Timeline - Shutdown of classic user interface and migration of old templates
Detailed information about the shutdown schedule for the classic user interface and the migration of old content page and homepage templates.

- Legacy news channel templates (with a right column):
- will be automatically switched to the wide template.
- The content in the right column will disappear in the frontend and will only be visible in the backend.
- If the content from the right column is still needed with the newslist information, then the channel page should be hidden and a standard content page used to display the news and other content, because channel pages can no longer accommodate component additions.
- Legacy news article pages (with a right column, with the red info bar in the header)
- will be rendered read only.
- To edit a page, the page will need to be switched to the wide page layout. When switched, the content in the right column will disappear in the frontend and will only be visible in the backend.
- If the content from the right column is still needed after the page switch, it will need to be moved manually up from the bottom placeholder area on the page to the main content area of the the page.
- Legacy content pages (with a right column, with the red info bar in the header):
- will be rendered read only.
- To edit a page, the page will need to be switched to the wide page layout. When switched, the content in the right column will disappear in the frontend and will only be visible in the backend.
- If the content from the right column is still needed after the page switch, it will need to be moved manually up from the bottom placeholder area on the page to the main content area of the the page.
Content page templates: migrate to new wide page layout
- For more than 2 years now, the templates with the right context area have been deprecated. All pages should be switched to the wide page layout. These templates are indicated with a red bar at the top of the pages in the backend and a link to the manual page for support.
- These old page templates cannot be edited in touch, and need to be switched to the wide page template first. This includes all nonpublished pages in website structures as well.
- Content of the right context area must be removed and manually be added to the main content area if still needed.
- All existing content within the content area will stay and can be edited after the switch.
- The Classic user interface will be switched off and the Touch UI becomes the primary backend interface.
- The Classic user interface remains only for the editing and switch of the legacy homepage templates and to use the Newsletter configurator template
Shutdown of the classic AEM user interface
- Adobe is discontinuing the further development of the classic AEM user interface, forcing us to switch to the new touch user interface technology.
- Since summer 2024 authors have had the possibility to get used to and work with the new touch user interface.
- Existing website content is retained and can be edited via the touch user interface.
- The work preferences of AEM authors are set to touch, but it is still possible to switch to classic ('C' in the top toolbar).
- General information and introductory courses to touch took place in January and February.
- 4 June 2025: Definitive changeover to TouchUI
- Legacy Homepage templates (start pages with the right column and a magenta info bar in the header) are rendered read only.
- To edit a homepage, it must be switched to the new wide homepage template. This will require a full rebuild with new components. Therefore, we urge this to be done before the September freeze.
Homepage template: migrate to new wide homepage
- Old homepage templates cannot be edited in Touch, and need to be switched to the wide homepage first. Information and the link to the manual information page can be found in the magenta bar at the top of the legacy homepage.
- Careful: the switch will delete all existing homepage content, since only new components can be used on the new wide homepage template. The subpages of a site are not affected, for details please consult the manual.
- As of September 2025, the old homepages will be read-only and need to be switched to the wide page layout before they can be edited.
Tips for authors
- For quick access to backend site manager, add .edit after a frontend URL.
- For quick access to the backend page editor, add .pageedit after a frontend URL.
- To find out about the list of known bugs in the system, as well as workaround tips, check the Known bugs and author error page.
- Bugs found on legacy templates or in the Classic UI need not be reported since neither are no longer supported.
- Help links (?) to the relevant manual page are found in each component dialogue in Touch UI.
- Weekly Q&A sessions are offered for authors to drop in and ask questions. See the main manual page for times and the Zoom link.
- AEM is not suitable for storing old website content, please deactivate and delete pages or assets that are not online. To access older versions of your website, use the publicly accessible Wayback Machine: external page https://web.archive.org
Updating classic bookmarks to Touch UI bookmarks
Until the official shutdown, if you have bookmarks saved to reach your webpages or the site manager, it could be that you will be always reverted to the Classic view, because the URL contains the information for the interface.
Existing bookmarks can be easily edited to Touch UI links by replacing the specific part of the URL that references the interface type.
- Site manager links were of the format https://cms-author.ethz.ch/siteadmin#/content/... Change siteadmin# to sites.html for the Touch UI version of the URL (e.g. https://cms-author.ethz.ch/sites.html/content/...).
- Asset manager links were of the format https://cms-author.ethz.ch/damadmin#/content/... Change damadmin# to assets.html for the Touch UI version of the URL (e.g. https://cms-author.ethz.ch/assets.html/content/...).
- Page editor links were of the format https://cms-author.ethz.ch/cf#/content/... Change the cf# to editor.html for the Touch UI version of the URL (e.g. https://cms-author.ethz.ch/editor.html/content/...).