Disable tools and other components in the AEM interface

[Mailyn_TMo]

Hello everyone,
Context: I have created groups with their access permissions to Assets in the DAM system, all checked.
My question is: In AEM, is it possible to disable or hide all other options on the main panel so that only Assets are displayed? If so, how can this be done? Similarly, can the Tools option be disabled or hidden? It contains security, workflows, and other elements that I don't think users in these groups should have access to. Are there any drawbacks to doing this?

Thank you very much.

[ManviSharma · Accepted solution]

Hello @Mailyn_TMo ,

Yes, this is possible. The tiles on the AEM start screen (Sites, Projects, Tools, etc.) are shown/hidden based on Read permissions on their root paths.

To show only Assets, remove Read access from all other console paths and keep it only on DAM:

--------------------------------------------------

Allow: /content/dam
Allow: /libs/dam
Allow: /apps/dam (if used)

Deny/Remove Read:
/content
/content/projects
/content/experience-fragments
/libs/cq/core/content/nav/tools
/libs/cq/personalization
/content/screens
/libs/fmdita

--> Removing Read on /libs/cq/core/content/nav/tools hides the Tools menu.

Drawbacks:

• Do not block access to /libs broadly; only remove permissions on specific console nodes.

• Some DAM features (processing profiles, metadata schemas, workflows) may require selective read access under Tools.

This is the standard way to create a DAM-only user role.

[ManviSharma]

Hello @Mailyn_TMo ,

If the solution helped you, please mark it as correct. Otherwise, let me know if you need any further assistance 🙂

[muskaanchandwani]

Hello @Mailyn_TMo 

To answer your question :
1. Can we show only “Assets” on the main AEM panel?

Yes, visually you can make it so that a given group only sees the Assets tile:

Hide the other main navigation tiles (Sites, Forms, Screens, Projects, etc.) by :

1. Preferred (new way): Overlaying the relevant nodes from /libs/cq/core/content/nav/... into /apps and adding granite:rendercondition (for example, group-based grouprendercondition) so the tiles are only rendered for specific groups.

2. Older (ACL) way: Denying jcr:read on the corresponding /libs/cq/core/content/nav/<console> nodes for that group (OK for 6.5 on‑prem, not recommended for AEMaaCS).

This only hides UI entries; you still must configure ACLs so those users cannot access Sites/Forms/etc. by URL.

2. Can we disable or hide the “Tools” (hammer) option?

You can hide or restrict Tools sections (Security, Workflow, Assets tools, Operations, etc.) by:

> Using overlays in /apps with granite:rendercondition to hide individual entries under /libs/cq/core/content/nav/tools/... for specific groups, and
> Adding corresponding ACLs (or RepoInit rules) on the underlying tool paths so direct URL access is blocked.

Completely hiding the Tools icon itself by touching /libs/granite/ui/content/shell/start/content/cq/items/tabs/items/tools is:
> Possible on 6.5 via deny jcr:read ACL
> Not recommended and effectively unsupported in AEMaaCS, because that node is granite:InternalArea and /libs is immutable; CAS explicitly warns against manipulating ACLs or renderconditions on such internal nodes.