in the system using Java. The CQ5 system uses a JCR called CRX.

30. What do you mean by "sightly"?

Sightly is a tool used in AEM 6.0 that helps create HTML templates. It was made to replace JSP files and is the primary way to make HTML templates. The name "Sightly" means "nice to look at," and its purpose is to keep your HTML code organized and neat.

31. What's the difference between a conversation and a design conversation?

Dialogue is a feature in AEM that lets you add and input data into a component. The data is saved in the jcr at the page level. In AEM's design mode, you can also create a design dialogue that lets you input information that will be saved at the template level and used across the site.

32. What is the procedure for adding properties to the Page Properties dialogue?

By copying the dialogue from "libs/foundation/components/page/dialog" and pasting it into your page template, you can add properties to your page properties dialogue. This will allow you to add new tabs and properties for the author to pick from when creating pages using that template.

33. What is the Multi-Site Manager's purpose?

The Multi-Site Manager (MSM) helps manage multiple websites that share content. MSM allows you to link sites together so that changes made to one site are automatically made to the others. This is especially useful for websites that have multiple language versions or many different sites to manage. If you only have a few sites in the same language, you can do it manually. But when you have many sites or multiple languages, it's much more efficient to automate the process using MSM.

34. How well do you know how to expand a component?

When you want to create a new component that does not overwrite a base component but has the same features as the original so that you may build on it, you extend it. When extending a component, ensure the "sling: resourceSuperType" property is set to the base component you want to preserve.

35. What is the definition of a replicating agent?

The author environment uses a replication agent to post active material to the publish environment, flush content from the dispatcher cache, and return user input from the publish environment to the author environment. AEM relies heavily on replication agents.

36. What are the responsibilities of AEM Architects?

The AEM Architect will be a team member tasked with developing a world-class Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) implementation.

37. What are the benefits of using clientlibs?

It is used to include site-specific js and CSS files as well as third-party js and CSS files on the page.

38. What is the difference between dependencies and dependencies in the client library?

The library folder needs other client library categories to work. Suppose a file in folder F needs another file in folder G. In that case, at least one of the categories of G should be added as a dependency of F in the ClientLibraryFolder nodes of F and G.

39. What is the distinction between a package and a bundle?

Package: A Package is a compressed file that contains data in the form of files and folders from a repository. This is done to make it easier to access and edit the content. Packages can contain project-related data as well.

Bundle: A bundle, on the other hand, is a collection of classes, jars, and configuration files that can be loaded dynamically. They are not tightly connected, and their external dependencies are declared explicitly.

40. What is the difference between Blueprint and Live Copy?

Blueprint is the original master content, while Live Copy is a linked copy of the content that can be synchronized with the blueprint.

41. How does AEM support multilingual websites?

AEM uses Language Copies and the Multi-Site Manager (MSM) to create and manage content in different languages.

42. What is Sling Model in AEM?

Sling Models are Java-based POJO classes that simplify access to JCR properties and other resources in AEM components.

43. How does AEM integrate with third-party applications?

AEM integrates with third-party applications through REST APIs, custom OSGi services, and AEM Connectors.

44. What is the purpose of Replication Agents in AEM?

Replication Agents transfer content from the author environment to the publish environment and clear dispatcher cache.

45. How do you customize Page Properties Dialog in AEM?

Page properties dialogs can be customized by overlaying the default dialog and adding custom fields using CRXDE Lite or XML definitions.

46. What are the best practices for AEM component development?

Best practices include using Sling Models, Clientlibs, separation of logic from presentation, and following naming conventions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What coding language is used in AEM?

AEM mainly uses Java as the coding language. AEM is a Java-based web content management system that allows developers to create and manage websites and digital experiences. While Java is the primary language for server-side development, AEM also supports other web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the front end.

What are the skills required for AEM?

To work with Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), you will need a combination of technical and practical skills. You should be aware of what AEM is and its basic concept. You should also have better understanding of web development. You also need to acquire Java and CMS skills for AEM.

Which design pattern is used in AEM?

AEM utilizes various design patterns to implement its features and functionalities. One of the prominent design patterns used in AEM is the Composite Design Pattern. The Composite pattern is a structural design pattern that allows you to treat individual objects and compositions of objects uniformly.

What is the workflow model in AEM?

In AEM, the Workflow Model is a crucial component. It defines the sequence of steps and actions that need to be performed when content is created, modified, or published. It is a predefined set of rules and processes that automate content approval, publishing, and other content-related tasks within the AEM environment.

How to crack an AEM interview?

To crack an AEM interview, focus on understanding core concepts like components, templates, and OSGi services. Gain hands-on experience with AEM development, familiarize yourself with CRXDE Lite, and review commonly asked questions on workflows, dialogs, and sling models.

What framework does AEM use?

AEM primarily uses the Apache Sling framework for web application development, enabling RESTful web services. It also incorporates Apache Jackrabbit for content repository management and OSGi for modular application development and dynamic component loading.

Conclusion

In this article, we walked through all the important AEM interview questions, from basic to experienced. That's it from the article. I hope you all find it useful and would be successful in answering all your future AEM interview questions.