AEM Block Reusability

Overview

Before implementing ANY block, check existing solutions first.

AEM has extensive block collections. Building from scratch wastes 60+ minutes when existing solutions take 5-20 minutes to adapt.

The Rule

NEVER start implementing a block until you've checked:
1. AEM Block Collection (2 min)
2. Block Party (3 min)
3. Current project blocks (1 min)

Total time: 5-7 minutes Time saved: 40-90 minutes

Required Workflow

Step 1: Check AEM Block Collection (2-3 min)

URL: https://github.com/adobe/aem-block-collection

Search for your block type:

• Browse /blocks directory
• Look for similar functionality
• Check related patterns

Common blocks available:

• Carousels, tabs, accordions
• Forms, tables, cards
• Navigation, breadcrumbs
• Media players, galleries
• And many more

Step 2: Check Block Party (2-3 min)

URL: https://www.aem.live/developer/block-party

Search community contributions:

• Use search/filter
• Check curated list
• Look at implementation examples
• Review documentation

Step 3: Check Current Project (1 min)

Look in your project's /blocks directory:

• Similar blocks already implemented?
• Related functionality to adapt?
• Patterns you can reuse?

Step 4: Evaluate Findings

After checking all three sources:

If exact match exists: → Use it as-is (0-5 min to integrate)

If close match exists (80%+ of requirements): → Adapt it (10-20 min)

If related pattern exists: → Use as template (20-40 min)

If nothing relevant exists: → Build from scratch (60+ min) + document why

Common Rationalizations to Ignore

❌ "I Know How to Build It"

Rationalization: "I can implement this quickly, no need to search"

Reality:

• Your implementation: 60+ minutes
• Checking: 5 minutes
• Adapting existing: 10-20 minutes
• Existing solutions are tested and proven

Counter: Check first anyway. It's mandatory, not optional.

---

❌ "Searching Takes Time"

Rationalization: "Faster to build than search"

Reality:

• Search time: 5 minutes
• Build time: 60+ minutes
• You save 55+ minutes minimum

Counter: 5 minutes of checking saves an hour of building.

---

❌ "Requirements Won't Match Exactly"

Rationalization: "Existing blocks might not fit our exact needs"

Reality:

• 80% match + adaptation = 20 minutes
• 100% from scratch = 60+ minutes
• Adaptation is almost always faster

Counter: You don't need perfect match. Close match + adapt = faster.

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❌ "ASAP Means Start Coding"

Rationalization: "PM wants this ASAP, no time to search"

Reality:

• Checking: 5 minutes
• Using existing: 10-20 minutes
• Building from scratch: 60+ minutes
• ASAP means find fastest solution

Counter: When it's urgent, checking existing solutions is FASTER.

---

❌ "Custom Gives More Control"

Rationalization: "Building custom gives exactly what we want"

Reality:

• Custom = more bugs, more testing, more maintenance
• Existing solutions are battle-tested
• Community contributions have multiple reviewers

Counter: Control costs 60+ minutes + ongoing maintenance. Not worth it.

---

❌ "Collection Might Not Have It"

Rationalization: "Block Collection probably doesn't have this"

Reality:

• You don't know until you check (2 minutes)
• Common patterns almost always exist
• Related blocks provide adaptation templates

Counter: "Might not" is guessing. Check and know for sure.

---

Red Flags - STOP and Check First

If you're thinking:

• "I can build this quickly"
• "No time to search"
• "Requirements are too specific"
• "Custom is better"
• "They probably don't have it"
• "I'll just start implementing"

All of these mean: STOP. Check Block Collection and Block Party first.

---

The 5-Minute Check Process

1. Open Block Collection (1 min)

https://github.com/adobe/aem-block-collection
→ Browse /blocks directory
→ Search for keywords related to your block

2. Document findings (30 sec)

• Found exact match? (block name, URL)
• Found close match? (what's similar, what's different)
• Found related pattern? (how it could be adapted)
• Found nothing relevant? (document this)

3. Open Block Party (1 min)

https://www.aem.live/developer/block-party
→ Search curated list
→ Filter by category if available

4. Document findings (30 sec)

• Community implementations available?
• Better than Block Collection option?
• Good documentation/examples?

5. Check project blocks (1 min)

ls blocks/
→ Scan for similar functionality
→ Check if patterns can be reused

6. Make decision (1 min)

• Use existing as-is
• Adapt existing (document what needs changing)
• Build from scratch (document why no existing solution works)

Total: 5-6 minutes

---

Decision Tree

Need new block functionality?
    ↓
Check Block Collection (2 min)
    ↓
Found exact match? → Use it (done in 5 min total)
    ↓ No
Check Block Party (3 min)
    ↓
Found close match (80%+)? → Adapt it (done in 15-25 min total)
    ↓ No
Found related pattern? → Use as template (done in 30-50 min total)
    ↓ No
Build from scratch + document why (60+ min)

Always start at the top. Never skip to the bottom.

---

When Building From Scratch

If you genuinely need to build from scratch (no suitable existing solution):

Document why:

## Why New Implementation

Checked existing solutions:
- ✅ AEM Block Collection: No carousel with [specific feature]
- ✅ Block Party: Found 3 carousels but none support [requirement]
- ✅ Current project: No similar blocks

Building new because: [specific reason existing solutions don't work]

This documentation:

• Proves you checked first
• Explains decision to reviewers
• Helps future developers understand choices

---

Examples

Example 1: Carousel Request

❌ Wrong approach:

PM: "We need a carousel block"
Agent: "I'll implement a carousel"
→ Spends 60 minutes building from scratch
→ Block Collection has carousel
→ Wasted 55 minutes

✅ Correct approach:

PM: "We need a carousel block"
Agent: "Let me check Block Collection first"
→ Finds carousel in Block Collection (2 min)
→ Reviews features (2 min)
→ Adapts to add one custom feature (15 min)
→ Total: 19 minutes (saved 41 minutes)

---

Example 2: Custom Requirements

Request: "We need a product grid with filters and sorting"

Step 1: Check Block Collection

• Found: Basic card grid
• Missing: Filters and sorting

Step 2: Check Block Party

• Found: Product grid with filters (80% match)
• Missing: Specific sorting options

Step 3: Decision

• Use Block Party implementation
• Add custom sorting (20 min adaptation)
• Total: 25 minutes vs 90 minutes from scratch

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Quick Reference

Action	Time	Skip?
Check Block Collection	2-3 min	NO
Check Block Party	2-3 min	NO
Check project blocks	1 min	NO
Evaluate findings	1 min	NO
Document if building new	2 min	NO

Total mandatory check time: 5-7 minutes

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The Bottom Line

Check existing solutions BEFORE implementing. Always.

This is not optional. This is not "if you have time." This is mandatory.

5 minutes of checking saves 55+ minutes of building.

Existing solutions are tested, proven, and maintained. Your from-scratch implementation isn't.

When PM says "ASAP" - checking existing solutions IS the fast path.

Check first. Build second. In that order. Every time.