Facet/Category Solr search with AEM

Hi @lax50 ,

There are two steps 

1. Update the search facets with your custom property

2. Create a new custom oak index 

/conf/global/settings/dam/search/facets/assets/.content.xml

This is used in AEM’s DAM search console (like /assets.html) to customize the faceted navigation for assets.

🛠️ How to Update DAM Search Facets in AEM as a Cloud Service

📍 Location

Facets for the DAM search UI are stored under:

/conf/global/settings/dam/search/facets/assets

This path contains configurations (in .content.xml) that define which facets are shown (e.g., MIME type, tags, last modified) and their behavior.

✅ Example .content.xml

Here's a sample configuration:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<jcr:root
    xmlns:sling="http://sling.apache.org/jcr/sling/1.0"
    xmlns:cq="http://www.day.com/jcr/cq/1.0"
    xmlns:jcr="http://www.jcp.org/jcr/1.0"
    jcr:primaryType="nt:unstructured"
    jcr:title="Assets"
    sling:resourceType="dam/gui/search/facetlist"
    facets="[dc:format,cq:tags,jcr:content/metadata/prism:expirationDate]"/>

🧩 Explanation:

• facets: This is a multi-value property listing the paths or metadata fields to be used as facets.

  • Examples:

    • dc:format: MIME type

    • cq:tags: DAM tags

    • jcr:content/metadata/prism:expirationDate: Custom metadata

➕ Adding Custom Facets

To add a new facet (e.g., jcr:content/metadata/my:customField):

1. Ensure the metadata is part of your schema:

   • Navigate to Tools > Assets > Metadata Schemas.

   • Edit the schema associated with your asset type and ensure the custom field exists.

2. Update .content.xml (or use CRX/DE Lite):

   facets="[dc:format,cq:tags,jcr:content/metadata/prism:expirationDate,jcr:content/metadata/my:customField]"

3. Deploy or Save Changes

   • If you're managing via code, deploy the updated .content.xml.

   • If via CRX/DE, just save the node.

4. Test in /assets.html UI.

   • You should see the new facet in the left-side filters after a page refresh.

⚠️ Notes

• Do not use paths that are not indexed or stored. Ensure the custom metadata is saved and indexed.

• For AEMaaCS, all /conf configurations should be deployed via content packages or Content as Code.

To properly support search facets on a custom metadata property in AEM as a Cloud Service (AEMaaCS), you must also create a custom Oak index for performance and functionality—especially for filtering and faceting in the DAM UI or custom searches.

✅ Steps to Create a Custom Index for a Custom Property in AEMaaCS

Let's say your custom property is:

jcr:content/metadata/my:customCategory

📁 1. Project Structure

Place the index definition here:

/apps/<your-project>/oak-index/myCustomCategoryIndex/.content.xml

🧾 2. Sample myCustomCategoryIndex/.content.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<jcr:root
    xmlns:jcr="http://www.jcp.org/jcr/1.0"
    xmlns:sling="http://sling.apache.org/jcr/sling/1.0"
    xmlns:oak="http://jackrabbit.apache.org/oak/ns/1.0"
    jcr:primaryType="oak:QueryIndexDefinition"
    compatVersion="{Long}2"
    type="lucene"
    async="[async]"
    includedPaths="[/content/dam]"
    indexRules="[dam:Asset]"
    reindex="{Boolean}false"
    name="myCustomCategoryIndex">

    <indexRules jcr:primaryType="nt:unstructured">
        <dam:Asset jcr:primaryType="nt:unstructured">
            <properties jcr:primaryType="nt:unstructured">
                <myCustomCategory jcr:primaryType="nt:unstructured"
                    name="jcr:content/metadata/my:customCategory"
                    propertyIndex="true"
                    ordered="false"
                    analyzed="true"
                    nodeScopeIndex="true"/>
            </properties>
        </dam:Asset>
    </indexRules>
</jcr:root>

📌 3. Key Properties Explained

Attribute Description

🚀 4. Deploy the Index

1. Include the index under /apps in your AEM Maven module (typically ui.apps).

2. Define in filter.xml:

   <filter root="/apps/your-project/oak-index/myCustomCategoryIndex"/>

3. Build and deploy your code via Cloud Manager or direct package install (for dev/test).

🔄 5. Reindex (Only If Needed)

If you're making changes and want to force reindexing:

• Set reindex="{Boolean}true" temporarily.

• Deploy and monitor logs for indexing to complete.

• Then reset reindex to false.

👓 6. Verify

1. Use the AEM Query Builder Debugger (/libs/cq/search/content/querydebug.html) to test:

   {
     "path": "/content/dam",
     "property": "jcr:content/metadata/my:customCategory",
     "property.value": "ExampleValue"
   }

2. Or test in the DAM UI (facets should now filter correctly and fast).

Would you like me to generate a complete sample AEM content package structure (filter.xml, content.xml, etc.) that you can directly integrate into your project?