AEM clientlib certain javascript files to load only on AEM author

Hi @srinivas_opti,

IMO, the best possible ways to handle this:

1. Split into Separate ClientLibs

Create two separate client libraries:

• clientlib-author: includes the 3 scripts for author only

• clientlib-publish: includes the 7 scripts for publish only

Then include them conditionally based on the runmode.

A. HTL Conditional Include (Best Practice)

Use HTL to include only the relevant clientlib based on the runmode:

wcmmode is only available on Author, so this ensures the clientlib-author only loads in authoring mode.

2. Use Runmode-Specific JS Condition (if JS must live together)

If you cannot split clientlibs or must ship all JS together, wrap the execution of each JS file with an environment check:

// In author-only script (e.g., author-script.js)
if (window.location.hostname.includes('author') || 
    window.location.hostname.includes('localhost')) {
  // Author-only code here
}

Less secure and not ideal — because the file is still loaded on Publisher, just not executed.

3. Dispatcher-Level Exclusion (Not Preferred for JS Control)

You can block certain JS paths using Apache Dispatcher config (/filter or rewrite rules). But this is a brittle approach and not recommended for logic-based clientlib inclusion.

4. Embed Dynamically via Sling Model or Servlet

If your project uses Sling Models or backend templating, you can dynamically build the list of JS files based on the runmode:

if (slingSettingsService.getRunModes().contains("author")) {
   // inject clientlib-author
} else {
   // inject clientlib-publish
}

This gives backend-level control but may increase complexity.