Quick Guide to Authoring Pages quick-guide-to-authoring-pages
These procedures are intended as a quick guide (high-level) to the key actions of authoring page content in AEM.
They:
- Are not intended as comprehensive coverage.
- Provide links to the detailed documentation.
For full details about authoring with AEM see:
A Few Quick Hints a-few-quick-hints
Before giving the overview of specifics, here is a small collection of general tips and hints that are worth bearing in mind.
Sites Console sites-console
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Create
- This button is available in many consoles - the options presented are context-sensitive so can vary according to the scenario.
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Reordering pages in a folder
- This can be done in List View. The changes are applied and visible in other views.
Page Authoring page-authoring
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Navigating Links
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Links are not available for navigation when you are in Edit mode. To navigate with links, you need to preview the page using either:
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Versions are not started/created from the page editor; this is now done from the Sites console (via either Create or Timeline for a selected resource).
Finding Your Page finding-your-page
There are various aspects to finding a page; you can navigate and/or search:
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Open the Sites console (using the Sites option in the Global Navigation) - this is triggered (drop-down) when you select the Adobe Experience Manager link (top left).
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Navigate down the tree by tapping/clicking on the appropriate page. How the page resources are represented depends on the view you are using - Card, List, or Column:
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Navigate up the tree using the breadcrumb in the header, which lets you return to the selected location:
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You can also Search for a page. You can select your page from the results shown.
Creating a New Page creating-a-new-page
To create a page:
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Navigate to the location where you want to create the page.
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Use the Create icon and then select Page from the list:
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This opens the wizard that will guide you through collecting the information needed when creating your new page. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Selecting Your Page for Further Action selecting-your-page-for-further-action
You can select a page so that you can take action on it. Selecting a page will automatically update the toolbar so that the actions relevant to that resource are shown.
How to select a page depends on which view you are using in the console:
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Column View:
- Click the thumbnail for the required resource - the thumbnail will be overlaid with a tick to show that it has been selected.
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List View:
- Click the thumbnail for the required resource - the thumbnail will be overlaid with a tick to show that it has been selected.
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Card View:
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Enter selection mode by selecting the required resource with:
- Mobile device: select-and-hold
- Desktop: the quick action - tick icon:
- The card will be overlaid with a tick to show that the page has been selected.
note note NOTE Once in selection mode the Select icon (a tick) will change to the Deselect icon (a cross). -
Quick Actions (Card View/Desktop Only) quick-actions-card-view-desktop-only
Quick actions are available:
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Navigate to the page you want to take action on.
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Hover your mouse pointer over the card that represents your required resource; the quick actions are shown:
Editing Your Page Content editing-your-page-content
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Navigate to the page you want to edit.
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Open your page for editing using the Edit (pencil) icon:
This can be accessed from either:
- Quick Actions (Card View/Desktop Only) for the appropriate resource.
- The toolbar when your page has been selected.
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When the editor opens, you can:
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Add a new component to your page by:
- opening the side panel
- selecting the components tab (the components browser)
- dragging the required component onto your page.
The side panel can be opened (and closed) with:
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Edit the content of an existing component on the page:
- Open the component toolbar with either click. Use the Edit (pencil) icon to open the dialog.
- Open the in place editor for the component with either select-and-hold or a double-slow-click. The available actions are shown (for some components, it is a limited selection).
- To see all actions available enter full-screen mode using:
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Configure the properties of an existing component
- Open the component toolbar with either click. Use the Configure (wrench) icon to open the dialog.
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Move a component either:
- Drag the required component to its new location.
- Open the component toolbar with either click. Use the Cut then Paste icons where required.
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Copy (and Paste) a component:
- Open the component toolbar with either click. Use the Copy then Paste icons as required.
note note NOTE You can Paste components to either the same page, or a different page. If pasting to a different page that was already open before the cut/copy operation, then that page will need a page refresh. -
Delete a component:
- Open the component toolbar with either click, then use the Delete icon.
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Add annotations to the page:
- Select the Annotate mode (speech bubble icon). Add annotations using the Add annotation (plus) icon. Exit annotation mode using the X at top right.
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Preview a page (to see how it will appear in the publish environment)
- Select Preview from the toolbar.
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Return to edit mode (or select another mode) using the Edit drop-down selector.
note note NOTE To navigate using links in the content, you must use Preview mode. -
Editing the Page Properties editing-the-page-properties
There are two (main) methods of editing page properties:
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From the Sites console:
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Navigate to the page you want to publish.
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Select the Properties icon from either:
- Quick Actions (Card View/Desktop Only) for the appropriate resource.
- The toolbar when your page has been selected.
- The page properties are shown. You can make updates as required, then use Save to persist these
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When editing your page:
- Open the Page Information menu.
- Select Open Properties to open the dialog for editing the properties.
Publishing Your Page (or Unpublishing) publishing-your-page-or-unpublishing
There are two main methods of publishing your page (and also of unpublishing):
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From the Sites console:
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Navigate to the page you want to publish.
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Select the Quick Publish icon from either:
- Quick Actions (Card View/Desktop Only) for the appropriate resource.
- The toolbar when your page has been selected (also gives access to Publish Later).
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When editing your page:
- Open the Page Information menu.
- Select Publish Page.
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Unpublishing a page from the console can only be done via the Manage Publication option, which is only available on the toolbar (not via the quick actions).
The Unpublish Page option is still available via the Page Information menu in the editor.
See Publishing Pages for more information.
Move, Copy and Paste, or Delete Your Page move-copy-and-paste-or-delete-your-page
These actions can all be triggered by:
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Navigate to the page you want to move, copy and paste, or delete.
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Select the copy (and then paste), move or delete icon as required using either:
- Quick Actions (Card View/Desktop Only) for the required resource.
- The toolbar when your page has been selected.
Then, dependent on your action:
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Copy:
- Navigate to the new location and paste.
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Move:
- The wizard opens to collect the information needed to move the page. Follow the on-screen instructions.
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Delete:
- You are asked to confirm the action.
note note NOTE Delete is not available as a Quick Action.
Locking Your Page (then Unlocking) locking-your-page-then-unlocking
Locking a page prevents other authors from working on it while you are. The Lock (and Unlock) icon/button can be found:
- The toolbar when your page has been selected.
- The Page Information drop-down menu when editing a page.
- The page toolbar when editing a page (when the page is locked)
For example, the lock icon looks like this:
Accessing Page References accessing-page-references
Quick access to references to a page or from a page are available in the References Rail.
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Select References using the toolbar icon (either before or after selecting your page):
A list of reference types is shown:
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Click the required type of reference to show more details and (when appropriate) take further actions.
Creating a Version of Your Page creating-a-version-of-your-page
To create a version of your page:
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To open the Timeline rail, select Timeline using the toolbar icon (either before or after selecting your page):
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Click the up-arrow at the bottom right of the Timeline column to reveal extra buttons, including Save as Version.
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Select Save as Version, then Create.
Restoring/Comparing a Version of Your Page restoring-comparing-a-version-of-your-page
The same basic mechanism is used when restoring and/or comparing versions of your page:
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Select Timeline using the toolbar icon (either before or after selecting your page):
If a version of your page has already been saved, it is listed in the Timeline.
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Click the version you want to restore - this will reveal additional action buttons:
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Revert to this Version
- The version is restored.
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Show Differences
- The page is opened with differences (between the two versions) highlighted.
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