How to test personalisation in AEM ContextHub based on Geolocation, URL Parameters, and User Behaviour? | Community
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GauravDu1
Level 2
August 7, 2025
Solved

How to test personalisation in AEM ContextHub based on Geolocation, URL Parameters, and User Behaviour?

  • August 7, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 413 views

Hi Community,

 

We’ve recently enabled ContextHub on our AEM instance as part of stakeholder request.

 

We plan to use ContextHub for rule-based personalisation in the following ways:

1. Geolocation-based targeting
2. URL parameters
3. User behaviour: e.g., first time users, returning visitors.

 

Could you please guide on:

How to set up and test these personalisations in AEM using ContextHub?

Any tips for verifying that rules (especially geolocation and URL-based) are being picked up correctly?

 

Appreciate any best practices or examples!

 

Thanks in advance,

Best answer by pradnya_balvir

Hi @gauravdu1 ,

1. Geolocation-based targeting

Setup

  • In ContextHub, make sure the Geolocation store is enabled (/etc/cloudsettings/default/contexthub)

  • This store uses IP-based location via browser APIs or external services

Create a Segment

  1. Go to Personalization → Segments

  2. Create a new segment with:

    • Store: Geolocation

    • Property: country, region, or city

    • Condition: equals, contains, etc.

    • E.g., Geolocation.country == "US"

Testing

  • In AEM Author, go to the page with targeting.

  • Enable Targeting mode

  • Open the ContextHub toolbar

  • Modify the Geolocation values manually to simulate location (e.g., change country to India)

  • Check if the correct experience variant is rendered

 

2. URL parameters

 

Setup

  • ContextHub includes a URL store by default
  • You can access values like ContextHub.get('url').parameter.<paramName>
Create a Segment
Create a segment using:
  • Store: URL
  • Property: parameter.campaign
  • Condition: equals summer2024
Testing
Add the parameter to your URL, e.g.:
 

  • ContextHub will automatically parse it

  • Check ContextHub UI → URL Store → Parameters

  • Confirm value is correctly picked up

  • Experience should switch accordingly

 

3. User behaviour

 

ContextHub includes a Profile or Persistence store (via cookies/localStorage)

Create Segments
  • First-Time Users
    • Check if custom flag like visitCount == 1 or hasVisited == false
  • Returning Users
    • Use a flag hasVisited == true or store last visit timestamp
You may need to customize a JavaScript module in ContextHub that tracks this via localStorage or a cookie.
 
(function () {
var visited = localStorage.getItem('hasVisited');
if (!visited) {
localStorage.setItem('hasVisited', 'true');
ContextHub.get('profile').setItem('isFirstVisit', true);
} else {
ContextHub.get('profile').setItem('isFirstVisit', false);
}
})();
 
Testing:

  • Clear your browser localStorage/cookies → simulate first visit

  • Reload → ContextHub Profile store → check isFirstVisit == true

  • Reload again → isFirstVisit == false for returning visitor

 

Verification and debugging Tips:

  • Enable Debug Mode
    • Use ?debug=true in the URL to get additional logs (depending on your config)
  • Use ContextHub Toolbar
    • Visually inspect and manipulate store values
    • Test multiple conditions live without changing the actual URL or location
  • Browser DevTools
    • Check cookies/localStorage for flags
    • Check network tab to validate the page variant/content rendered
  • AEM Logs
    • Use tail -f error.log or request.log to trace segment matching in publish mode

Hope this information helps you.

 

Thanks.

Pradnya

1 reply

pradnya_balvir
Community Advisor
pradnya_balvirCommunity AdvisorAccepted solution
Community Advisor
August 7, 2025

Hi @gauravdu1 ,

1. Geolocation-based targeting

Setup

  • In ContextHub, make sure the Geolocation store is enabled (/etc/cloudsettings/default/contexthub)

  • This store uses IP-based location via browser APIs or external services

Create a Segment

  1. Go to Personalization → Segments

  2. Create a new segment with:

    • Store: Geolocation

    • Property: country, region, or city

    • Condition: equals, contains, etc.

    • E.g., Geolocation.country == "US"

Testing

  • In AEM Author, go to the page with targeting.

  • Enable Targeting mode

  • Open the ContextHub toolbar

  • Modify the Geolocation values manually to simulate location (e.g., change country to India)

  • Check if the correct experience variant is rendered

 

2. URL parameters

 

Setup

  • ContextHub includes a URL store by default
  • You can access values like ContextHub.get('url').parameter.<paramName>
Create a Segment
Create a segment using:
  • Store: URL
  • Property: parameter.campaign
  • Condition: equals summer2024
Testing
Add the parameter to your URL, e.g.:
 

  • ContextHub will automatically parse it

  • Check ContextHub UI → URL Store → Parameters

  • Confirm value is correctly picked up

  • Experience should switch accordingly

 

3. User behaviour

 

ContextHub includes a Profile or Persistence store (via cookies/localStorage)

Create Segments
  • First-Time Users
    • Check if custom flag like visitCount == 1 or hasVisited == false
  • Returning Users
    • Use a flag hasVisited == true or store last visit timestamp
You may need to customize a JavaScript module in ContextHub that tracks this via localStorage or a cookie.
 
(function () {
var visited = localStorage.getItem('hasVisited');
if (!visited) {
localStorage.setItem('hasVisited', 'true');
ContextHub.get('profile').setItem('isFirstVisit', true);
} else {
ContextHub.get('profile').setItem('isFirstVisit', false);
}
})();
 
Testing:

  • Clear your browser localStorage/cookies → simulate first visit

  • Reload → ContextHub Profile store → check isFirstVisit == true

  • Reload again → isFirstVisit == false for returning visitor

 

Verification and debugging Tips:

  • Enable Debug Mode
    • Use ?debug=true in the URL to get additional logs (depending on your config)
  • Use ContextHub Toolbar
    • Visually inspect and manipulate store values
    • Test multiple conditions live without changing the actual URL or location
  • Browser DevTools
    • Check cookies/localStorage for flags
    • Check network tab to validate the page variant/content rendered
  • AEM Logs
    • Use tail -f error.log or request.log to trace segment matching in publish mode

Hope this information helps you.

 

Thanks.

Pradnya

G
GauravDu1Author
Level 2
August 11, 2025

Thank you Pradnya. This is really helpful. when you say - "In ContextHub, make sure the Geolocation store is enabled (/etc/cloudsettings/default/contexthub)" you mean in CRXDE? 

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