Adobe Experience Manager is a very popular content management system dealing with multiple classes of digital assets and content items. AEM is best known for its website management features and other features that help users create beautiful digital experiences. If you want one suite where you can keep track of all assets and digital content, then you should try to use the AEM for a unified and smooth experience.
AEM is a unified suite for digital asset management and content management that large-scale and mid-scale companies use. Adobe Experience Manager is a reliable platform and can also be used for AEM testing. Today, 137,074 websites are run with the help of the AEM. Testing for AEM is very important as it helps run these websites smoothly and improves the user experience. In this article, you will learn about the types of performance testing in AEM and how it can help improve the user experience of the websites.
Why Performance Testing Matters in AEM?
The performance of the AEM suite matters a lot as it delivers the experience that people have when interacting with any content piece. AEM testing services focus on testing various aspects of websites with the help of AEM tools to ensure that the web page is ready to be launched. The implementation of a complex and extensive solution like AEM has to be validated for maximum efficiency.
AEM software testing ensures that the software is free from bugs and internal issues. AEM software is streamlined with the digital platforms, and its scalability has also been checked. The performance of AEM has multiple aspects, and these aspects are analyzed multiple times through testing cycles.
Key Metrics to Measure in AEM Performance Testing
The performance testing trends and tools depend on the important aspects of AEM performance. AEM testers focus on AEM QA testing to ensure parameters such as load time, TTFB, and other core areas of website frameworks. Together, these factors make a high-performance website for web users.
1. Load Time
A web page usually takes some time to load. However, for a high-performance website, this load time is very high. The load time is the time taken for all the visible and interactive elements of a web page to load. According to studies, anything above 3 seconds for a website to load reduces the number of users who engage with the website. AEM performance testing helps reduce load time and improves the experience people have with the website.
2. Time to First Byte (TTFB)
The time to first-byte parameter is the time taken for a browser to connect with the website server and receive the first byte of data that comes from the web page. The TTFB is a parameter that is measured to see how quickly a web page responds and loads. The server performance is monitored with the help of Software Testing for AEM, and then the parameters are optimized.
3. Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS):
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Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
The LCP is the parameter that denotes the time frame that the heaviest element of the web page takes to load. The largest element is the biggest element of the web page, and it can be data-heavy. However, in a high-quality website, the LCP is low, and the elements should be visible within seconds of sending out a request. The LCP of a good website should be less than 2.5 seconds.
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First Input Delay (FID)
The first input delay is a core web vital that helps in finding the level of interactivity and responsiveness a web page has. The FID is the time taken for the server to access the element of the website on which the user interacts. For example, if a user clicks on a link, the FID measures the delay in the actual click and the loading time of the link. The FID shows if the website responds to the user’s action quickly. A highly intuitive and responsive web page should have an FID of less than 100 milliseconds. AEM Software Testing looks at input delay as a parameter of the website’s high performance.
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Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
The CLS parameter of AEM testing checks how frequently the framework of a website shifts when loading on a browser. This core web is vital for which search engine screen determines how stable the website is. The CLS should be very low so that the website is consistent and visible to users. The CLS is often unexpected and disrupts the user experience for anyone who accesses the web page. CLS for a good web page should be less than 0.1.
Also Read: What is Regression Testing in Software Testing? A Complete Guide
4. Server Response Time:
Server response time is the average time that a web server takes to respond to requests from web users. A high-performance web page has a fast-responding server, so the server response time is less. Performance testing in AEM best practices focuses on finding out the web SRT and reducing it through optimization techniques.
5. Caching Efficiency
The caching efficiency of a web page is determined by the cache hit ratio. The Cache hit ratio shows how easily a website cache supports the user’s requests to access content on a site. Types of Performance Testing in AEM also focus on cache efficiency tracking so that the user experience emerging from content elements is clear.
Types of Performance Testing in AEM
In the performance testing sector in AEM, the testers focus on multiple parameters. The testing team offers stress testing as well as load testing services. Moreover, it also focuses on spike tests and validating the endurance of the AEM suite.
1. Stress Testing
In the process of stress testing for AEM, the testers run various loads on the application to see how the AEM suite acts under extreme and unexpected conditions. The application is put through multiple loads and extreme scenarios, such as instances where the data to be processed is very high in volume. The system is put through different scenarios to see its stress threshold and performance levels.
2. Spike Testing
Spike tests are run to check for sudden spikes in load that might come into the system. At peak hours or for some unseen reason, the web page could come under sudden spikes of load. A high-performance application or webpage can handle spikes in load and can be scalable when there is a need to do so.
3. Endurance Testing
Endurance testing for AEM is done with the help of specific tools. These tools help test the suite and find out if it works smoothly and performs well over a long period of time. An optimized and very streamlined system takes on huge loads for a long time without any dip in performance.
4. Scalability Testing
The scalability of the AEM suite is also tested to see if it can handle the user load in a scalable manner and upscale the resources to handle the different user requests it gets. The AEM suite should be scalable to maintain the traffic that comes to the platform.
Common Performance Bottlenecks in AEM and How to Fix Them
An AEM testing tutorial focuses on multiple gaps and bottlenecks for which the suite tests. The AEM suite needs to be tested so it can handle different performance issues and bottlenecks. The testers also have to find the errors and share insights on how to fix them.
➪ Heavy Components
Heavy components of a website that AEM processes are large data files and images. The heavy components need significant processing and deal with complex elements on the website. These heavy components have the ability to slow down a web page and affect its performance negatively. Steps can be taken to improve the loading of these components. The team can take up lazy loading and simplify the logic working behind these components.
➪ Poor Caching Configuration
Caching of the data is crucial for the content elements to be delivered smoothly for websites. Poor caching and less accessibility to data can result in delays from the server. A longer wait time creates a bad user experience for the user base. Caching of data in a poor manner can lead to higher server load and longer loading times for the content. So, the testers have to use AEM to improve the overall caching. For example, the testers can use the AEM dispatcher to help with the caching of static content.
➪ Inefficient Queries and Indexes
The use of inefficient queries and indexes can lead to slow content loading and performance bottlenecks. These queries are inefficient because they work on complex and inconsistent logic. The inefficient queries affect the speed with which the content is delivered. To improve the loading speed of the content, the team focuses on using debugging tools and optimization techniques that can improve the manner in which the queries work.
➪ Large DAM Assets and Images
The digital asset management system is a suite that stores high-resolution images and content elements. However, if the digital assets stored on these systems are not optimized properly, then the images and multimedia assets will not load properly, which can lead to performance issues for the website. For this, the testing and implementation team needs to use tools to compress and resize these media elements so that they can be efficiently stored on the DAM.
➪ Excessive Client-Side Scripts
The use of client-side scripts is necessary, but when there is a very high usage of scripts like JavaScript, there could be many unoptimized scripted elements that lead to issues with web page performance. The use of heavy scripts can lead to longer time frames for page rendering. For this, the testing team should minimize the scripted elements and also bundle the JavaScript files so that the scripted elements work in a streamlined manner.
Also Read: Finding the Right Performance Testing Partner: Key Points to Consider
Best Practices for Performance Optimization in AEM
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Enable and Configure Caching Properly
The static content elements can be configured with the help of the suite’s AEM dispatcher element. The AEM implementation team should configure the cache to invalidate the content when a content update happens in the background.
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Optimize Image and Media Assets
The team should also use tools to compress the images and reduce the file size so that the media assets are of optimal size and can be handled by different platforms. The content optimization team should look at possible web formats like WebP, which helps in adhering to better compression standards so that the overall content is optimized and does not create any performance issues.
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Reduce Server Requests
The implementation team can combine CSS and JavaScript files in order to tamp down on the queries that the CDN gets. The lazy loading of images and using multiple lightweight images to create a single sprite can also help in reducing the server requests coming out of the user system.
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Efficient Component Design
AEM components need to be designed in an efficient and reusable manner so that the overall website can be optimized fully. Lazy loading of components can optimize the elements so that only the necessary elements can be loaded when needed. This reduces the stress put on the server side of the site.
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Code Minification and Compression
Today, there are tools that help in code file minification and compression. The reduction of sizes for the JavaScript and CSS files helps in increasing the performance of the website. Build tools like Webpack and Gulp can be used to reduce the size of these files so that the code is not heavy and does not affect the speed of page rendering.
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Database Optimization
To keep the database optimized, the AEM testing team focuses on cleaning the unused assets and content elements and optimizing the existing workflow. The database should be maintained with a regular schedule so that the data files are clean and do not hinder the performance of the website running through AEM.
Tips to Monitor Ongoing Performance Testing Process
1. Setting Up Real-Time Monitoring
Real-time monitoring is important among the best practices for performance testing in AEM that testers follow. The setting up of real-time monitoring devices and tools is important to see how the performance testing in AEM is happening. This helps the testers get real-time insights and helps improve the performance testing process wherever possible. There are tools like Java Management Extensions that help in monitoring the progress of performance tests on AEM.
2. Scheduled Performance Audits
The AEM suite should be used to regularly schedule site performance audits. The AEM and website together have a level of performance over a timeline. In this timeline, to get the right kind of performance insights, the team should perform performance audits. Usually, testing teams conduct quarterly and bimonthly audits to track the performance of the suite and the website linked with it.
3. User Feedback and Analytics
As AEM deals majorly with user experience arising from digital assets, the team of testers has to take into account user feedback and user analytics. The user interaction data needs to be collected and analyzed from the web page to know how the site performs and impacts the users. Adobe Analytics and other analytical tools from search engines can be used to keep track of these feedback trends.
4. Adapting to Seasonal or Campaign-Based Traffic Spikes
Seasonal traffic spikes and occasions like a successful campaign are times when the performance of the website needs to be improved. The testing team has to track these spikes and track them to ensure that the website and the AEM suite are able to handle these sudden increases in traffic. Scalability planning and load testing are practices that the team should take up during times of expected traffic spikes.
Maximize AEM Quality & User Experience with QA Testing Now!
QA testing for AEM is very important as it can help in ensuring that the website is running smoothly. Testing for AEM keeps the site ready for users and improves the quality of content sent out by the site. For a website that has high user engagement and user activity, companies have to implement AEM and take performance testing seriously.
For AEM testing and performance review, you need a testing team that is very efficient and knowledgeable. A good team is one that knows how to create test cases for performance testing and optimizes the site performance accordingly. A testing team needs to work with the implementation team continuously.