Migrate from AEM to Headless CMS

Why Migrate from AEM?

# 1
High licensing and maintenance costs
# 2
Slow publishing cycles and complex workflows
# 3
Heavy infrastructure requirements and limited agility
# 4
Difficult integration with modern tools (NexJS, Vercel, Shopify, etc.)
# 5
Poor developer experience and vendor lock-in

Firsty Migrated to Headless CMS

60%
faster page publishing
faster campaign launch
100%
content managed by marketing
0
developer time for daily updates
Migration Paths

Best for: Code-first control & Next.js native performance

Features

Transition from AEM’s heavy Java architecture to a modern, code-first TypeScript CMS. Payload is perfect for engineering and marketing teams wanting total control over their data structure, seamless Next.js integration, and a highly customizable admin UI—without the enterprise bloat and vendor lock-in.

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Best for: Empowering marketers with Visual Editing

Features

Keep the visual page-building experience your marketing team loves in AEM, but leave the technical debt behind. Storyblok’s intuitive Visual Editor empowers non-technical users to build, preview, and launch pages instantly, boosting your time-to-market while developers enjoy a clean, API-first architecture.

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Best for: Complex data structures & Omnichannel delivery

Features

Move away from rigid AEM templates to Sanity’s ultra-flexible Content Lake. Ideal for organizations with complex, interconnected content needs. We’ll help you re-model your data for ultimate reuse across any channel and build a custom, real-time collaborative Studio that perfectly matches your editorial workflows.

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Best for: Enterprise scale & Composable ecosystems

Features

Replace AEM with the industry pioneer of enterprise headless CMS. We orchestrate a secure, scalable migration to Contentful, allowing you to build a robust composable architecture. Leverage its vast app ecosystem to effortlessly connect your CRM, CDP, and localization tools in one central hub.

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How We Help Migrate?

01

Platform & Content Audit

We analyze your AEM setup, content models, and integrations to design a clear migration plan

02

Content Export & Normalization

We extract data from AEM and re-model it into flexible, structured schemas for your new Headless CMS

03

Frontend Rebuild

We rebuild your presentation layer in NextJS or Remix, optimized for speed and SEO

04

Integration Layer Setup

We connect analytics, CDP, CRM, and marketing automation tools via APIs

05

Governance, QA & Rollout

We implement content workflows, permissions, and training for distributed editorial teams

How we work

Governed and Scalable, by Design

We design content models, editorial workflows, and governance into the architecture from day one to make your Information Architecture clean and usable as your team, markets, and channels grow.

Editorial UX boosts your marketing team's speed and freedom. They can build pages, launch campaigns, and manage content without needing developer help.

Performance & AI SEO by Default

Each project includes a complete SEO + LLM optimization. Performance baseline as standard: Core Web Vitals, structured data, rendering strategy, and AI SEO setup.

Scalable Next.js architecture derived from 7+ years of experience.

Already live? Our Next.js SEO audit gives you an actionable, dev-ready assessment of where you stand.

Predictable & Efficient Delivery

90% of our projects fit the initial budget. That comes from the time we invest upfront — understanding exactly what we're building before a single line of code is written.

Our CMS Kit has page builders, navigation, localization, content models, and SEO settings. It boosts every engagement. Plus, it won’t limit your choices. It's a smart starter refined across dozens of production deployments, not a constraint.

Our Clients Say

FocusReactive completed the project on time and added extra tasks without compromising the schedule. As a result, the client was pleased with the new site's look and feel. FocusReactive held weekly virtual meetings to share accomplishments and questions. They were organized and flexible.

David Green
Operations Director at The Mighty Shed

"FocusReactive has been an exceptional partner, delivering all our requirements ahead of schedule. Their team feels like an extension of ours, understanding our strategy and anticipating our needs. They helped us build two modern, SEO-friendly marketing websites that our marketing team can easily manage without relying on developers. The team is incredibly talented, responsive, and always takes pride in their work. Thanks to FocusReactive, we've been able to scale our marketing efforts more effectively. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner."

Mike Addonizio
VP of Marketing at Betway

"FocusReactive helped us launch a high-performing website with 20% faster load times and 40% less manual work thanks to seamless integrations. DatoCMS also allowed our team to update content 50% faster, all delivered with clear communication and reliable project management."

Gal Lampel
Operations Manager, QuantHealth

Recent migration projects

EasyPark

View Live
Laptop on pink surface showing a website with colorful hero section
Industry
Parking & Mobility
Technical Stack
Storyblok
Next.JS
Vercel
Scope of Work
Design
Website Development
Maintenance

Reverse Health

View Live
Laptop showing fitness and weight loss website for women over 40
Industry
Health & Wellness
Technical stack
Payload CMS
NextJS
PostgreSQL
Scope of Work
Website Development
Maintenance

Lucian Light

View Live
Lucian sign with arrow on illuminated wall in hotel interior
Industry
Wholesale Building Materials
Technical Stack
Next.JS
Payload
Vercel
Scope of Work
Migration to Payload CMS
Maintenance

QuantHealth

View Live
Laptop on reflective surface showing colorful website landing page
Industry
Biotechnology Research
Tech stack
DatoCMS
Next.JS
Vercel
Scope of Work
Website Development
Maintenance

FAQs

Migration from AEM to Headless CMS

To reduce cost, simplify maintenance, and gain flexibility for integrations and omnichannel content delivery

It depends on your priorities - Sanity for editorial speed, Storyblok for visual workflows, or Payload for complete control and ownership

Enterprise migrations usually take 8–12 weeks, depending on system size and integrations

We migrate all content, metadata, and redirects - preserving your SEO and existing URL structure

Yes. Headless CMS platforms are built to empower marketing teams while keeping tech flexible and scalable

Our Go-to CMSs

What is Payload CMS?
Payload CMS logo on dark textured background

What is Payload CMS?

Discover how Payload CMS combines the power of headless content management with developer-focused features for project flexibility and control.
What is Sanity CMS?
Abstract white zigzag logo on dark background

What is Sanity CMS?

Delve into how Sanity CMS transforms content collaboration and management across diverse digital landscapes.
What is Storyblok?
Storyblok logo on blue gradient background

What is Storyblok?

This article delves into the best use cases, major advantages, and the full spectrum of what Storyblok can offer to developers and content editors.

Need help with Migration?

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  • Intro call to sync
  • Proposal within 2-3 days
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