Using Content Driven Development

Content-first development for AEM blocks starts by defining the authoring experience and content model before writing code. Discover existing content using tools like `find-block-content.js`, create representative test content in the CMS, model author requirements, then implement blocks against that content to ensure intuitive authoring workflows.

Content Driven Development (CDD) is a workflow that prioritizes author needs and content models over code implementation. For AEM Edge Delivery Services, it prevents the common problem of building features that don't match how authors actually work, ensuring seamless authoring experiences and reducing developer intervention.

Apply Content Driven Development across all AEM Edge Delivery work: creating new blocks, modifying existing blocks, decorating core functionality, and fixing bugs. This workflow ensures every feature satisfies author-friendly content models and integrates test content for PR validation and performance checks.

Content modeling defines how authors structure and organize content before block implementation begins. In Content Driven Development, you model author requirements first, create test content that validates the model, then build blocks that render that content intuitively, ensuring blocks and content models work together.

Yes. Content Driven Development integrates with related skills for content modeling, building blocks, testing blocks, and block collections. It works across new development and modifications to existing blocks, using consistent content discovery and validation practices throughout your Edge Delivery Services workflow.

Before applying Content Driven Development, identify the content you'll work with using discovery tools, understand your authoring requirements, and prepare your development environment. The workflow then guides content modeling, test-content creation, and validation—all prerequisites for building blocks that serve author needs.